Tramadol, i'm up to 300MG+/Day.

Firstly please do not think you are alone. There is plenty of help out there.

I am on 18 tablets at the moment (though not Tramadol).

I am waiting to have my large kidney stone surgically removed. Once that is done I am going to cut down on these tablets.

We are fortunate here to have an excellent local chemist and he will be my first port of call for help land advice.

You have taken a huge first step by sharing this with others and hopefully you will get some helpful responses.

You mentioned emotional as well as physical struggles. Maybe a local Mind group could help you with these.

Take care and keep in touch

Sarah

I do not find the local GP surgery very supportive

 

Dear Draco,  Please do not feel like you're in this alone . I cannot say I know how you feel because I do not have muscular dystrophy. I can however say I know how you feel about not wanting to take medication or being dependent on a medication. I'm currently on 300 mg/ day myself and just started trying to wean myself off slowly . I made the HUGE mistake of quitting cold turkey once . Anyways, I'm on day 5 of tapering down to 250 mg/day . It's been rough but I'm starting to feel a little better. I'm going to stay on the 250 for a couple of weeks before tapering down another 50mg . Have you thought about going to a 12 step program such as NA ? I've had 2 back surgeries and just recently found out I have 6 more bulging discs in my back along with degenerative disc disease & spinal stenosis. I got hooked on narcotics  after the second surgery, 4 rehab trips later & with the help of a 12 step program & a sponsor I celebrated 5 years of being clean in May . I had no ideal Tramadol was addicting or I would've never gotten the prescription filled . Good luck . I wish you all the best ! Take care , Keely 

Hi Draco 

So sorry to hear of your health issues and alas families lack of understanding. I am now off Tramadol but the withdrawals were simply dreadful so I think you need the right mind set and I do not blame anyone who fails to get off this awful medication. It is very addictive and the tolerance levels are bad.

Doctors now say things like medicine abuse etc, load of crap I am sure the pharm... put something onto both narcotics and tramadol to cause addiction. 

 Do not listen to any doctor who dismisses the withdrawal it is the worst unless you are lucky.

   For me Although the Tramadol relieved my knee pain it made me drowsy and at night I struggled to breath feeling like drowning I thought it was just like a weird dream state created by the Tramadol but I worked out the tramadol was suppressing my breathing. When I took it in the morning it was a bit better but it started to scare me.

I took it for a knee injury but every time I stopped taking it, I felt like my whole body was falling apart pain in every joint and every muscle. It also affected my emotions but then I made my mind up to come off it as I was scared I might stop breathing.  I had the entire list of withdrawal except seizures.  

I am now hypersensitive to just about all medication which is odd and wonder if it was the Tramadol that did it but I am being tested for lymes disease now due to recent issues. So still in the working out stage. I don't think it can still be the Tramadol withdrawal because that was months ago now. My knees actually feel a bit better after a healthy diet and turning vegetarian and herbs. 

 However every single person is different so it maybe helpful to take notes on how you feel, your pain levels and all side effects when on it and when you start missing doses. For me the main side effects of withdrawl started at day 4 and it was bloody hard to look after the family all I could do was get up and make supper for a few days and even then a couple of day they had to order food.

If  you can talk to your doctor before coming off the Tramadol.  300mg is a lot as I was only on 100mgs slow release. I was originally put on oxycocet but it made me too drowsy and high and I did not like that, it was easy for me to stop the Oxecocet.

You could try a pain clinic. My husband did and is now on both oxycocet and Morphine but his injuries are really bad and his pain is chronic. He has had to take much more than recommended of the oxycocet until the pain clinic helped due to long term use and tolerance. However you have to be tough with the pain clinic and also be clear to your doctor how bad the pain is. 

Eating healthy is good and herbs can help. My whole family has to eat healthy now LOL as I cook but obviously I cook them meat dishes as well.

The main thing to remember is you are an individual and keep notes of how you feel reactions to medication etc. Alas it can be a fight with the doctors and it would help if you have a supportive family but the withdrawal is real and nasty!!!!!! 

You are not alone

 

Hi Draco, oh how I wish I'd never been prescribed Tramadol. It's definitely ruling my life. It's great that you've managed to reduce your intake. If you can get off it altogether, you would be so much better in the long run. There are many other pain killers you could take, however all analgesics are addictive if taken long term. You would need to get medical advice on which one would be less harmful to you.  Good luck...

Hey Draco,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I had simular issues, I was taking 6-8 a day. I found cutting down the dosage slowly, helped through the withdraws, I would take 1 in the morning with a big cup of black coffee, and 1 at night with a cup of chamomile tea helped. If the pain was bad I would take a 1/2 dose with Tylenol. It was hard, but I starred to go for long walks and tart helped, then I began running, and that helped even more, I lost weight and have a general better sense of well being. Now I run every day in the morning and at night. It doesn't have to be long, even 20 minutes makes you feel good. I think of it as, at least some running is better than none. I still have to take the tramadol, but not nearly as much, and I don't need it everyday. It's a great feeling to be in control and I hope you feel that way soon. Best of luck, let me know if I can help.

Good Evening All,

So I managed to come off the Tramadol. Probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Had to have almost two weeks off work which I spent mostly trying to get out of bed. I quit cold turkey from 150mg/day. it wasn't easy. 

I think I was suffering from depression amongst a few other mental health issues for at least 4-5 weeks post kicking the medication. it was one of the hardest but most worthwhile things I have ever done. I urge anyone who is thinking about giving up or trying to escape its hold to find the strength from somewhere to give it a damn good go. I am the happiest I have ever been, and I can't thank you guys enough for your support. it was just what I needed. I no longer take any painkillers except the occasional para and Ibra. I still have the odd day here and there that can be quite hard to get through, and I find that my memories of the time I was on this life ruining drug are faint and it saddens me. But I am motivated by my freedom now and the pain that I still do get will never be enough to make me take something so life restricting. 

I can only compare it to Frodo and Sams journey from Lord Of The Rings... it was worth it, in the end, I urge anyone who is trying to quit to find that extra strength and do it. I did it, which means you can.

Thank you to all.

Draco

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this has been the hardest thing ive done. i done iraq i done brake up i done it all. this is bad and hard. anyone who wants to talk..... please talk to me... i know how hard this is.... call me.... ill call you back.... 5 days you can do it... call me...i got you.. get off that s**t xx

 

Hello guys,

So i actually relapsed after about 2 months off tramadol. I thought i was way clear of anything but turns out i wasn't. i spent around 10 months on it and i think the maximum i took was around 1200MG on one particular occasion. my daily consumption was around 800mg and i was truly lt with no hope or motivation to do anything about it. Strangely, in August time a few life changing things happened toi'me . A close member of my family passed away, my girlfriend at the time left me, and i was very alone. instead of turning up the drugs, i actually decided enough was enough, i weened myself down from 800mg a day to around 200. which was miserable. from there i quit cold turkey and it was even harded than before, depression, cramps, muscle damage, the lot. i was in a bad bad way. some how i got through this, and have been clean for almost 6 months. I could tell you that life is easy now, and that I'm feeling invincible, truth is i still feel the affects now. My body misses it most days. i know its for the best that i separate myself from this terrifying substance, and am glad to be clean from now on. my days are productive and full of positivity, family and my girlfriend. i learnt a hell of a lot of lessons in the past 2 years. truth is without family and friends id be lost. i think my symptoms were pretty bad. I'm willing to talk to anyone about anything because talking to people really helps. i hope you are all staying happy and healthy.

Draco

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