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Help Me With Tramadol Withdrawal?
[45 yr old suburban Caucasian female. Dx'd eight years ago with ankylosing spondylitis (severe back pain) and Rx'd Indocin and Tramadol. Felt fine on Indocin alone, no side effects to this day...but took Tramadol for a headache seven years ago and got the Rx and have been on it ever since.]
Hi. Last week I started my tapering off of Tramadol. I was taking 200mg/day for the past seven years. I stopped taking one full 50mg pill every late afternoon about six days ago, so I'm now just doing two pills in the a.m. and only one pill around 4pm.
The only problems I have had so far were some mild occasional brain jolts, and for the first two days I woke up at 5 a.m. jonesing (sweating, hot/cold, insomnia, jolts), so I'd stop the wd by taking my usual daily morning dose (the two pills) at 5 a.m., rather than 8 or 9, then go back to bed. I'd get up around 8 or 9 a.m., and then take my one pill by 4 p.m., as scheduled. Only a few brain jolts during the day.
So, in a nutshell, down from four 50mg pills per day to 3 pills per day...over a period of six days.
As of today I am feeling okay. I don't know when to start taking away one of the morning pills. I don't know if I'll cut it in half, or just remove the full pill from the pill schedule. Haven't decided yet. No ideas on when to even do that. I'm just so happy to be doing so well (better than expected) on only taking the three pills, down from the four!
I've quit cold turkey in the past and it was terrible. I felt so sh*tty that I couldn't last a week, just said, "screw it" and started up on the four pills per day all over again.
On a few other occasions I tapered down to one pill a day by cutting slivers of my pills off little by little and cutting away more every three or four days. I thought taking away tiny bits would ease me off, but then by the time I got down to one pill I freaked out and just started taking all of it again.
I'm now in the throes of perimenopause. I am having migraines for the first time in my life and I just want to get off these pills!
So, anyway, I appreciate that this support is here and I am ready to hear anything from anybody willing to put in their two cents here. I just need to talk about it and stay on track. Thanks.
Hi. Last week I started my tapering off of Tramadol. I was taking 200mg/day for the past seven years. I stopped taking one full 50mg pill every late afternoon about six days ago, so I'm now just doing two pills in the a.m. and only one pill around 4pm.
The only problems I have had so far were some mild occasional brain jolts, and for the first two days I woke up at 5 a.m. jonesing (sweating, hot/cold, insomnia, jolts), so I'd stop the wd by taking my usual daily morning dose (the two pills) at 5 a.m., rather than 8 or 9, then go back to bed. I'd get up around 8 or 9 a.m., and then take my one pill by 4 p.m., as scheduled. Only a few brain jolts during the day.
So, in a nutshell, down from four 50mg pills per day to 3 pills per day...over a period of six days.
As of today I am feeling okay. I don't know when to start taking away one of the morning pills. I don't know if I'll cut it in half, or just remove the full pill from the pill schedule. Haven't decided yet. No ideas on when to even do that. I'm just so happy to be doing so well (better than expected) on only taking the three pills, down from the four!
I've quit cold turkey in the past and it was terrible. I felt so sh*tty that I couldn't last a week, just said, "screw it" and started up on the four pills per day all over again.
On a few other occasions I tapered down to one pill a day by cutting slivers of my pills off little by little and cutting away more every three or four days. I thought taking away tiny bits would ease me off, but then by the time I got down to one pill I freaked out and just started taking all of it again.
I'm now in the throes of perimenopause. I am having migraines for the first time in my life and I just want to get off these pills!
So, anyway, I appreciate that this support is here and I am ready to hear anything from anybody willing to put in their two cents here. I just need to talk about it and stay on track. Thanks.
That's a very good point! Don't let the fact that your husband isn't being supportive stop you from doing this! No one should do that! It doesn't matter WHAT he does. You still need off of this stuff before it kills you and takes your daughter's mom away! Mamasuebee knows what you're going through here. Re-read what she's saying.
The thing with work is that you have to do whatever needs to be done. If you can't take off work, just go and do the best you can. It may not be as bad as you think.
Maybe your husband will help and maybe he won't. Don't let it stop you if he won't! You can do it alone if necessary and deal with the marriage problems later! I know that's sounding insensitive, but you really do have to take care of YOU! Maybe this is the push you needed in order to make change. If it is then take it as a chance to help yourself. You can't change what has already happened, and it sounds like he's felt this way a long time. As far as this being Christmas, there is never a good time and it's ALWAYS a good time......BOTH! Always a good time to quit. Never a good times for WD. You can look at this the positive way and see that you can spend Christmas clean and be a happy, healthy mom and person thereafter!
The thing with work is that you have to do whatever needs to be done. If you can't take off work, just go and do the best you can. It may not be as bad as you think.
Maybe your husband will help and maybe he won't. Don't let it stop you if he won't! You can do it alone if necessary and deal with the marriage problems later! I know that's sounding insensitive, but you really do have to take care of YOU! Maybe this is the push you needed in order to make change. If it is then take it as a chance to help yourself. You can't change what has already happened, and it sounds like he's felt this way a long time. As far as this being Christmas, there is never a good time and it's ALWAYS a good time......BOTH! Always a good time to quit. Never a good times for WD. You can look at this the positive way and see that you can spend Christmas clean and be a happy, healthy mom and person thereafter!
I pray that you get the help that you need! I don't know what to say about your marriage, or that it is Christmas, but try to remember that Christmas is one day, and even though we lead up to it with much fanfare, after it passes the next day is just another normal day, like the ones that come after it.
As an adult you have the right to good health. You have the right, and you deserve, to be free of addiction, and you can do it. If you wind up doing it with little or no external or partnership support, at least you will be free of this horrible addiction. Allow yourself the anger and frustration of not having ideal support, but don't stop weaning yourself! Because regardless of how you do it, just doing it is all that matters. You cannot sort out any marriage issues until you sort out YOURSELF.
Last night as I lay in bed tossing and turning and whining because my body was screaming for tramadol, I realized that despite having my husband one foot away from me in bed, it was I who had to go through this--he couldn't go through it for me. So in the end it is ourselves that have to deal with this. It is always your choice, and you are making the right one. You CAN do this!
As an adult you have the right to good health. You have the right, and you deserve, to be free of addiction, and you can do it. If you wind up doing it with little or no external or partnership support, at least you will be free of this horrible addiction. Allow yourself the anger and frustration of not having ideal support, but don't stop weaning yourself! Because regardless of how you do it, just doing it is all that matters. You cannot sort out any marriage issues until you sort out YOURSELF.
Last night as I lay in bed tossing and turning and whining because my body was screaming for tramadol, I realized that despite having my husband one foot away from me in bed, it was I who had to go through this--he couldn't go through it for me. So in the end it is ourselves that have to deal with this. It is always your choice, and you are making the right one. You CAN do this!
Yes i am still taking trams. Im down to 5 a day along with 2 muscle relaxers and ambien and trazadone which im cutting back on those also. No, my husband has not moved out yet. I talked to him yesterday thru tons of tears, to pls help me thru this. I told him i could make up a room downstairs for me to go and do this so not to have my daughter and him see all the bad stuff that i know is on the way as i taper off this crap. He told me he would think about it and let me know. I still have to go to work thru doing this too. I dont know if or how i should tell my boss about this as i think towards the end of being off and having WDs is not going to be the best thing by being at work. My body already is having a ruff time with cutting down by 3. Im not the strongest person in the world and dont do well with pain of any kind. Not sure how much i should taper off as well. Help!! I feel so destroyed and ashamed and stupid for letting it get this far. Hopeless, sad, depressed and at all times its at Christmas. I just need a friend to hug and cry on.
Hi there! I'm so glad you have decided to quit. No matter what happens with your husband, this will be a good decision. Not only to try to save your marriage but to save your life! Tramadol is a sneaky drug. It overpowers us when we aren't looking or even notice it. Honestly, it's not even a good pain med. The thing we all like is that it helps energy and does definitely have a high. Tramadol has an anti-depressant effect to it. When we stop it, the depression and lack of energy and sleep is almost more than we can stand, so here we go back to it. The vicious circle continues! I spent like 12 years addicted to Hydrocodone/any opiate in general, and then I got tramadol and like everyone, I was told it was non addictive and safe. WRONG! I never thought I would prefer anything over an opiate. I did!!!
Are you still taking it? Or have you stopped and going through WDs? I know that you are scared to death. I remember the feeling well, but there's not any reason to live this way anymore. Getting off of them may or may not help your marriage. Has he moved out? Can you give me a little more info? I would love to help you. The absolute best way to get support here is to hit "post a question" and tell us what is going on. You're anonymous here, so you don't have any worries. We do NOT judge. You're not the first person who has had marriage issues, legal trouble, addiction, lost their kids, etc. We have seen it ALL.
Post a question, ok? We have all been where you are and many are going through this with you. This forum saved my life and got me on my way to being clean. That was in March of 2010. I've been clean ever since then.
This is not easy, but we can help you if you'll let us!! No judgement. We all just hang out and try to help!!! : )
Are you still taking it? Or have you stopped and going through WDs? I know that you are scared to death. I remember the feeling well, but there's not any reason to live this way anymore. Getting off of them may or may not help your marriage. Has he moved out? Can you give me a little more info? I would love to help you. The absolute best way to get support here is to hit "post a question" and tell us what is going on. You're anonymous here, so you don't have any worries. We do NOT judge. You're not the first person who has had marriage issues, legal trouble, addiction, lost their kids, etc. We have seen it ALL.
Post a question, ok? We have all been where you are and many are going through this with you. This forum saved my life and got me on my way to being clean. That was in March of 2010. I've been clean ever since then.
This is not easy, but we can help you if you'll let us!! No judgement. We all just hang out and try to help!!! : )
hello everybody, im new to this forum. Im a 50 yr old women who has been on lortabs and now to trams for 15 yrs. I was taking like 8-9 or 10 a day. I didnt realize what i was doing to my family till my husband told me he couldnt do this marriage thing anymore. That was tuesday. He said i lost him a long time ago. I started looking back at what i had done and am so ashamed of myself. Always thought i was right and no one could tell me different. Having possibly lost my marriage and trying to get off these things is the worst feeling in the world. Not having him here to help me get off these and having to be a good mother to my daughter is pure hell. I dont think she should have to be the one to see me go thru this and keep picking me up. Am gonna try to talk to him futher about this. Wish me luck.
Good morning! It's not that that's a bad idea, but did she have a reason why you shouldn't just go ahead and taper down to one? The answer about Sunday and how you'll feel is......rough! Lol Maybe not AWFUL but not good. A good indication of Sunday will be how you're feeling in the mornings now. That's how you will feel, except there won't be a pill to take. Don't get me wrong! I'm all about quitting and getting on with it. I was just wondering why she would think that you should do the whole taper and then reach this point and not complete it? You'll be fine if you stop now. That's not what I'm meaning. And you'll only feel bad a few days. We'll help you!
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