Tramdol withdrawl...I feel very ill

[artistsandie]

I was placed on Tramadol for pain management 5 years ago. I did not abuse my prescription, in fact took less. Now as my health has improved i decided I no longer needed it. I never felt i was addicted, was i blind! I have weaned down and today is my fist day with that drug. What more do I need to expect will happen coming off this medication. I have never been involved with drugs or drinking so this is hard. I know no who has gone through withdrawals. I cannot sleep and haves huge waves of feeling like bugs are running on all my nerves. I sit in the shower   as long as the water keeps warm and make many trips to the restroom. How long will this last?

[littlebit667]

More than likely your became dependent on it.  your body got used to it and is now trying to reset itself now that you are not taking it.  I have no experience with it, but many have said that it is hard to stop.  I am sure others with experience will come by to help.  Have you talked to your doctor about your symptoms.  Many doctors believe the sales reps when they say it is not addictive.  

[wransomejr]

I've sent you a message. At the low does you are taking you should just tell yourself you have an illness, like the flu, and that it will go away. You will spend 2-3 days in the restroom a lot, and things start getting better after about 4-5 days. You will have insomnia. Instead of fighting it, watch funny or feel-good movies. Warm baths/showers help. Immodium and Gatorade. It will get better. I promise. The tricky thing about Tramadol is that there is a built-in anti-depressant. If you have long term problems you might talk with your MD about that. Good Luck! It isn't fun but you can get your life back! A week or a month isn't so long in the grand scheme of things!

[artistsandie]

Thank you, today is day two and i am still very ill, bugs under my skin and in the shower all the time. I had email from my Dr. said it was withdrawals and keep drinking lots of water. He also upped my blood pressure medications as I was having very high reading, most likely from all the body pain I am having of course throw in the lack of sleep. I have never done drugs or even drink or know anyone who has had an experience like this. I was so happy to find this place on the net, again thank you for your advice and support.

[wransomejr]

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter whether you do a little or a lot of these meds that change our brain chemistry, there is no easy way to get off. However, I found that just ACCEPTING that I felt like crap really helped me. KNOWING from what others who had been through it had said about 4-5 days being the worst then things start looking up...all that really helped. Staying hydrated and eating anything helps, and AS SOON AS YOU CAN, ANY exercise, especially getting outside and in the sun will help. A walk in a park, anything. Keeping busy....which is why the movies help, even this forum, with the insomnia. Just KNOW that you will get over this and then you can decide what to do about your treatment plan with a clear head. Best wishes and prayers...Randy

[artistsandie]

I have weaned down to that 1/2 pill once, from 800 mg over 3 weeks as my Dr advised. I had taken 800 mg. for five years, if this is a flue like symptom then I must have never had the flu, much less ever given birth to my three children. Yet I have never used drugs or alcohol in my life and was blindsided when put on this one, by a former Dr.  I am thankful my new Dr. knows how sick this has made me and is concerned about the rising BP as well.  I was told this drug was safe and non-addictive by the past physician I did not know that 800mg was a low dose for tramadol, yet it surely does not feel like having the flu for me. But thank you for letting me know it is a lower dose of medication. I can assure you  in the future I will never put it in my body and I will read all information on any drug before I ever take it, as knowledge is power to make the right choices for ourselves.  I would not wish this type of illness on anyone. You say this will be over in three days, i look to today then as it will be the third day of NO tramadol and feeling good again. Not to mention sleep and no bugs under my skin.

[artistsandie]

Randy, I made it to the gym for my swimming just once on Saturday, it did feel good. Yet I have gout in my hips and have been wheelchair bound for a number of years. My new Dr. found that problem and had me mobile once again, ( well slightly I just had walked my first mile), that was a great move for me in a positive direction. I felt I had no need for this drug now as any Tylenol will do the trick for me until surgery. I was going to the gym for 60 min 5 days a week. I will push to do so as soon as I can keep my bowels in check along with this darn vomiting.  Yes I wish I could do the movies, but the sound just gets me all buggy. I have tried doing my art and just start the shakes, so painting is out. I am able to play and chat on my computer game and that does help. Like I said yesterday, was my first meal in a few days.  I have been taking anti diarrhea meds. My Dr. has sent an email and does want to see me in his office this week as I am scheduled for a stress cardio exam in two weeks as work up for surgery.

[atthebeach]

hello and welcome. 800mgs is a very high dose.three weeks seems like a very quick taper. good job on walking and swimming. it will help with the healing of your brain chemistry,therefore with your healing. it is important to eat, try to eat something every couple hours. soups,crackers,yogurt,rice,bananas,toast,smoothies,milk shakes. you need to nourish your body and it will help with your energy. blood pressure does always raise during a detox. you are doing great. you can try a magnesium/potassium tab. that will help with the crawling legs, also epsom salts in a bath, you are healing. it will take time to for you to heal emotionally,mentally,physically and spiritually.
sending encouragement and prayers
debbie

[littlebit667]

keep taking the meds for the opiate trots.  Keep hydrated!  Awesome!

[artistsandie]

Your screen name sounds like a great place to be, at the beach with the sounds of the waves brushing against the shore and the feel of the ocean breeze. I will now have to put a beach trip on my list of things to do, just relax and sketch on the sand. I will get the magnesium/potassium today, anything to put the bugs at bay. I have been taking some Benadryl and did manage to sleep in and off for three hours. Funny now I have sneezing and my nose runs like water. I am sure my body is trying it’s best to push out the bad toxins.   Day three did not start so well,  ill again, yet late this morning I was able to take my BP meds and keep them down. I also ate ½ a banana.  Noise is still hard to bear and I wish the sun was out as I would try sitting outside a bit. Today is runny nose day and chills, but I did not lose my banana and that is a plus. I am going to have some cream of wheat for lunch, just sounds good.  My husband came home early from his office today, he has been so concerned and I feel badly I have given him this extra stress, I feel like I should be able to just suck it up. He is stopping to get my some low sodium crackers that I can nibble on as you suggested, and the magnesium/potassium tabs. I have the potassium but not the other.  Funny i went to get my gastro helpers and saw that huge bottle of tramadol in the medicine cabinet, my reaction to seeing it was an overwhelming feeling of illness.  When I was pregnant many years ago with my first child I became ill after eating a bologna sandwich, to this day some 42 plus years later I cannot eat that.  You have been very kind in all your suggestions and support.  I feel less by myself in this, I was very lost and not fully understanding what was going on with me.  I see this is a one day at a time while keeping my eyes fixed on the goal. Being healthy is my main goal as that lends itself to a better interaction in life. I will try to make the gym and swim this evening.
May you be blessed and healthy
Sandie

[artistsandie]

Yes I am and I feel a bit better this afternoon, less trips to the restroom. Am sipping water as well. Again thank you for taking the time to give your input, it truely is helpful.
Not so scary with others help.
have a great evening
Sandie

[atthebeach]

hey sandie,
that is awesome that you are feeling better. you are healing. i am so happy for you that your hips are healed and you no longer need the wheelchair.that must feel like you have been set free. you have been blessed. now you can keep your eyes on the prize of being  free from the bondage of the trams.
thats right, one day at a time. one foot in front of the other. good girl you are eating that will really help you feel better.
yes i live at the beach i love it here. it is a very healing and peaceful place. i spent time by the water everyday. we have an inlet too. so i have the river and the ocean, doubly blessed.
you are welcome, it is a pleasure to reach out to those seeking support and encouragement.
continued prayers and healing
debbie

[artistsandie]

Day 4 no Tramadol
Best plans of mice and men are at times set aside. I was not, well i was ready but my intestines were not. I opted for time out on the back patio, even though the afternoon was overcast. I could hear our horses at the barn as they called out.  There was a pleasant soft breeze and I noticed all the roses were all in bloom. Poe my raven was chattering up a storm with one of the local raven crew and the labs were running in the grass feeling good as they had been house bound with me, not that they would have had that any other way. I had made big steps, had some food and was able to retain it.  I was sipping on some detox tea hubby had found for me, pretty good stuff.  I had a nice dinner, organic whole wheat pasta with fresh summer squash and a fruit- cicle for a snack.
  I has a rough night many showers and viewing Water For Elephants twice, at seven a.m. I fell asleep and slept on and off for eight hours.  I woke up feeling better rested, yet still had a bought of diarrhea, took kaopectate this time hoping it might work better.  I am dressed and going to go and attend my Option class this evening, will be nice to see my class mates and share my dealings with removing tramadol from my life.  Options class is given by my insurance Kiser; it educates those who are in line for bariatric surgery.  Thank you for all your wonderful support, I see light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps even a painting of a beach fed by a river outlet, I will check in, Day 4 no tramadol.

[littlebit667]

Glad to hear the optimism in your "voice"!  Getting out is a good thing.  I hope the worst is past!

[atthebeach]

hey sandie, you are very artsie and you painted a beautiful picture in my mind.you are a wonderful writer.  wow you have horses. a passion that my daughter and i share.we love to ride.
i am so happy you got yourself up and out you are making huge strides. good for you. day 4 congrats. you are making it to the other side. the light is getting brighter. keeping yourself busy is so important. you  are doing awesome.
keep the faith. keep pressin on.
hugs and continued blessings
debbie

[artistsandie]

littlebit, Yes I am feeling better and more like my old self, Hope for sleep tonight, but if not will and can now watch a movie. My shaking has greatly improved and being able to eat has helped. I was even laughing this evening.
Moving into Day 5. and Feeling much brighter.
May your day be filled with joy.
Sandie

[artistsandie]

Debbie,  I was thinking that a lady poised on the beach looking out towards the incoming waves as seagulls perch near the river outlet, in hopes of finding a tasty little morsels. Thats the painting I see.
  You love riding, which is wonderful as I have been in the company of horses all my life, in fact my first real word was horse.  We have quarter horses, performance bred for reining, cutting and working cow horse. I have my two I ride Gracie and Lil Pep, Lil pep is out of our stud Peppy San Montana and grandson to my best friend Macee. I lost Macee a little over three years ago.  Like yourself and your daughter I love riding, well anything to do with horses. Horses are like water for me, calming. I live in S. California, have since 1960 and have spent many hours at the beaches, but we have no equine beaches close, I think the nearest one is Pismo Beach. I hope we will someday be able to haul our horses and camp there as we have a live-in 4 horse trailer, no dirt sleeping for me in my golden years.  Oh the crackers were a great suggestion, helps so much to settle my stomach. I know you met me in one of my darkest hours, thank you for that. It is strange when you are in that dark forest you just really do not seem to be able to find the answers.  Perhaps it is the fear and panic of being so ill and not fully understanding the process, very scary place.  I was so thankful for the lighthouse you shown in my direction as having illumination helped.  I made it to my Options class this evening, was great to see familiar faces and I shared my past three weeks events. Our instructor, Cristal a dilatation, she leads the class was so happy to see me.  Well I had lots of hugs and positive input on my day 4 with no tramadol, also many thanks on the impact of that drug.  Knowledge is freedom to make the best choices for you, not being led astray with no problem, not habit forming or the withdrawals as very mild.  I think the term mild coupled with withdrawal is an oxymoron statement.  I found it turned my whole universe inside out from the start of tapering down. In fact I had three days left to go on the ½ pill, but what was the point I was already suffering withdrawal for the past week. All taking that ½ pill did was let me feel half well for a short time, while dreading what was going to come.  Perhaps we all handle this drug differently; some have said no withdrawal at all. Yet for me it was not a nice place to be and one I never wish to visit again. I am a little leery as i may be having gastric bypass surgery, if my stress EKG is good. I will do it with no pain medication, you can count on that.  If you are on FaceBook let me know and i would love to add you to my friends. I will keep on here as well, I know I still have progress to make and now enjoy friendships here as well. I am still recovering and know I have some cobwebs still, but soon I will be back with my horses, painting and just walking..yes walking, many take that for granted, no me.
Thank you for you light and kindness.
May your day be blessed and you path peaceful.
Sandie

[wransomejr]

Sandie...800mg is NOT a low dose. I figured you were taking maybe 200, which is what my father is prescribed. However, now that you have quit, that is a non issue. Your detox symptoms are much worse than what I experienced so I really feel for you. I am SO proud of you, and I agree with Debbie...the picture you painted with words about your backyard experience was beautiful. Peace be with you. You have my prayers. I have gout in my hands and I am a professional church organist at two churches. I feel for you. I hope your continued healing from your true physical woes goes well. Amazing how many times seeing a different doc helps. And I am talking in general here, not just about the drugs.

[artistsandie]

I am very blessed that my Dr. now is also one of our good clients and friends. We had to change our insurance for our business so I might get the help that was needed to get be out of the wheelchair, find out I had debilitating gout in my tendons in my hips.  Which was drug induced by BP medication. I am happy in the past 12 plus weeks I was given a new lease on life, this tramadol issue is just a little bump in the road. I do not know why this withdrawal has been so hard for me, rather it was easy, but it is what it is.  I am a little frustrated, I was making the gym for a good number of weeks and as I said did my first 1 mile walk about 4 weeks ago now.  I am restless to get back on my health course, yet in no way do I regret not taking tramadol.  Yes I have more hip pain, but as I regain my health and even more mobility I believe it will be less.  I am still fighting with restless nights, seems my time clock is upside down and backwards. I know this will adjust in time.  I am happy to be able to eat some and spend a little time outside. It has been raining like cats and dogs here, yet that is soothing.  I can smell that freshness in the air after a good deluge, clean and new. Perhaps i might make it out to the barn is the weather lets up and spend time with the horses. I am now working on a sketch the Onthebeach’s  screen voice triggered in my mind, will have to post it here when it is finished. I did post some horses painting I have done, just to share who I am and what my passion is.  Thank you again for your kindness, and no worries, 200 or 800 mg mattes little, it was and is just not much fun for anyone I am sure of that.  Hope you hands fell better and you can play your music, music is a wonderful  gift.
Have a great evening,
Sandie

[wransomejr]

Thank you for your kindness. As I approach 50, my days of playing the great masterpieces of Bach and others for the pipe organ are coming to an end, just as I am afraid the instrument itself is. However, I can still play despite nerve damage in my left hand and the gout. I'm first and foremost a church musician and organ builder, so I don't play concert music all that much since college, anyway.

I am, unfortunately, an addict. It runs in my family and I got in trouble with Tramadol and I found it to be far more difficult to shake than Hydrocodone. So when I fell off the wagon I went for the Hydros. I have cut down to the point I just need to quit. Tapering more won't make a big difference either way. I am just putting off the inevitable. Please cheer me on to go ahead and quit. I want to be clean and reasonably feeling well for my big 50 which is May 23rd. I can't quit before Sunday midday, but after that all I have to do is cancel my choir rehearsals on a Wednesday and I know I would be able to work the next Sunday. I just need to do this. Peace. -Randy

[artistsandie]

Randy, you will find an outlet for your music. You are still young and have lots of licks to put down.  Well this tramadol was my first encounter with a drug dependency.  I did not really know I had it till I decided I wanted it gone. I know while I was starting the cut-back process I would find myself looking for reasons not to do it, throw it from my train of life.  I was scared of how I was feeling, that illness started in at about the 350 mg mark for me.  I spent hours just waiting to take the next pills so I might find some fitful sleep.  Then for me as you know that drag it out ½ pill a day thing was just keeping it ongoing.  I know you are a strong person, you’re also very sensitive as most artists are. I hope you do not feel 50 is over the hill, it is the start of something very grand.  Our bodies may be burdened with more than we had hoped for in youth, but you have now fine-tuned your mind with wisdom and enriched experiences and in your case add your music. How many you have given joy to. Now that is what you must do, get yourself healthy and stay on that path. You can quit the pills and heal your body.  I know it must be scary, I cannot even imagine if I had to face it again, but I would do it again as I need to have charge of my life.  I want to be accountable to only myself and the higher source. Believe me I sent up many requests the past few days, but the answer for me was “I am better than this drug”, “I will not let it control me at all”, “I banish it from my life”. I guess in a way it was a type of mantra I just said it over and over.  You have yours, use your force and get mad at the drugs and go into it fighting and knowing you will win. I would love to see you on your 50th, free and in control.  I do not know any right words to use here, but I will be here and you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I light a candle for you tonight Randy so like me we can both find our way out of addiction. Away from the darn pills and such, to a healthy life. I send you all the good thoughts I have.  Bless you and keep you strong and safe.
Sandie

[wransomejr]

Bless you. I told my mother when I woke up at 6 a.m. with my knees wanting to come out of their sockets Sunday would be the last of any tapering. Monday will be day 1. I am not going to worry about missing two post-Easter choir rehearsals and let that keep me postponing what I know I have to do. I am so thankful for wise advise, tough love, and acceptance. -Randy

[artistsandie]

RANDY, will be here and keeping the candle burning. I am still haveing my challanges as well, yet am keeping the faith all will be over and under control in time. Of course not as fast as I would like, lesson in patience perhaps. Nothing in life is in greater need then yourself, this is the time for you to make your move for your better health, my hat is off to your courage and strength.  I am here and can not wait to see you make your day 1.
Blessings, strenthand mosy of al hope.
Sandie

[wransomejr]

Sandie...My biggest fear is I have already fallen off the wagon, relapsed, whatever you want to call it within a couple of months of getting clean the first time. Staying sober is my real fear. Committing to a 12 step or counseling program...Grrr...but SOMETHING will have to be done, otherwise I will be right back at square one again. Thanks for that candle. I love the "light" imagery. Like the star that guided the Magi. Cool!

[summer_2010]

Tramadol is an utter nightmare to get off from.. I have gone through the hell several times myself.. Was clean for 2 weeks, then I relapsed, was clean again and so on. In August last year I told myself 'this can't be it' and flushed my entire tramadol supply in the toilet.
Horrible depressions kicked in the next day and kept worsening over the next 2 days until I started to feel this emotional pain become physical.. this kind of pain you have when you are being told your mother died, if you are being told you have only one week to live. You get the point. A most intense stabbing emotional pain.
Needless to say I ended up staying in bed all day almost yelling from emotional pain. I perceived the next day as a black hole (the one that ***** you in and devours, kills you)
Additionally there was an awful tension inside me.

I ended up in the psych ward and only because I lied to the doctor about not having acute suicidal thoughts they didn't put me into the locked ward.

I was started on Effexor and within a week I started to feel better (Effexor is very similar to Tramal minus the opiate effect) WIthin a few weeks I was on 300mg of Efexor and started to feel human again. However this awful tension would continue to last for about 3 months.

Last month I had a strong urge once again to take tramadol and in a weak moment I ordered a box on the net after having been clean for 7 months. I thought my tolerance would be far down so i started off with 150mg.. without any effect. AFter a few hours I took 300mg.. only some nausea but no euphoria. The next day I thought F*** it and took 500mg in one. Some mild euphoria but quite a bit of nausea. But besides this nothing happened. The next day I had the mother of all migraines. The day after I had some mild depression.

I believe because the Efexor is similar to the Tramadol my tolerance towards this drug is extremely high and Tramal just doesn't work for me at all. This has been an immense help not to order a second box.

The Efexor is a far lesser evil than the tram. true, it's a kind of swapped dependency.. but a very controlled one. I'm not abusing Efexor as it's an Antidepressant. Every week I am taking out one small grain from inside the pill and therefore am allowing my brain to gradually readjust by itself over the next months and years.

High dose Efexor has been my solution after a series of major relapses and an escalating addiction.

I wish everybody out there a good recovery. It is doable!!! And remember.. A relapse for a day or two after many months doesn't f*** up your brain as much as the long addition did.. so don't worry if you ever relapse.