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Ultram - Depression & support
Hey Everyone,
I posted last week when I was beginning a quick taper to quit taking Ultram. I was up to taking around 6x 50mg a day, went to 3 a day for 2 days, 2 a day for 2 days, 1 a day for 2 and now today is my first day on zero pills. I actually feel better than I thought I would physically today as the first 2 days when I began to step down were the worst physically. The main problem physically is the nervous feeling in my stomach as unfortunately, the depression is setting in. I'm already starting to worry terribly (I'm a worrier anyway) but I'm trying to take deep breaths and push through it. This is not the first time I've come off of them, but last time I wasn't on as strong of a dose so the depression only lasted a couple of weeks. I know the anti-depressant qualities of the drug...I'm just trying to keep my head up & looking for words of wisdom & support.
I posted last week when I was beginning a quick taper to quit taking Ultram. I was up to taking around 6x 50mg a day, went to 3 a day for 2 days, 2 a day for 2 days, 1 a day for 2 and now today is my first day on zero pills. I actually feel better than I thought I would physically today as the first 2 days when I began to step down were the worst physically. The main problem physically is the nervous feeling in my stomach as unfortunately, the depression is setting in. I'm already starting to worry terribly (I'm a worrier anyway) but I'm trying to take deep breaths and push through it. This is not the first time I've come off of them, but last time I wasn't on as strong of a dose so the depression only lasted a couple of weeks. I know the anti-depressant qualities of the drug...I'm just trying to keep my head up & looking for words of wisdom & support.
also
ur taper was too fast
cutting 1/4 a pill every other few days can work for some//best to ask ur dr.
it should take close to a mth to taper trams
sometimes best to have a trusted friend hold them
if u r clean for 3-4 days, it is silly to go back and taper now
u r done...do what u can
read the health pages...educated urself to make it easier
when someone is clean for 4 days or more it is silly to go back and taper again!
ur taper was too fast
cutting 1/4 a pill every other few days can work for some//best to ask ur dr.
it should take close to a mth to taper trams
sometimes best to have a trusted friend hold them
if u r clean for 3-4 days, it is silly to go back and taper now
u r done...do what u can
read the health pages...educated urself to make it easier
when someone is clean for 4 days or more it is silly to go back and taper again!
usually takes large doses of tram to get hooked with a hard wd...12 r more a day can be tough
tram has an AD quality.plus a narc like quality that makes depression a bumber coming off if it
Many folks who were on a real narc switch over to tram and get in deep doo doo//they tae way more to get a similar effect
Due to the AD effect of trams...it is tough to taper down and often it helps to have ur dr help you.
read up on drugs and foods to help seratonin when u stop the trams to help the depression and fatigue
tram has an AD quality.plus a narc like quality that makes depression a bumber coming off if it
Many folks who were on a real narc switch over to tram and get in deep doo doo//they tae way more to get a similar effect
Due to the AD effect of trams...it is tough to taper down and often it helps to have ur dr help you.
read up on drugs and foods to help seratonin when u stop the trams to help the depression and fatigue
I have been lurking here since September, my last unintentional detox from Trams. Didn't make past day 3... I never could.
There is a long history with me, and drugs… Started in HS, and then escalated in Collage. After 5 years of treating my body like an amusement park, I remained sober for 5 years.
30 months ago, I was in a horrible accident, 46 fractures, pins and screws. Once that Diladid hit my brain, that switch turned back on, and I welcomed a missed friend with open arms.
After 17 weeks on strong narcotics, I was so done with the opioids, so they put me on Ultram ER 300. Super!!! I liked this so much more than the Hydros… They lasted much longer, gave a me a ton of energy, and I could just make a call and get more.
After PT, I always was in pain from the screws, so went to a pain management doctor who continued the ERs. Before too long, I began to increase the dose for the pain. For a non-addictive drug, this was a very convincing head game. ;)
Well, I am now on day 13, the longest I have been able to stay clean this time around, and I am finally starting to fell a bit better. Also noticing that Advil works again!!!!!
I need to thank the folks here for letting me stalk and not feel alone.
My advice:
1) It’s a battle of epic proportions. My brain felt like a battle scene from Braveheart!!!!! Will power was the underdog, and that Ultram was the well-equipped English army.
2) DON’T PANIC!!!! I was in bad shape, and the anxiety from no sleep would just expand and grow the later it would get. If you panic, you will let the enemy gain ground.
3) Know your enemy! This is a great place to get some realistic expectations on what to expect. I did find that the difference between Doctors and God is that God doesn’t think he is a doctor.
4) This last piece, and I know this isn’t an option for some due to the s**t concentration, is reading. As tough as it is to concentrate, minor victories are needed to sustain momentum.
There is a long history with me, and drugs… Started in HS, and then escalated in Collage. After 5 years of treating my body like an amusement park, I remained sober for 5 years.
30 months ago, I was in a horrible accident, 46 fractures, pins and screws. Once that Diladid hit my brain, that switch turned back on, and I welcomed a missed friend with open arms.
After 17 weeks on strong narcotics, I was so done with the opioids, so they put me on Ultram ER 300. Super!!! I liked this so much more than the Hydros… They lasted much longer, gave a me a ton of energy, and I could just make a call and get more.
After PT, I always was in pain from the screws, so went to a pain management doctor who continued the ERs. Before too long, I began to increase the dose for the pain. For a non-addictive drug, this was a very convincing head game. ;)
Well, I am now on day 13, the longest I have been able to stay clean this time around, and I am finally starting to fell a bit better. Also noticing that Advil works again!!!!!
I need to thank the folks here for letting me stalk and not feel alone.
My advice:
1) It’s a battle of epic proportions. My brain felt like a battle scene from Braveheart!!!!! Will power was the underdog, and that Ultram was the well-equipped English army.
2) DON’T PANIC!!!! I was in bad shape, and the anxiety from no sleep would just expand and grow the later it would get. If you panic, you will let the enemy gain ground.
3) Know your enemy! This is a great place to get some realistic expectations on what to expect. I did find that the difference between Doctors and God is that God doesn’t think he is a doctor.
4) This last piece, and I know this isn’t an option for some due to the s**t concentration, is reading. As tough as it is to concentrate, minor victories are needed to sustain momentum.
stupidpill - the doc that gave you Effexor, knows that you were addicted to Ultram? The reason I ask, and the reason you are prob feeling better is b/c effexor is tramadols chemical twin for the serotonin reuptake inhibitor etc, effexor just has no opiate. if you stop Effexor, you will have the same type of w/d that tramadol causes as well. Just wanted to share, just truly hope you can beat all of this, I am a 15 year devoted tramadol addict, but on day 15 tram free - I still feel like crap, but everyday i get 1 inch better, soon those inches will add up, and I am PILL FREE, finally. All the best to you, and just do some research on Effexor, it might surprise you. Take care and update us.
Hey everybody - I'm doing pretty well...actually much better than I expected! I am on Effexor and that may be why I'm feeling so well. I have taken it in the past also as I've had bouts with depression all of my life. I'm really trying to face my tendency for addiction head on and I feel like I'm in a state of mind at this point in my life to tackle it. I also had problems with vicodin a few years back after I hurt my back in an accident and had a constant supply for 2 years or so. I finally kicked that and was good and then I ended up on the Ultram which like everyone else, I had no idea was as addictive as it is.
Today is day 4 with 0 pills and I'm getting there! I'm still having bouts of depression but it's lessening day by day and my pill cravings have been fairly minimal...I think at this point I'm so pissed off at these pills that it's the last thing I want. I quit once before for a couple of weeks and that time the cravings were horrible. I think at that point I wasn't quite there with the decision that I HAVE to do this and these pills are evil.
I exercise regularly anyway, but I've been making more of a point to it, and going in the evenings when I'd be home by myself and more likely to be depressed. I also had already scheduled a designing / pattern making class in the evenings on thursdays starting yesterday which coincided well on the timing. The key for me already has been the keeping busy.
My biggest problem so far has been the thinking way too much about my life, whether my job is the right job for my career, whether my boyfriend and I are right for each other, etc. etc. I keep telling myself that I need to revisit these thoughts in a couple of weeks when I'm more clear headed, but it's a hard thing to convince yourself!
Today is day 4 with 0 pills and I'm getting there! I'm still having bouts of depression but it's lessening day by day and my pill cravings have been fairly minimal...I think at this point I'm so pissed off at these pills that it's the last thing I want. I quit once before for a couple of weeks and that time the cravings were horrible. I think at that point I wasn't quite there with the decision that I HAVE to do this and these pills are evil.
I exercise regularly anyway, but I've been making more of a point to it, and going in the evenings when I'd be home by myself and more likely to be depressed. I also had already scheduled a designing / pattern making class in the evenings on thursdays starting yesterday which coincided well on the timing. The key for me already has been the keeping busy.
My biggest problem so far has been the thinking way too much about my life, whether my job is the right job for my career, whether my boyfriend and I are right for each other, etc. etc. I keep telling myself that I need to revisit these thoughts in a couple of weeks when I'm more clear headed, but it's a hard thing to convince yourself!
Hi! Are you on any kind of AD? I had to go on one when I was about a month clean. Exercise does help too. There are also natural supplements you can try, but I have not tried those since I am on a prescription AD.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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The depression is the worst part, but you'll get through it just pick up something new like a hobby that you've never done before maybe making music, make home videos(with editing involved-its very attention holding) or something that you've always wanted to try, like music or sports or something though...now i do want to make aparent that even though i say excercise and im sure someone else will say excercise dont do anything like hiking or bike riding...it can be to "peaceful" and i mean that in the aspect of give you time to just think about things...you want your mind to be off anything to do with the pills because your mind is going to tell you to go get pills, or make you think more and more about your life unreasonably and depress you even more...it sounds harsh to say, but its true.
I do not know to much about tramadol's after effects when you get off of them but you may want to talk to a doctor about the addiction because it can cause damage to your receptors and can limit how much dopamine or serotonin (the happy chemicals) is produced so you may need to be prescribed to an anti-depressant that can help level out those chemicals if there is a deficit. But i would wait about 2 weeks or more before considering that option because it may just be depression still from the withdrawls and once over you will gradually regain back the chemicals.
Stay strong man, that tapering idea you had i think worked really well as to opposed if you were to quit cold turkey. You can get through this...Find something that will determine you, it will give the strength and motivation you need to get through anything