Quitting Tramadol

Treatment and medication
1

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been a Tramadol junkie for over 10 years. It all started with an operation on my wrist. Like most people I was prescribed it for the pain but, despite being a sensible, mature and reasonably successful young woman at the time, I found myself hooked and unable to stop. I spent most of the last 10 years feeling guilt, shame and a sense of weakness that I’d found myself in this position. Over the years, I’ve read lots of these forums and threads with advice regarding the best way to quit, tapering, cold turkey, replacement etc.... and they’ve been a massive support to me. Firstly, they made me realise I was not alone and that this drug, whilst a necessary evil, is genuinely addictive and that helped with the shame and guilt. Secondly, the forums gave me hope that some day, I would find the same strength as others to quit for good. 

So, that’s the reason I’m here. Just maybe I can give someone else the same hope and eventual success that I have been fortunate enough to have. I’m clean. I have been for the last 3 months and I feel like I’ve really done it. I’m not going to flower it up, it hasn’t been fun at times. However, I’m here, sleeping well, pain free and feeling healthier than I have in years. 

I tried a few methods but I have tapered in the end. It took a long time to get to zero (14 months) but month by month, I’ve lowered the dose and I’m finally there. 

In the UK, the capsules come in no lower than 50mg strength.I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve even found myself opening a capsule and removing half the powder and putting it back together when reducing by a whole cap was a step too far. It’s a tricky and fiddly thing to do but it was the saviour to get me down between 100 a day and 50 a day. I don’t know why that bit was so hard, I stuck at that point for a long time. 

In the last few months, I added new healthy foods and gentle exercise to my regime and I found that this really helped with the depression. 

Anyway, I’m off, it’s over and I’m thrilled. For those of you trying, please please keep going, you CAN do it and I can confirm that there is a better you on the other side. I feel like my appetite for life has returned. 

Good luck and best wishes to all of you .

X 

2

You didn't say how high a daily dose you came down from, I was as high" as 800 mgs

took me 6 months to  taper,. To 0 mg's No, not fun, but I'm doing great 2 years later 

 

3

Around the same richieboy22. Some days even more at my worst. Same story as most others I guess. Was prescribed 400 a day and it stopped being effective so went up and up. Horrible drug. So pleased to hear you’ve been off for so long. 

4

I’m surprised that you didn’t mention what happened after you tapered to 0. How long did it take to recover from that point on and what methods did you use to get through it? That’s the most important part. 

5

The doctor gave me Tramadol for painful knees 12 years  ago. No information about addiction to it. I never took more than what was prescribed but often forgot it till I found myself in withdrawal, often in the middle of the night. Wasn’t helping knee pain and I was taking it to keep out of withdrawal. Never took over 50 mg twice a day but still had terrible withdrawal. The doctors all look incredulous when I ask about withdrawal and how to get off. Anyway,after a few tries,I’m off. I withdrew slowly and avoided the zinging,wirey legs and other symptoms. However the exhaustion and lack of energy is so,so bad. I’ve been totally off for about a week and half. I will never take Tramadol again. It was very helpful when I started and I had no idea that it was habit forming.  But it is hellish to get off. For some reason drs don’t like to admit it is habit forming.   My question is, how long does the exhaustion last. I now it’s the antidepressant effect I’m missing. I don’t want to take an antidepressant if I can avoid it.  God bless all of you trying to withdraw from anything. 

6

Good for you. I’m so glad to be off even with exhausted feelings. 

7

Good for you. I’m so glad to be through with Tramadol. No more forgetting it and going into withdrawal.  I’ll find some non-drug way to deal with pain. Never,never going to be on Tramadol again. 

8

Hi June17774, I came across this post and I can really relate to it in many ways. I have had a chronic pain condition for over two years now. I was prescribed Tramadol and was on as much as 400mg per day for around a year. Over the last 6 months I have tapered down to around 35mg per day. I have the tablets mixed with paracetemol so they can be easily broken. I just cant seem to get off this final 35mg. I get muscle pains and weird sensations in my body when I try to go to sleep. I dont get cravings as such but I have become physically dependent on the drug. I’d love to get off it completely. I know this is a fairly old post but I was hoping you might have some good advice for me. Thanks.