Thanks for the support

[salsinator]

Well, its been a week or maybe a little longer since i skinned my knees with the Tramadol.  I feel better today and am more alert than I have been in weeks.  That so much to everyone on here for the support and for helping me stand up again.  It just amazing me how this disease can sneak up on you, even when you think you are the most prepared.

I wanted to comment though on the Tramadol.  Many people, including me, don't really consider it an opiate - or at least anything major.  Man!  That needs to change.  I called my addiction specialist who did my original detox back in 2009 yesterday and we had a good chat about it.  He told me that the medical community still does not know exactly how people become so addicted to it and because it is a weak opiate, how the withdrawal syndrome is so much worse than many other opiates, including heroin.  Anyway, I am so glad that part is behind me and any other pills I had left are sitting in the septic system.  I am going to have some pretty strange things growing out of the ground pretty soon.

For all of you out there who are suffering, contemplating getting off tramadol or other opiates.  Just know it is possible if you really want it.  Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it be on here or somewhere else.  There is a little of pain and suffering, but once you cross that bridge, life is so much better.

Thanks again everyone for the support.  I am staying put right here!

[avisg]

Yes tram has always baffled doctor and  people for that matter . The wort part of it is a double whammy its like coming off an anti depressant and a pain killer . For me exercise and amino asids{as long as your off the tram and not on any othr anti depressant } helped the most anything to get the receptors working again on the own . It sounds like you are comeing off the tail end feel free to pm me if you ever need support I still remember the H e ll coming off the stuff and its almost been 4 years .

[salsinator]

Thanks Sara and Millie.  This was a tough fall, but the band aids are coming off and I am moving forward.  Believe it or not, after coming "clean" with myself and my partner,  this was the first place that I went.  Medhelp kept me clean and as I wondered away, the temptation to use got so mich easier.

Spending the weekend at the beach.  Man is it hot here this weekend.  We went on an evening cruise with some friends on their boat last night and got to see the entire Atlantic naval fleet that is in port.  Very cool from the water.  

Check out my new pics of Yellowstone from my vacation Sara.

[dominosarah]

I am so glad you are back on track.  You know it takes skinned knees time to heal but when they do they get fresh new skin on them.  Dont let yourself get lazy with your recovery my friend.  Guard those knees!!!

Have a good day.

[mellie4]

I agree that there needs to be more truth about the medication.  I was given it years ago.  I didn't have any withdrawals, but I was only on it a couple of weeks.  I couldn't take it because it did give me a "high," and made it impossible to function.  (Conversely, when they put me on Percocet, I never felt a high, though it would put me to sleep until I adjusted to the dose.)  No one ever told me that Tramadol could be addictive.  (Same with Cymbalta, which I came off after months of use and just stopped it.  It was until I was done with it and read here that you should taper off did I realize what was going on was withdrawal.

I think the medical community needs to do a better job, especially when they're prescribing medications, to inform the patient about chance of addiction/dependence and exactly what it is.  Maybe talking to a former patient (if they agree) about getting caught into addiction about what they went through.  Just like pain is a hard concept to get across to someone, so is withdrawal.  I don't know reading about withdrawal symptoms does it.  I experienced acute moderate to severe withdrawal after getting a stomach bug and not being able to take my prescribed medication.  Wound up in the ER with dehydration.  Up until then I had read about withdrawal.  Sure it sounded unpleasant.  Equating it with a flu though sort of makes you think, "Gee, I could do comfort measures to get through it."  For me, I was vomiting too much to be able to keep down a sip of water much less anything from the Thomas recipe.  My opinion is withdrawals are much more severe than the flu; at least they were for me.  Maybe if people talked to someone who's gone through it or if they saw someone in it, it would make more of an impact.

I asked a lot of questions about dependence/addiction.  It was a big fear for me (and still is.)  I don't meet any of the criteria of an addict but there isn't much difference when you're in the midst of withdrawal.  I don't even think some doctors can really comprehend it.  I just wish there was a way for everyone to really know what it's like before they start using pain meds for whatever reason.  Congratulations on getting off the Tramadol.  I dodged a bullet with that one.  From one I've heard, it can be very difficult.