going cold turkey from tramadol

Many people have a hard time coming off tramadol. Your doc is right, ride it through. It is like having flu. It may also make you feel pretty low in mood, and that might last longer than the physical symptoms. The half life is 5 days, so most people start to feel better after day five. Some feel a little better after three days, and much better after five. Some take a full ten days. You have not been on tramadol long, so, although you will have a rough ride, it is likely to be lesser than others. Taking diazepam for one or two nights will not make you addicted, but you can do it without. The secret is in the mind - knowing you are going to feel really ill and chosing to go on into it regardeless. The one warning I have (I am not a doc) is to be wary of tramadol from now on. If you are reacting after 3 months, you may be sensitive to it. If you take it again, you might find it harder to come off each time. If your body ever gets a chance to develop a dependency on tramadol, you will find stopping seriously seriously hard. So, get through this by pretending you just have flu, but be grateful for the stuff, as it has helped you when you needed it. All the best for the next few days. Stay off caffeine if you can, as restless legs can be a symptom. If your legs get restless, get up and walk and do stretches and use ice or a warm bath as you feel. Extra vitamins, loads of vitamin C, and iron if you can get it. 

Don't be afraid of the diazepam. Take it only just before bedtime, and you shouldn't have a problem with it. Ask your doctor about shorter acting benzodiazepines, like triazolam.

thanks for the replies. yes im going to ride this one out as im stubborn and want this rubbish out of my system asap. im not a coffee drinker anyway and i went to the chemist yesterday and got 2 multi vitamins on the advice advice from a Kinesiology specialist. 

thanks for the replies, i just needed to hear that im doing the right thing from people that know more about this that me. this is all a shock to me as i have no idea about withdrawal from these 2 drugs. im pretty angry that i wasnt informed of this by the surgeon after the operation. that may sound ungrateful but as i said im very stubborn and i would have tried without the meds. wheter or not id have been able to is another matter but i would have liked the choice.

almost 3 full days of them now and got 4 hours sleep thru today. going to get up now go for a walk in the hope of getting some sleep tonight. 

thanks

Exercise is an excellent idea. It not only tires the body, but seems to help get neurotransmitter levels back in balance. Get as much as you can. I'd be out on my bicycle.

yes bird i wholely agree, exercise is the key. i was a keen cyclist and i raced motocross pre op but i have sold my motocross bike now as my back just wouldnt stick it. i plan to get out on my bike very soon. just walking for now. 

thankyou

thanks. im taking tumeric tabs and salmon oil tabs along with floradix multi vitamin. theres iron in it, drinking lots of water and cranbery juice and green tea in the morning, im not just as shivery now and getting 7-8 hours of sleep or be. im still getting headaches and am light sensative. its tough to get going in the mornings but once im up and fed its not just as bad. im hoping another week i should be bad to normal.

thanks for the advice. 

and i forgot to add ive been out walking and cutting the grass etc. back working today and although my brain isnt fully working i got thru it ok. 

ok, its day 8. mornings are tough. headaches and sore eyes are still here. im not just feeling so bad this morning. still feel stomach sick but that goes away once i eat. the worst is the anxiety. had it real bad yesterday morning to mid day then it eased. i went out for a 2 mile cycle on my mountain bike yesterday. ive got very little in the way of energy yet but im starting to see a small improvement. i hope this time next week my life starts to get back to normal. its a real kick in the teeth but im really glad i did it. i know my surgeon give me these tabs for a reason but if i had been informed of the withdrawal side affects i would have come of them alot sooner. these tablets will wreck your head. i just hope this feeling leaves me soon. 

Keep up the good work. It will be worth it.

so 2 weeks and one day clean. total cold turkey. for anyone needing advice on this all i can say is, it was very tough at times but just stick with it. im still very tired and weak but growing stronger and getting closer to the old me everyday. i can pretty much function as normal. im getting 8hours sleep per night which is the best recovery you can get. my guts have settled now and my head is starting to clear. i know it will be maybe 2 months untill full recovery but in another week or so i reckon i will be well on the way back to a normal tablet free life. 

dont get hooked on tramadol or anything else if you can manage it. i know some people have a lot of pain and need the meds but i just took these for 3 months and the withdrawl and side effects are very tough to handle. 

my mind is more at ease from yesterday (2 week stage) i had went thru a few bad days of anger and feeling very sorry for myself in week two. glad thats lifted now. 

i will let you know how im doing in a weeks time incase anyone is looking for this info as i was a few weeks back. 

5 weeks tomorrow and im almost back to normal. first 3 weeks are tough and emotional. mood swings etc. im thinking more clearly now and depression has gone. im sleeping 8 hours each night and started some physio. bought a cross trainer and get a wee blast on it now and again. headaches are all gone. i still have some slight nervousness but its really light now. i was told by another friend it could be up to 2 months to get it all out of my system so im happy at week 5 to be where i am. stay strong and focused people and it DOES GET BETTER. keep telling yourself that! normality is just around the corner :-)