Is Tramadol withdrawal hard?

First of all you were only on it for a few months, not years like some of us. Second of all it is not a typical opiate, its pharmacology is very similar to ssri's which can produce different withdrawals than opiates, very similar to antidepressant withdrawal. I have withdrawn from heroin, oxy, benzos, hydros, fentanyl, alchohol, anti depressants both tricyclic and ssri, seroquel, methadone, subs, among others. So with all due respect, F off with that drama queen BS. Take it for a few years at high doses and quit suddenly and then see how you feel.

Also, maybe you should do some research before dismissing other people's withdrawals. Here I'll do it for you. ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** posting web addresses is not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use
And by the way, sudden discontinuation of long term benzo use and antidepressant use is MUCH worse than opiate withdrawal. Much closer to hell. And much more dangerous.

Withdrawing from 200 mg tramadol a day. Nothing like withdrawal from oxycontin,percocet etc. That was straight up evil! I'm fatigued, have chills, and diarrhea. I'm on day 3 cold turkey. My mental acuity is better and I don't feel spaced out anymore!

GoodiIdea ! don't take anymore!

I was taking tramadol for 5 months. I was down to 50mg around 4:00 in the afternoon. I was taking this for 3 compression vertebra fractures. I ran out and for two days feel like I'm jumping out of my skin, not sleeping, more pain in my back!!! My primary care would not renew it for me. Took 4 Advil and it didn't touch the pain. HELP

Go back and tell that as****e to help you! That is his responsibility as a health care provider.Does he still follow the Hippocratic Oath? Sorry,I have been through all this and I know how bad it is! Ambien will help with sleep problems.

Google Emily's post warriors

Spot on, tramadol withdrawal almost killed me about 1and1/2 years ago. Won't go into details, but just made it through by the skin of my teeth. Getting off norco is a walk in the park. Tramadol is pure hell to go thru. But it has to be done. Lee H

I had been on Tramadol for almost 30 months due to severe osteoarthritis, with severe pain in my shoulders and knees. My pain management doc put me on that, along with a strong anti inflammatory. As things got worse he added a nerve pain med and then Tylenol with codeine at night so I could sleep. With all the bad press about opioids, I decided that if this doc was going to continue this course of treatment and not do anything else it was time to look elsewhere for treatment. New doc does not use opioids in his treatment, but does not facilitate detox either. My GP recommended tapering down, my new pain management doc thought I could do cold turkey because of the lower dosage (100 mg a day...I know ...relatively light compared to some others on here), but I wish I had chosen to taper down. This stuff sucks completely. I did the first 4-5 days getting MAYBE 2 hours of sleep a night. Anxiety levels were thru the roof, my brain wouldn't slow down, body sweats, headaches, and typical withdrawal symptoms. Now a week into it I am finally getting sleep, but HUGE anxiety levels hit at different points of the day for no reason whatsoever. Sitting in traffic or sitting in a drive thru line are intolerable. I'm glad I have an understanding wife and daughter as I know I'm a complete a$$ right now, but they know I'm trying to get off this unGodly medication. I've taken to going into the restroom at work, just to sit in a stall and get away from everyone for 5 minutes so I don't feel like I'm going to explode. The flu-like symptoms were never real strong...but the anxiety c**p is almost worse than what I experienced the first few days, but at least now I'm sleeping. Finally broke down and called my GP about the anxiety I'm experiencing and waiting to hear back from him. All I can say is avoid this stuff if at all possible and use for the shortest amount of time you possibly can if you have to use it. This stuff NEEDS to be declared a narcotic. It works in the beginning, but does nasty stuff to you when you try and get off of it.

I am just now coming online to this blog and will be here more frequently now. I hope like hell you tapered. I was on the same dosage you were for almost 3 years and wish I had tapered. I'm just now on about day 10 and just now sleeping thru the night and the anxiety is nothing I've ever experienced before. If anyone reading this is looking to get off this c**p..please do so with the help of a caring doctor. If you are on this...do whatever you can to get off of it.

Hello Keith and anonymous. Robert here. 58 year old male fit and in good health, happily married and weighed 190 lbs before all this, 6 ft tall. I am at day 13 after a four year daily habit of no more than 75mg,one and one half pill split into thirds and taken three times per day starting mid afternoon. Originally prescribed for restless leg treatment at the time, I admit I liked the positive mood and energy the pills provided.

I started losing unexplained weight ( total about 20 lbs.) about six months ago, and two months ago awoke with a pounding heart and extreme anxiety and panic, very dark thoughts about my age, life and mortality, vivid crazy memories from childhood and adolescence.

I do not have any history of anxiety except one small attack almost 15 years ago. I felt anxious with heart palpitaions for the next few days and finally went to emergency medical with what I was sure was a heart attack. Admitted overnight, tests the next day showed no heart troubles.

After researching my current meds I decided Tramadol could be involved and had to go. I read tons of reports and sometimes gut wrenching stories (obsessed my wife says) of people tapering and quitting. I called my Doctor who was fine with
me stopping it and starting tapering off just a bit per week, quarter pill first then eighth pill tiny bits for the next two reductions a week at a time. I felt horrible after even these tiny reductions, couldn't eat, very tense stomach, anxious and unable to sleep. Started taking supplements like crazy, not sure if they helped but the usual b12, fish oil, multivitamin herbal tablets etc.

I decided I couldn't take it anymore and quit the remaining 50mg tablet all at once. my Doctor who seems mostly unaware of the nature of specific withdrawal problems or even dependence issues with tramado, did recommend an rx drug called gabapentin to take at night for the worst of the withdrawal symptoms I was afraid of.

First few days all physical symptoms flu like, congestion, runny nose very weak and painful muscles, I tried to stay active, took long walks every day ate as best I could and took 300 mg of the gabapentin at night before sleep. This really helped the first four nights, I could feel my arms and legs just writhing with discomfort like hot wax moving slowly up and down my limbs and endless tingling. The gabap allowed me to notice this but in a sort of sedated and detached way that did allow me to sleep an average of five to six hours a night. I know I would have been up all night without it.

Now I am on my 12th day free of tramadol and will NEVER go near them again, almost all physical symptoms are gone, sleeping Ok, but less well than I used to, trying to gain weight back, appetite better. Sex drive improved. BUT

The anxiety has remained a large problem, hits me mostly after lunchtime, Seems to improve a bit at night. I am worried for many crazy reasons, all divorced from reality, hard to enjoy my previous passions, get stressed watching news or reading a book, feel raw and easily overwhelmed by loud noises listening to music can be too intense, Went to a concert day 8 and had to take an emergency xanax which I seldom use than fight sleeping in my seat rest of the show. I carry the tunes in my head and cannot shut them off for hours.

I have a-small home business so I am able to work fairly easily in the mornings. I have been very open with this situation and have found many people sharing with me their own stories of rx med struggles, online forums are a good outlet to share support as well.

This is long and there is more to share, trying many anti- anxiety herbs and supplements carefully and at low doses.would love to hear from you both. I tell myself the anxiety is from long term use of a terrible way overprescribed mind altering drug and that it will take time to heal.

Please stay in touch,

Robert

Keith, did you stop taking the codeine and nerve med ( Lyrica or gabapentin?) at the same time as the Tramadol? How long and what dose were those meds at. I ask because I knoe some who have taken Lyrica oe gapapenting for a while will not get the withdrawal benefit I did having never taken them before.

Stay strong Man!

Robert

I was on Lyrica with the Tramadol (rom the beginning) and stopped that about 3 months ago. My insurance would no longer cover it. I had no ill effects when I stopped taking the Lyrica. My new pain doc has started me on Gabapentin at night, and expanding to more frequent dosage should I need it. I also take the anti inflammatory as well and the pain seems manageable right now. As far as the Tylenol 3, I am still taking it at night and it seems to help with my sleeping issues, at least enough to help calm things and get adequate sleep to be a functioning adult. The only remaining issue right now is the onset of anxiety. I am talking with my GP today (the one that suggested tapering...should have listened to him) about short term assistance with the anxiety issue. If that doesn't work I'll be seeking some natural/herbal remedies.

Thank you Robert. Sounds like the exact same thing I went thru during the first 4-5 days of just quitting cold turkey. I have about a 30 minute commute in high traffic to my job. I have changed the route to allow for mostly surface streets to stay off the highway so I don't get stressed during my drive.

And like you, I find that my anxiety is less at night...guess it could be the Gabapentin, that it eases it enough to sleep now. The first few days sleep was not going to happen and it was debilitating.

I'm now about 10 days into being off the Tramadol and will NEVER go near them again. The nerve pain and hot flashes are subsiding, but still sometimes show up.

When I initially talked to my GP he suggested going back on them and tapering off like he originally suggested and let him know in no uncertain terms would I go back on that c**p. I would rather fight through this than go back and have to deal with the initial onset of withdrawals again.

Keep strong...

Ok thanks for the response, I have been tapering off the gabapentin, down to 50mg after two weeks of nightly use. I know it can be used for anxiety off label but I am gunshy of another rx drug right now.
I see my doc in two weeks, would love to tell him I am much better.

Please share if you can what happens. I have tried many herbal, amino acid products with various results. Be glad to share.

Good luck and I will keep monitoring this site.
Rr