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How to taper tramadol properly?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Kalten
Kalten

I've read far too many horror stories about tramadol online so I am going to be getting myself off it immediately. Not to mention I am starting to get the 'brain zaps'.

I've been taking around 150mg/day for the last 4 months. I was on 200mg/day but a couple months ago, I cut myself back to 150mg/day.

I get a refill on my meds next week but I think I'm going to pass on it and just taper with my remaining supply. I have about 40 50mg pills left.

What's the best and SAFEST way to taper with these?

My initial plan:

100mg per day for 10 days

50mg per day for 10 days

25mg per day for 5 days (cut pills in half)

12.5mg per day for 5 days (cut pills in quarters)

... and then be done w/ a few left over for an emergency pain day. Will that prevent withdrawl? Is that a safe way to quit?

 

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • ruth86511
    ruth86511 Kalten

    Posted

    We are so unique, so your tapering schedule could work for you (hope it does) I'm trying to taper, again! I have been on 400mg for 4 years and been trying to withdraw for 2 years, on 300mg at the moment as couldn't cope on 200mg. I'm hoping to get help from a Detox Charity, which they use another medication to help, as I just can cope with the withdrawals and have only been able to get down to 150mg (3 X 50g capsules)

    Do let me know how you get on, lots off support on this site!

    • SteV3
      SteV3 ruth86511

      Posted

      That's strange I could not even try to do that. I have to take 100mg at night and 100mg in the morning.

      I cannot cut pills in half or quarters, mine are 100mg capsules - I gather that is why they are slow release. It says on them T100SR

      Regards,

      Les.

    • tony15730
      tony15730 SteV3

      Posted

      Ate yours capsules? If so just open the capsule, take the desired amount out amd then reseal it and swallow as normal. Mine are capsules and when I wean off I have shake have the powder out to reduce a dose. As yours is slow release yours probably contain granules but the same point applies.
    • Kalten
      Kalten ruth86511

      Posted

      Thanks, ruth. Good luck on your taper as well!

      I definitely have noticed this site is an excellent resource with a lot of educated and caring posters.

    • ruth86511
      ruth86511 Kalten

      Posted

      Thank you! I have just found my written note with the drug they use at the Detox Charity I am with, it's Lopexidene. I'm sure you will be fine with your detox. But it looks like I'm going to need to go on this drug 😓 My Doctor says it takes away the severe withdrawals, and I will only be on it for a few weeks and then come off it! I hope and pray this works, keep me posted and pray you get through your withdrawal with very few symptoms x
  • Zio10
    Zio10 Kalten

    Posted

    I have had a love/hate relationship with Tramadol for 8-9 yrs. I have stopped several times. The first time I was on it for 7 yrs an taking 15-20 a day for yrs. So I needed a detox facility to stop. I had help with Klonapin (anti-anxiety)it helps with the restlessness. 5 days I was ok. Next time I stopped was over Labor day weekend Sept. I had only been on it for 4 months an taking only 5 a day. I threw the rest I had down toilet an went to a hotel for 3 days with liquids,anti-anxiety,anti-nausea, meds an a electrolyte mix to put in water. Epsom salts for baths an Tylenol an Ibuprofen. It wasn't that bad. Just low mood. Next time I quit was just 2 wks ago. I restarted it due to the low mood an then went all out an got up to 7-8 a day. Took that for a month an half. I wanted to try Cymbalta so had to get off it. So just stopped it an it was a little worse than in Sept but over in 2 days. Felt like had flu or upper respiratory issue Thats the only way I can get off because when I would start to feel like crap,I would pop a pill if they were in the house to just end the torture then Im rt back where I was. So I had to just stop. No you arnt going to have a seizure by stopping. You have seizures by taking to much. You will feel like crap for a few days then mentally you might have the blues so I had to get on antidepressant. Stay hydrated an if you can stay on that schedule then do that but I think its just drawing out the torture over a month. Everyones different. Goodluck.
    • Kalten
      Kalten Zio10

      Posted

      I've heard from numerous sources that you can have seizures by taking too much OR by qutting cold turkey. I'm not too worried about seizures at my dosage though of 150mg/day. My doctor told me not to worry unless I start going over 400mg/day which I never plan to do anyway.
  • tony15730
    tony15730 Kalten

    Posted

    My advice is reduce the daily amount by half a tablet per week. Maybe every 2 weeks. See how you feel. And spread the dose out. If you take it all at once it won't work and will be harder to stop. Most important of all never ever take it recreationaly.

    If you suffer depression you may need to go on an antidepressant as well.

    • Kalten
      Kalten tony15730

      Posted

      My doctor gave me zoloft but I can't take it at the same time as the tramadol because of seratonin syndrome. So, if I want to start taking the zoloft I have to stop taking the tramadol first. I am more worried about the physical symptoms of tramadol withdrawl at this point because I do have an antidepressant to help with the mental crash.

       

    • Zio10
      Zio10 Kalten

      Posted

      Try to get an anti-anxiety med to take if you do cold turkey. It will help with alot of symptoms except the sinus issues an body aches. Tylenol then 3 hrs later Ibuprofen then 3 hrs later Tylenol an so on. After a day or so of stopping you can start the Zoloft but remember when starting an antidepressant you have start up side effects like increased anxiety (if you get something like Klonapin an anti-anxiety med will help for couple days with that)sometimes diaherra. Take an anti-diaherral med for that. I couldn't take Zoloft. To toxic for me. Made me sick. On Cymbalta now. No real side effects yet. No pain though. I have fibromyalgia an depression/anxiety. Goodluck
    • Kalten
      Kalten Zio10

      Posted

      I'm definitely not going cold turkey. Going to wean off it, based on my tapering schedule in my original post. The physical symptoms of cold turkey scare me too much. I take the tramadol for chronic pain already and I don't want to deal with them on top of the pain I already have.

      An elderly family member passed away last year and they had a ton of meds lying around. I think there is still a bottle of klonapin in the medicine cabinet, among other various things. If it could help with the withdrawals, it's good to know it's there even though I really dislike taking medicines not prescribed to me.

      As for the zoloft, lots of my family members takes zoloft with no ill effects. I'm guessing it'll be okay for me to take as well. I was going to wait a few days after my last tramadol dose before I even began taking it.

       

    • ruth86511
      ruth86511 Kalten

      Posted

      I was just wondering if, going on an antidepressant after Tramadol is such a good idea, I have a friend who has been trying to wean herself off of a SSRI antidepressant and is having similar symptoms to me trying to get off of Tramadol. Are they not also addictive!?
    • Kalten
      Kalten ruth86511

      Posted

      They aren't addictive in the same sense that an opoid pain medicine like tramadol is. For most people the addiction is because of the "buzz" or euphoria that you get from a painkiller. You don't really get buzzed from an antidepressent (at least to my knowledge) so the potential for abuse or addiction would be lower.

      However, yes, your body can definitely become dependent on zoloft and other antidepressants which can be tough to withdrawal from. I don't think it's the same thing as addiction though. I could be wrong.

      Plus, I'll probably be on antidepressants for the rest of my life, so I don't think it really matters if my body becomes dependent on it.

       

    • ruth86511
      ruth86511 Kalten

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I was also wondering if you can reach a tolerance with antidepressants? I know I've got very low with withdrawal from trams, but I'm hoping that the depressant feeling will lift after post withdrawal and the physical and phychological symptoms go!

      I really want to be on no Pharma drugs, well that is my goal. I'm not against antidepressants if they help people, I've just been trying to understand the long term effects from them, as my friend is so desperate to get off them and she is having real trouble with withdrawals. I suppose we are all so completely different and all have an unique withdrawal experience. I hope you succeed in what ever you do x

    • Kalten
      Kalten ruth86511

      Posted

      I'm sure you can reach a tolerance with them. I know for some of my family members, their dosage is gradually increased over time. Your body will definitely develop a tolerance to it like most drugs.

      What kind of symptoms are you having with your tramadol withdrawal? I am on day 3 and haven't really experienced anything yet except some of those annoying 'brain zaps'.

       

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