Is Tramadol withdrawal hard?

Hi Guest, Is the Tramadol causing your gut pain or could it be something else?  I have never got gut pain personally from Tramadol but I don’t know whether it is one of the side effects it could be. I would look it up and either way don’t  ignore the pain in your gut.

I'm so happy and relieved to read that you did not give in to the temptation!! Did you get to see your horses or go for a ride? Jan 31st will be 4 weeks since I stopped taking them and I'm still having days where I have no energy. I work 40+ hours a week and that helps keep me going. It sounds like you are doing the right things, drinking water and eating right. You've made it through the toughest part of the physical and emotional withdrawals and I know that you don't want to do that again, EVER! I wish I had some magic words to say that would make this all go away for you and all the people I am running in to that are having a private struggle with this drug. While having a conversation with a close friend at work, for some reason, and totally out of my character, I shared my experience with Tramadol. His eyes started tearing up and come to find out he has been trying to get off this c**p for 2 years. He has no support at home. His wife doesn't like who he is when he starts going through the w/d's and encourages him to take them so she doesn't have to deal with it. I can't imagine how much harder it would have been for me without the support of my husband so my husband and I have teamed up in trying to help him when he's ready. Anyway, my point is that for each one of us telling our stories here and elsewhere, there are many people still in the closet, too embarrassed to talk to someone or seek help. Every time I feel down and exhausted, I have my own little internal celebration for how far I have come, then get up, turn on some good music, and get busy. The down moments aren't coming as often but when they do, I have a plan and stand ready for battle.

Your story is so touching and inspirational, I have been battling this addiction on and off for years and i just can't seem to beat it. I'm on my last refill, and ready to not battle this anymore. I feel ashamed, my life is very fulfilling i have 2 beautiful children, a wonderful husband, and I'm on the start of my career. I beat this demon time and time again, so why can't I beat this again? To all of those thinking they can take just one, don't. I'm living proof that one will spiral down to another full blown addiction.

mmwright you admit you are addicted, have you thought about treatment for your addiction? Do you know that tramadol is not really your problem, it’s because YOU are an addict that you have a problem and Tramadol is only your drug of choice. If you don’t know a lot about addiction this might have come as a shock to you. If you consider once the initial physical addiction is over which is after about 6 days with Tramadol any further craving is psychological. This can be virtually impossible to break without professional help because you have to work out why you are self-medicating on drugs. You say you are content and your life fulfilling but there will be other issues, such as child hood trauma or even a genetic disposition that predisposes you to addiction. I am not meaning to sound like a know it all or getting personal but you asked the question "so why can’t I beat this again" I know a little about addiction so I have passed this on to you. Remember addiction is nothing to be ashamed of; it is a disease, an illness just like any other illness. From your post you obviously keep relapsing so you should seek professional help. Many people become physically addicted to drugs because they are prescribed by a doctor over a period of time for pain, when the drugs are stopped they go through withdrawal like anyone else but once that physical withdrawal is over they don’t crave the drug anymore and that’s because they are not addicts. Addicts on the other hand will still crave the drug after the physical addiction is broken because it satisfies a psychological need and that is the difference between an addict and a non-addict. It can be hard to get your head around the fact that you are the addict and the substance you are addicted to is irrelevant.

I have had 4 years of doctors and testing for my digestive problems and I did consult with my doctor about the pain from the Tramadol. She thinks my digestive system is so sensitive right now that I may need to take something transdermally for the pain. I really don't want to take anything after this experience with Tramadol. I would never have started it if I had known how addictive it was and how hard it is to get off of.

@guest who replied to mmwright. So tell me again, what was your experience with Tramadol? How long were you prescribed the drug? Dosage? I didn't find this information anywhere in your post. In fact, when you said "they go through withdrawal like anyone else" it sounded like you have absolutely NO CLUE about Tramadol since you referred to it solely as a pain medication. 6 days? ARE YOU KIDDING? The substance irrelevant? WOW! Either you are in the medical profession, trained to put the blame on the patient or you are greatly misinformed about this drug. @mmwright Like you said "I've beat this demon time and time again" so you know you can do it. No one's life is completely fulfilling but it sounds like you count your blessings and are moving forward with your life. If you need help, then by all means, get help but don't let anyone tell you the problem has nothing to do with Tramadol. Pharmaceutical companies would LOVE for you to reach far back into your childhood, or anywhere for that matter and magnify some trauma you may or may not have endured then become pathetically overwhelmed and depressed. Self-pity makes them rich, addictive medications make them richer. You can beat this again! And for good. I am sure I will get some form of rebuttal from the “guest” who attempted to beat you into a corner and make you like it, however, that’s not at all productive. Being addicted to a drug that is highly addictive and changes your thought process is all your fault said no intelligent person ever!

Sounds like an internet troll to me . I guess the throwing up up, head spins, feeling like I'm made of lead, and everything else is just the personality and not physical addiction? It took me three weeks to feel better, not 6 days.

The poster is most likely a troll and looking to get under peoples skin. Don't let it bother anyone and take it for what it's worth.

The experiences here and advice we give new people is priceless. We've helped many and we will help many in future;

tellmeimnotcrazy, you spent to much effort on him, focus your effort on people that need advice, not internet trolls.

Good advice. You're right. This being the first time in my life I have ever dealt with withdrawals from a medication makes me new to their game I guess. It's not that I haven't known for a long time that people can be mean with intent. Anyway, more importantly, I'm at 26 days and doing really well. Looking forward to being the person I was before Tramadol.

Thank you so much tellmeimnotcrazy, my life is very fulfilling and i had a wonderful childhood. This year has been difficult but i believe God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I am prescribed this for medical issues but like most others began taking it for mood elevation and energy. Its not life without the drug that scared me, its the withdrawals from coming off.

Tellmeimnotcrazy, In reply to your question and since you ask I was never prescribed Tramadol; I have used them recreationally for the last fifteen years. Getting them off friends and buying them on line, before that my drug of choice was DF 118s another opiate. I have come off tramadol at least a dozen times over that period cold turkey. Dose wise I would build up to average 12 x 50mg a day after three weeks from going back on them each time. You also say Tramadol is more than a pain med, there are very few prescription written for Tramadol that are not for pain control, very few psychiatrists will prescribe it for depression so unless you are just being picky shall we say it’s a pain med for the purpose of everyone on here apart from you? If you read the posts you will see all bar non was prescribed for pain? As for six days of acute withdrawal, after six days the worst is over so don’t preach c**p to me I’ve been there and done it many times. I know something about addiction too which you obviously don’t, you quote this lady’s comment “I have beat this demon time and time again” and then quite unbelievably advise her to count her blessings and move on with her life. If she could do that she wouldn’t have had multiple relapses. You really are unbelievably naive when it comes to this subject. On addiction you don’t seem to be able to grasp even the basics. I will try to spell it out for you again and what I say is recognised current thinking by all authorities on addiction, and practiced by all addiction clinics around the world. It is understood now that the individual is the problem not the drug per se whether it be through nature or nurture, the drug that the individual takes is not really the issue if wasn’t tramadol it would be some other opiate type drug had she been introduced to it, or any other drug she found would satisfy the feeling she is trying to fend off by self-medicating. Treatment for addiction often includes CBT or other forms of therapy to resolve the individuals psychological problems that is making them self-medicate on drugs. Read up on addiction treatment there is plenty of it on line because I can’t be bothered trying to spell it out to you. One of the contradictions for tramadol is that it should not be prescribed to anyone who has or is suspected of having or had an addiction problem. Unfortunately not everyone knows they are a potential addict when they start taking Tramadol, this is why problems arise with long term addiction to this drug. You have offered this poor women absolutely no advice at all apart from signing off by telling her you can beat this again! And for good. That is called will power and will power has failed this woman miserably yet you advise her to keep persisting in it. Will power does not work for addicts it’s been proven over and over again. You are really quite a dangerous man.

I have just noticed some of you think I am a troll. I can assure you all I am not a troll, but have noticed you have formed your own little circle where you pass platitudes back and forth and tell each other what you want each other to hear. When someone comes along and tells it how it really is you close ranks and retreat back into your comfort zone which is really another name for denial.  All I have ever said is Addiction is something that has to be taken very seriously and tried to explain what proper treatment entails.  I have no ulterior motive other than to try and help people in addiction; after all it’s the 12th step in the big book of AA and it’s every addict’s duty to do some twelve stepping and help other addicts.  There is one very ignorant man amongst you who is doing you no favours at all because he thinks you can cure addiction using will power alone he treats addiction like the common cold and can offer nothing in the way of meaningful advice, if it was that simple addiction wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar business, the truth is will power alone will not cure your addiction. I think what you find offensive in my posts is words such as disease, illness, phrases like “you are an addict”  “you should get treatment” some things have to be said because it’s too serious a business to p***y foot about with.  Presumably you are all adults so should not be too easily offended by the way I express myself. Please read through my post again and read it for its content rather than any perceived notion you have that I am in some way trying to offend you. You have got it all wrong.   

Just noticed you think i am a troll, I can assure you all I am not a troll, but have noticed you have formed your own little circle where you pass platitudes back and forth and tell each other what you want each other to hear. When someone comes along and tells it how it really is you close ranks and retreat back into your comfort zone which is really another name for denial.  All I have ever said is Addiction is something that has to be taken very seriously and tried to explain what proper treatment entails.  I have no ulterior motive other than to try and help people in addiction; after all it’s the 12th step in the big book of AA and it’s every addict’s duty to do some twelve stepping and help other addicts.  There is one very ignorant man amongst you who is doing you no favours at all because he thinks you can cure addiction using will power alone he treats addiction like the common cold and can offer nothing in the way of meaningful advice, if it was that simple addiction wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar business, the truth is will power alone will not cure your addiction. I think what you find offensive in my posts is words such as disease, illness, phrases like “you are an addict”  “you should get treatment” some things have to be said because it’s too serious a business to p***y foot about with.  Presumably you are all adults so should not be too easily offended by the way I express myself. Please read through my post again and read it for its content rather than any perceived notion you have that I am in some way trying to offend you. You have got it all wrong.   

You're welcome mmwright. I have severe arthritis in my spine and 3 herniated disc. I have been prescribed every pain medication one could think of. Never had problems when I quit taking them, other than the pain would return. I never became addicted to any of those medications, no withdrawals, nothing. I realize that isn't always the case for alot of people. I was also very lucky in that Tramadol never had any effect on me other than pain relief. I had been assured it was completely non addictive without side effects. I only took them about 3 months and was prescribed 300mg a day. After the third month my back pain seemed better and I quit taking them, I was blindsided! That's when my world got crazy and quick. I had never experienced anything like this. Within 24 hours I spiraled into the pits of hell, that lasted for over 3 weeks, and not even for one moment did I want or crave the Tramadol as it was to blame for getting me into this mess and I felt an hatred for it and angry at those who prescribe it. There are addicts who have withdrawals but there are withdrawals suffered by people who have no addictive tendencies, people like me. I completely understand what you are desperately trying to say when saying you are afraid of the withdrawals caused by this drug. My spine is killing me and my doctor suggested putting me back on Percocet’s since I never had issues with those. After what I’ve been through, I declined and now we are discussing other pain management ideas which do not include drugs. I’ve completely lost trust in any medication. I won’t even take a Tylenol or ibuprofen now which I know is ridiculous. It all relates back to what Tramadol did to me. So when you say it’s not the lack of the drug in your life, it’s the withdrawals and lingering side effects. I understand, quite clearly. From what I have read, you don’t need help getting off the drug, you need help getting through the withdrawals. I have a lot of support from my husband and people I trusted and I made it back to the light at the end of the tunnel, but you know all too well what state I was in and I needed a lot of help and encouragement along the way. With support and understanding you can make it through. Hour by hour, day by day, keep reminding yourself that, while it’s bad now, it will get better and you WILL get your life back.

I have been on it for 3 years and at times over 1500mg a day. I have tapered off several times, but seems like as I am making progress a tragedy such as Mom or Dad death come about and I get back on them again. I am currently tapered off to 450mg a day and only have enough for 3 more days. I know all to well whats coming... Crying, severe pain, think my wife and everybody else is leaving me, as I have been through it before and did not make it all the way. Hate to go to the doctor, cause then Ins co. may find out and cancel my coverage. I am 55 years old and feel like a stupid teenager!

job, taking that high of a dosage, you may need the help of a doctor. Like I have said in earlier post, I stopped cold turkey not knowing there was going to be any withdrawals or side effects. At 3 days in I went to an Urgent Care Clinic because I hadn't slept in those 3 days. They wanted to put me back on Tramadol so I left and was doing it on my own until about 11 days in when I made an appt with my pcp. (The spine specialist put me on these so no way I was going back to him.) Anyway, I went to my pcp because I couldn't sleep and I believed that if I could just sleep it would be easier to handle the rest. I had made it through the worst of the withdrawals by this time. While there they checked my blood pressure and it was dangerously high. Never had high blood pressure before this happened. You mentioned you are 55 yrs old so this could definitely be an issue for you too. At the time, my doctor gave me ambien to help me sleep. I had safely taken ambien for a short time a few years before for insomnia when I was put on night shift at work and for the first time in my life, had to try to sleep in the daytime. I had no side effects from it then so my doctor and I agreed it was the best way to go. I was also placed on a light blood pressure med which unfortunately, I continue to have to take. I was able to sleep for the first time after seeing my doctor and it made all the difference in the world in helping me battle everything else. Wish now I had went to see him sooner but was worried I would be labeled in some way. I haven't heard of anyone being cancelled for getting the kind of help you need. (Trying to get off a medication instead of trying to get more of it.) Whatever you decide, there is a lot of great information in earlier posts on things you can do to help ease the withdrawals. One night I couldn't sleep and I made an informative video to warn people away from Tramadol. You can find it on youtube by searching for "sissywoods03 tramadol". Making the video was theraputic for me. So is talking to good people like yourself.