tramadol addiction

First Sam, I am so sorry to hear this, but I'm not surprised as I know how evil this drug is, it is highly addictive and you body becomes dependent on this drug very quickly. I suggest that you speak to FRANK as I did and found them quiet helpful. Unfortunately , doctors I found haven't a clue about the long term effect of these drugs and seem clueless to know what to do, well, that's my experience. I've had to use the internet and alternative news media to find the true extent of these nasty drugs and how we have an epidemic of addiction to prescription drugs more that street drugs! It's sounds like your brother needs to go into a place to have a supervised detox programme. Unfortunately I haven't look for this my self as I have gone "cold turkey" after trying to do the reduction programme last year without success! My heart goes out to him and I kinda now how he feels. Speak to FRANK and NA as I'm sure they can't lead you to someone who can help.

peace, love and prayers xxx

Oh Sam. I'm so sorry about your poor brother. He really is overdosing every day. In urgent cases like this I think your first call would be to his GP. Tell him the whole story. I think you must do this even though it will cause upset in your family. If your brother dies,I think it will cause more upset. Are you in the UK? It helps if you are because the amount of help you will all need to help and support him is free. I wish you very much luck.xxxx

All the suggestions I've seen so far require your brother to want to be drug free, and to be willing to take the necessary steps. This is not usually the case, and may well require an intervention, and even involuntary commitment to an institution. To do the latter requires proof that he has become a danger to himself, and should be initiated by a physician..

Hi Sam,

I posted to you in the other forum.  The number of pills he is taking is beyond exessive, I am surprised he isn't having more seizures.  The reason I have opted to taper off is because after 6 pills a day my chance of having one is greatly increased (I have been taking 4 50mg tabs a day for pain)--so I can't imagine what 30 pills would do.

I do know that when I first started taking it I did get a buzz that was a little different than the hydrocodone they were giving me.  I was cutting my tablets into 4 peices to try to control the pain and keep the buzz away...so if the goal was to get that buzz I can see where the issue comes in.  I was afraid I would start to like that feeling, so I was trying to be smart.  Now it's like taking a Tylenol for me, I haven't felt the "high" that comes with it since that first 6 months.  If he is chasing the high I can't imagine where that might end...he has to get some sort of help.

I thinik it was Suboxone I saw people posting about, there was some sort of drug that basically washed your receptors.  Tramadol binds to the receptor.  I personally think it is worse than hyrocodone.  I was taking that for about 6 months before I started with the tramadol.  I stopped cold turkey and no issues  (though in my case my intake was probably less because I was taking it for the pain, but I won't lie--that false sense of well being is not a bad thing, I didn't hate it...just hated being "out of it").  I stopped Tramadol cold turkey and was sicker than crap and we are talking only 200 mg a day for me.  I don't think he can do it alone.  There will be the mental factor since he wants the high, as well as the phsycial factor.

There must be soime sort of a facility in your area that has someone who will act as a case manager and help locate somewhere to help him detox and work to fight the additiction.  My heart goes out to the both of you. 

I should add that he will certainly need medical supervision to detox from those dosages. It could be very dangerous to try to do it on his own.

He may hate you for it, but please do everything in your power to make this happen. Don't pull any punches. Force him to get help, if you can. He is killing himself.