Im addicted to tramadol

Actually, a previous failure can be turned into a good thing. (Yes, I've been there.) The next time you get a few clean days under your belt, you'll know what a mistake it would be to throw all that effort away. Use that knowledge. Every clean day raises the stakes. Refuse to fold, and you will win a huge pot. I won't lie to you, it won't be easy, but you can do it.

Hi, please try to lower your doses every day if you can, I couldn't do that myself

i wasn't taking Tramadol but dyhydrocodeine. I just got down to one then went

cold turkey, it was five very tough days but it does get better every day. I know

people say Tramadol withdrawal is hard mentally, maybe it would help to see your Dr.

and get some advice, all I can say is it is hard but if you really want to it can be done

please try to stay positive and take one day at a time and you will get there it's worth

all the pain to be free again and thinking clearly and not being a slave to meds.

keep strong Ann 

Hi Gareth, You tried cold turkey but that is quite a high dose to suddenly stop. OK so you have a couple of optins available to you.

1/ Taper off. So first you must manage your dose so that you take the same amount each day, no cheating to get a buzz on the weekends etc. Next when you are consistent you reduce your daily dose by one tablet. Stick to this dose until any withdrawels have worn off and then reduce again by one tablet Keep doing this until your down to one a day. Yes one! It will happen just be patient and stick to the fixed dose. Then that final tablet can be a b'*'', if it is you can open the tablet and take out halve the powder and take that. Finally you can stop.

2/ When dependant on tramadol you have an opiate AND snri dependance. You can deal with these addictions seperatly. This is done by switching to an ssri or snri like prozac or venlafaxine. These will help eleminate the snri withdrawels. You may still get an opiate withdrawel but these usually only last a few days to a week and wont be halve as bad as stoping tramadol without taking an ssri or snri. You should first get the tramadol dose down to around 400mg a day first before starting an ssri otherwise they could cause problems by raising your serotonin to high. This is called serotonin syndrome and is dangerous.

So maybe start with oprion 1 and see how you go. If you withdraw really slow and wait until all your withdrawel symptons have gone for a few days before reducing the dose again you should be ok. If this method is too difficult, get yourself down to a safe level of 400mg or less and start an ssri as explained in option 2. I have used prozac when coming of tramadol and it has worked well for me.

As a note you are on a dangerous dose of tramadole and are at risk of having seasures so I am glad to see your looking for help and trying to fix it. This about coming clean to your partner. I know you feel a failure but your not. You just got caught up in a spiral and now your eyes are open and your trying to fix it. Having your partner on board helping you will make a hugh difference with the support. Also once she knows it may help motivate you even further.

Thanks guys for your advice it means alot ive bin thinking usually I can't drink alcohol if I know im gunna I try stop taking tramadol for about 12 hours at Christmas I knew id be drinking alot so I limited myself to 10 a day 5 in the morning to keep the pain away and 5 in the evening and I seemed to get through it ok when I tell my partner if she doesn't leave me lol and she wants to support me im gunna give her my tablets and let her give me them on morning and evening but ifshe ddoesn't god knows what ill do its a big mess

Hi that's good news Gareth, you need to have the support of a loved

one I'm sure it will help. Just try to stay positive and remember it won't last

 for ever. Stay strong x

hi gareth- i to was taking 20 tramadol a day plus 20 solpodol- i quit last september- please do not try it without medical help-i did, it was really stupid-it prolonged the WD's after 14 days of hell i went to the doc and got some librium which helped me through the last of the WD's- go to your DR-remember you only have to do this once-do it right- i never thought i could quit-so YOU CAN DO IT- stay strong and dont give up-IF you relapse or hit a hurdle-stick at it-IT CAN BE DONE- best of luck gareth

Tramadol is a bitch. I hate her. But she loves me! Im a recovering Tramadol addict. Sober since May 12,2014. I was taking 20-25 a day. I'v written on here alot. Listen, you are not worthless! You matter! You can beat the bitch(tramadol)!! Don't let her win! It's gonna be tough but you can do it! Yes, tramadol messes with your norepinephrine s n serotonin in the brain. Thats where the mental symptoms come fr when tapering. You are on a very high an dangerous dose. I know. I had a seizure in 2009. Took 3 @ once. Stupid I know! But it made me happy an no anxiety. I didn't realize I was probably depressed an definitely had/have anxiety. It was helping with that at first. Took it normally fr 2006-2011. But slowly upping dosage. Then seizure. Taken to ER cause I feel straight into corner of parents tv stand cut my head. It was humiliating to say I took 3 at once. My husband was embarrassed. I live in US in Tx. But did that stop me? No! I was given extended release Ultram (tramadol) to back off quantity I was at. Well I figured by chewing half at a time I got quick release fr slow release. Took these but wasnt same as regular 50mg tabs.we dont have capsules here. So kinda started getting depressed. Didn't realize at that time Tramadol messes with brain. So started getting off internet. 350$ a mnth! Crazy I know! Sometimes I would run out of pills waiting for USPS to deliver so would have to go to Express clinic an fake I hurt my back. Pathetic. So finally up at 20-25 a day in May got sick with flu. That made me slow a little on pills. But my heart didnt like that. Palpitations. Skipped beat. Totally freaked me out. I had been wanting to quit for last yr an half. Crying to God to help me but didnt know how an couldn't stand withdrawals. So husband took me to ER. I had to tell them. Humiliating again. Worse. My EKG came back abnormal. Figured out I was having withdrawals fr such high dose. So prescribed anti-anxiety med Klonapine to help calm me. Then two days later I decided to go to a detox facility for 5 days. My Mom pd for it. $1,900. I still owe her money. But she an family wanted me off the pills. I was killing myself. For what? I have two sons 17&12. I needed to be around for them. An to take care of my parents both 80. So I dont remember much of detox. They keeped me as comfortable as possible but we r talking detox here. Not fun. You need to come clean with your partner. You need some accountability. If you do tapering on your own you might talk to a pharmacist to help figure a VERY SLOW tapering schedule. Then show schedule to ur partner. Have partner hold pills. If you have access to them your gonna take them wrong. No lying about it. Your gonna want them. But preoccupy yourself. Is there any way you could go to a dr an let them know about all this? Dr could prescribe things to make it more tolerant. An give ideas. Tell them your desperate to stop. They should commend you for that. Cry if you have to. Watch out for the blues an dont take anything that increases serotonin while on Tramadol. Like earlier poster said you could Serotonin Syndrome. No St. John's wart no antidepressant (maybe when on like 4 a day of Tramadol). I developed depression 5 mnths later. On Lexapro an occasional Klonapine. It's not easy rd but it can be done just dont go cold Turkey that sets you up to fail. Goodluck an invest in alot of Epsom salts an anti-diaherra med. Stay hydrated. God bless.

ZIO

Hi Gareth, Well done for realising you can't carry on taking 20-30 tramodol a day.  The maximum is supposed to be 400mg a day so you are way over.  I think you may find going to a treatment addiction centre the best way.  Withdrawaing suddenly could cause seizures.  You really need specialised help and support with the amount you are taking.  I wish I could wave a magic wand for you and get you to the end game.  Your partner may already have sensed something is wrong and be really relieved when you say what it is.  She may be imagining all sorts of things and addiction to medication may come as a welcome relief.  At lease she can get behind you, support you and be there for you when she knows what she needs to do to help.  Don't blame yourself for the addiction.  None of us have realised how addictive and difficult Tramodol is to come off.  Not even the so called professional doctors who prescribel the stuff.  We all started wanting to get rid of the pain and now here we are wondering how to get rid of the tablets.  Georgia

I had to go to a detox facility for 5 days in May of "14". Was taking 20-25 a day of 50mg Tramadol. Had upped dosage over the yrs. Had been taking them since 2007 (?) I think. Normally @ first but last 2 yrs upped dosage. Had ER visit in early May due to skipped heart beat an ppalpitations. All testing came back normal except ekg on heart. Heart rate was like 104-110. I had caught a virus fr young son an backed off Tram's a little an didn't realize I was having reaction to that. So gave me 1mg Atavan thrue I.V. an bam, H.R. went down to normal. Dr said "You HAVE to get off the Tramadol! " So two days later entered detox. They put me on Klonapine while in there 3x's a day. Along with other meds but dont remember much. Was miserable first 2 1/2 days. Then eased a little after that. But after physical withdrawals you have to deal with mental issues. I currently am going thru depression an anxiety coming out as anger an yelling or worried. Iv been on Zoloft but had to stop after 2 1/2 mnths due to severe sideeffects like diaherra an lost like 15-20 lbs in that time. So was put on Lexapro in Dec ("14) & now Im tapering off because it hasn't helped but make me very moody an n bad mood. So dont know what to get on next. Just watch out for after detoxing. Get a psychologist or go to NA meetings. Just some advice. Get a hobby going as soon as possible to.