Least painful way to escape addiction to Tramadol, a narcotic.

[dblaisde]

I'm 70 years old and have been off and on the minimum dose of Tramadol (50mg/day) for physical problems for 3 years. I've never had trouble getting off before, but now find big problems, after using it regularly for almost a year.

 

I can't even stop a day without severe insomnia, racing heart, aching stomach and have severe memory problems, which Ive never had before (yet generally I'm in good health, walk, hike, and before have had good memory). What's the best way to get off completely, or at least leave this drug 'as needed'.

 

I live near Khao San Road area but can travel as needed. Thanks.

[realenglish1]

Cut the dosage  by weening yourself off of it Cut it by about 5% per week till the final week you just stop it

you should not have too much discomfort other than some restless nights and other milder symtoms

 

Stick with it

[Sheryl]

I suggest you consult this doctor who is a specialist in addiction psychology. It is not so easy to get off this  by yourself. Other medications may be needed temporarily to deal with the withdrawal effects, and then there is also the issue of why you took it in the first place, may need to find an alternative medication .

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Pichai-Saengcharnchai

[dblaisde]

2 hours ago, realenglish1 said:

Cut the dosage  by weening yourself off of it Cut it by about 5% per week till the final week you just stop it you should not have too much discomfort other than some restless nights and other milder symtoms

Stick with it

Thanks. The main problem with that is that my entire dosage is one 50mg capsule, which is pretty hard to be 5% precise with. I get the idea though.

 

I was also thinking of missing occasional days, so after a week I would skip say, one of every seven days, then one of every six the next week, which is just doing what I did in reverse to get on this mess in the first place.

[Chip Allen]

My American doctor prescribed Tramadol for my back pain. He told me that he chose this drug, SPECIFICALLY because it is NOT addictive. It is NOT an opioid painkiller. Case closed, end of discussion.

[InMyShadow]

Thanks. The main problem with that is that my entire dosage is one 50mg capsule, which is pretty hard to be 5% precise with. I get the idea though.
 
I was also thinking of missing occasional days, so after a week I would skip say, one of every seven days, then one of every six the next week, which is just doing what I did in reverse to get on this mess in the first place.

I'm on 300mg a day. I don't even notice it and do everything I always did and still drink beer etc.

I tablet is such a small amount but I have read the last tablet is still hard

Try drinking wine for several days to give the buzz in place of tramadol

[dblaisde]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

I suggest you consult this doctor who is a specialist in addiction psychology. It is not so easy to get off this  by yourself. Other medications may be needed temporarily to deal with the withdrawal effects, and then there is also the issue of why you took it in the first place, may need to find an alternative medication .

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Pichai-Saengcharnchai

Thanks for the name. I don't know people like this, which is why I like to talk to you. I wonder if he knows enough about this particular drug to be specific enough about how to get off it. I suppose so.

 

One problem is that the drug lasts only six hours, but there are 24 hours in a day. On the internet, an author suggests that with this particular drug, the sufferer needs to get onto another opioid but with a 24 hour time period while tapering off this one. But then you still have an addiction to deal with...though maybe you're not so in love with the longer one.

 

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/tramadol/

 

[dblaisde]

9 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

I'm on 300mg a day. I don't even notice it and do everything I always did and still drink beer etc.

I tablet is such a small amount but I have read the last tablet is still hard

Try drinking wine for several days to give the buzz in place of tramadol

Funny but actually not such a bad idea. Half the problem with this stupid thing is fear. I would do better if I could ignore it for awhile, while gently tapering off.

[dblaisde]

12 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

I'm on 300mg a day. I don't even notice it and do everything I always did and still drink beer etc.

I tablet is such a small amount but I have read the last tablet is still hard

Try drinking wine for several days to give the buzz in place of tramadol

I need to do SOMETHING to knock off the fear (though I cant believe its all fear). In fact I cold-turkied back about a month ago, for 3 weeks, but wasn't doing very well that way, and a website suggests you can sometimes screw yourself up for years that way, which I what I didn't want. So I went back to taking slow steps.

[InMyShadow]

I need to do SOMETHING to knock off the fear (though I cant believe its all fear). In fact I cold-turkied back about a month ago, for 3 weeks, but wasn't doing very well that way, and a website suggests you can sometimes screw yourself up for years that way, which I what I didn't want. So I went back to taking slow steps.

The problem you are probably dealing with is that tramadol is recognized although unofficially as an anti depressant and a very effective one although it's not marketed under that class

 

You could ask a doctor for an evaluation, you could actually be suffering depression and only starting to realize it when quitting tramadol

 

Or simply stay on it. One tablet A day is helping your anxiety so no big deal, it's hardly worth worrying about

[Sheryl]

54 minutes ago, Chip Allen said:

My American doctor prescribed Tramadol for my back pain. He told me that he chose this drug, SPECIFICALLY because it is NOT addictive. It is NOT an opioid painkiller. Case closed, end of discussion.

Actually tramadol is considered to be a synthetic opioid. It is addictive, though the addiction potential is less than with other opoids.

[mrfill]

54 minutes ago, Chip Allen said:

My American doctor prescribed Tramadol for my back pain. He told me that he chose this drug, SPECIFICALLY because it is NOT addictive. It is NOT an opioid painkiller. Case closed, end of discussion.

I can only assume your American doctor is Dr Seuss. He is lying - it IS addictive and it IS an opioid. He also probably had a very nice holiday thanks to the pharma company salesman.

https://drugs.webmd.boots.com/drugs/drug-470-Tramadol.aspx?pageNumber=2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

 

[Sheryl]

Tramadol Strada brand comes in liquid form which would make titration much easier but as said, should really do this under medical supervision. Also the liquid form may be hard to source by yourself. The various questions you have asked, Dr. Pichit will be able to speak to and yes, he will be experienced in tramadol withdrawal. Tramadol has actually become a popular "recreational" drug among Thai youth so this problem not uncommon.

[Chip Allen]

How amazingly stupid. I have been taking Tramadol on and off for five years. It KILLS PAIN. The idea that it is addictive must be driven by the idea that if you take something to kill pain, then you are addicted.

 

[InMyShadow]

How amazingly stupid. I have been taking Tramadol on and off for five years. It KILLS PAIN. The idea that it is addictive must be driven by the idea that if you take something to kill pain, then you are addicted.
 

Your right. It's actually Labelled as a dependancy when used correctly. Addiction is for abusers

[dblaisde]

46 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

Or simply stay on it. One tablet A day is helping your anxiety so no big deal, it's hardly worth worrying about

One problem: Ive a lost most of my ability to think in a concentrated way in the last 3 months. I'm not QUITE sure its the Tramadol, but I'm beginning to think so. Ill know soon. For an old guy like me, maybe even 50 mg of the stuff over three years, and regular use for one year may be enough to see serious consequences. But I need to back off usage quite a bit to tell for sure, because there were some other things (a serious fall) during that same 3 months that might have had an effect. Thanks

[dblaisde]

1 hour ago, Chip Allen said:

My American doctor prescribed Tramadol for my back pain. He told me that he chose this drug, SPECIFICALLY because it is NOT addictive. It is NOT an opioid painkiller. Case closed, end of discussion.

I hope he wasn't a psychiatrist. That would make it really bad!

[dblaisde]

57 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

The problem you are probably dealing with is that tramadol is recognized although unofficially as an anti depressant and a very effective one although it's not marketed under that class

 

You could ask a doctor for an evaluation, you could actually be suffering depression and only starting to realize it when quitting tramadol

 

Or simply stay on it. One tablet A day is helping your anxiety so no big deal, it's hardly worth worrying about

Its an idea but because of the (assumed at this point) effect on my mental deterioration, I certainly want to back off the level of it I'm at now. Perhaps 50mg once every 3rd day or something....Only perhaps I've crossed some line where I've either got to give it up entirely or become a semi-zomie (and I'd rather be dead, and I mean that literally).

[realenglish1]

1 hour ago, dblaisde said:

Thanks. The main problem with that is that my entire dosage is one 50mg capsule, which is pretty hard to be 5% precise with. I get the idea though.

 

I was also thinking of missing occasional days, so after a week I would skip say, one of every seven days, then one of every six the next week, which is just doing what I did in reverse to get on this mess in the first place.

No it is not  Break the capsule  opened and measure it on a scale you can buy a cheap Gemstone scale for   1000 baht that will do the trick Then  Missing days will not help

Do what I told you here I did it with Valium several years ago and had not major withdrawal symptoms  I did it with solid pills cutting them into pieces

 

You can do it Just need to spend a little time doing it and it will work for you Just be patient and  Skipping will not work

 

The method I am talking about is used medically and works

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, dblaisde said:

Thanks. The main problem with that is that my entire dosage is one 50mg capsule, which is pretty hard to be 5% precise with. I get the idea though.

 

I was also thinking of missing occasional days, so after a week I would skip say, one of every seven days, then one of every six the next week, which is just doing what I did in reverse to get on this mess in the first place.

Been there and one it.  Drop the 50mg every other day, then every third day etc until you can go a week without.  Then its done.  Its a bitch but temporary. 

[dblaisde]

48 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Actually tramadol is considered to be a synthetic opioid. It is addictive, though the addiction potential is less than with other opoids.

Ive read that tramadol is a combination: an opioid and an SSRI psychiatric drug like lexapro, which is used to boost the serotonin brain level higher than it might be (a lot of people suffer from long term depression because of low serotonin levels. (Including me by the way, which Ive noticed the onset of and compensated for by adding more to my normal serotonin daily dose...(so you guys are pretty good detectives))

[realenglish1]

7 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Been there and one it.  Drop the 50mg every other day, then every third day etc until you can go a week without.  Then its done.  Its a bitch but temporary. 

Your way is way too fast and not medically recommenced  5% is the medical standard for slow withdrawal with little or no symptoms 

[dallen52]

Suppose as with al meds problems individual response varies.

I was on 300mg daily.

2x 150SR tabs plus 25mg Amitriptyline. 

Chronic neuropathic pain and spasms. 

We all know the side effects and the two really dont go together. 

I like others said, just started to break in half. And half again.

Three years. But stoped now.

Some pain still. 

But it feels good to go the bathroom normally and not sit down to pee etc.

Rotton medications. 

Had the same with clonazepam too.

I just kept physically busy.

Lost weight.

And reminded myself that it is possible to do...

Sadly, I've lost the taste for alcohol now.

Funny old world. lol

[Pilotman]

3 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

Your way is way too fast and not medically recommenced  5% is the medical standard for slow withdrawal with little or no symptoms 

If you only  have the standard 50 mg tabs, that is not possible. 

[HooHaa]

2 hours ago, Chip Allen said:

My American doctor prescribed Tramadol for my back pain. He told me that he chose this drug, SPECIFICALLY because it is NOT addictive. It is NOT an opioid painkiller. Case closed, end of discussion.

Whoa, your ignorance is showing. 

What a silly fellow you are, or in denial. 

 

Either way time to find a new american doctor.

[craftyhen]

14 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

No it is not  Break the capsule  opened and measure it on a scale you can buy a cheap Gemstone scale for   1000 baht that will do the trick Then  Missing days will not help

Do what I told you here I did it with Valium several years ago and had not major withdrawal symptoms  I did it with solid pills cutting them into pieces

 

You can do it Just need to spend a little time doing it and it will work for you Just be patient and  Skipping will not work

 

The method I am talking about is used medically and works

how does valium withdrawal compare to tramadol withdrawal?

 

i would have thought you could get off tramadol a lot quicker but only guessing..

[dblaisde]

56 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Tramadol Strada brand comes in liquid form which would make titration much easier but as said, should really do this under medical supervision. Also the liquid form may be hard to source by yourself. The various questions you have asked, Dr. Pichit will be able to speak to and yes, he will be experienced in tramadol withdrawal. Tramadol has actually become a popular "recreational" drug among Thai youth so this problem not uncommon.

Thanks for that. I might use that for eliminating the drug in my system. Otherwise its not so easy yourself to accurately divide up a small capsule by small percentages.

[HooHaa]

54 minutes ago, Chip Allen said:

How amazingly stupid. I have been taking Tramadol on and off for five years. It KILLS PAIN. The idea that it is addictive must be driven by the idea that if you take something to kill pain, then you are addicted.

 

So it is denial.  

 

Poor fellow.

[dallen52]

1 minute ago, craftyhen said:

how does valium withdrawal compare to tramadol withdrawal?

 

i would have thought you could get off tramadol a lot quicker but only guessing..

It took me almost three years to get

off clonazepam. 

Similar benzodiazepine. 

Titration is the only way.

Break the tablets down and even if you mix with water and use an eye dropper to dispense, its worth it. 

I woud have never thought a 0.5mg tablet could control my life.

I still have half of a half tablet there. 

Just as a psychological back stop. 

But have never taken it.

 

Good luck.

[dblaisde]

24 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

No it is not  Break the capsule  opened and measure it on a scale you can buy a cheap Gemstone scale for   1000 baht that will do the trick

Ah! A precise weight scale. Hadn't thought I could do that cheaply!