Tramadol - Swims story and WD battle.

[Chico_Livin]

Swim is posting for the first time, even though he has read these boards a lot. Swim has always enjoyed opiates in the past, but never needed them. Last summer, Swim moved off to go to college. Up til now, he has never met a source for any type of opiate here, although where he lived before, where the rest of his family lived, he could usually find something whether it be hydro, percs, or rarely morphine or OC. Even had a script for hydro, then tramadol for a while which he loved, but were each cut off after a few months.

Swim went home for Christmas about a week early this year, and found out his grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Swim decided to stay there with his family and spend time with his grandmother until she passed. He immediately bought 20 norcos. Swim has often binged for a few days or a week, then stopped for a while, never with a problem. His friends always gave him a hard time jokingly, but he knew there was not a problem. He could go months at a time without any use, just like he did before Christmas. Swim found his tolerance didn't even lower, even without a couple months use. He ate them in 3 days.

Swim instantly wanted more to combat the depression of his grandmother's terminal cancer, and the struggling relationship with his girlfriend who moved back home where swims family had lived. Swims friend showed him a source where he could buy tramadol in mass quantities. Tramadol was a god-send for swim at this time. His problems seemed like they didn't matter. Swim woke up and ate pills before he ate breakfast. Everything was fine for the most part.

Fast forward to Febuary 18th. Swims Grandmother passed away. Swim packed his bags, and moved back home the next day and also broke up with his g/f who he knew was not the one for him (5 days ago). Swim used anywhere from 300mg-600mg tramadol every single day but one for 2 months. He felt like total crap but luckily had xanax and pot brownies to hold him over. Swim left town with 4 tramadol and 4 5/500mg vikes.

Swim ate his trams on the drive home. Swim woke up Friday, feeling depressed, and immediately ate his last 4 vikes. Swims room mate told him about a party that afternoon which they attended and had a great time, and returned home around 6pm. Swim did not feel right. He felt super depressed. It only got worse. He later that night, became shivering cold, and sweaty at the same time. His arms and legs would twitch, and he felt anxious and depressed. He could not get comfortable. His was hot under the blankets, and cold when he took them off. He tossed and turned all night. Even though he took the vikes, he assumes they did not help with the tramadol withdrawals at all? He slept a few hours that night maybe...

Day 2 was a little better than the first. Terrible still though. Very irritable and sad. Still slight temperature spikes. Swims room-mates threw a party that night, which swim did have a decent time at because he was so drunk, but something just wasn't right. He managed to pass out around 5am, and sleep until about 9am.

Day 3 - Swims room mates left town, and swim hadn't had the chance to get his internet up and running. SWIM literally had NOTHING to do. He was VERY despressed and anxious. The day seemed like a week. He had BAD diarhea. He would get the cramps like he had to go, and then a VERY small amount would come out. About 30 times that day, as well as the day before.

Day 4 - Swim joined a gym, he had read exercise helps WD a lot with endorphins, and he loved to work out anyways. He had a nice workout, but felt mentally bad again after the endorphin buzz wore off. Temperature spikes mostly gone. Anxiety and depression still there, but less than the previous days. Swim can tell things are going up hill slowly with every passing day. Swim had his first decent night sleep that night. Fell asleep around 2am, woke up at 5am and tossed and turned for a while, but managed to fall asleep until 11am! Awesome!

Day 5 (Today) - Woke up feeling pretty refreshed after a good night sleep finally. Ate a nice meal and had an AMAZING workout! Once again, when swims endorphin buzz wore off, he felt very depressed. He was bored and a little anxious, but his internet was turned on today, so he could FINALLY keep himself busy at least somewhat!

Swim apologizes for the long post, but he has no one to talk to. He is very embarrased of becoming an addict and does not want to be viewed as one. Swim is a good looking man in his early 20's with great friends. He is so over his ex-gf already, and although his grandmother's death makes him sometimes sad, the hard part is over, watching her die. Swim believes he should feel happy, but does not, even though that seems hard to understand maybe?

Swim just does not feel right without tramadol. Swim gave in today and called a few people asking if they knew any sources here, but none did. Swim felt like a zombie the first 3 days, getting past the physical withdrawals, just wanted to pass them. Day 4 and 5 he had SUPER bad cravings and sadness. Swim has a good life for the most part he knows but can't feel completely happy right now.

How long until Swim will feel happy again? Swim had no idea such a mild pill could cause so much pain to a person. Swim advises everyone to be careful to not under-go the pain swim has gone of WDing RIGHT after losing a family member and his g/f.

Will this ever end for Swim, or will he always crave tramadol wanting that same feeling of awesomeness? I am having a hell of a time sleeping.... how long until I can sleep without Advil PM or Nyquil? Anyone had a similar situation?

Chico_Livin added 3 Minutes and 39 Seconds later...

Swim would like the add, that his only effects after 5 days are not being able to sleep, super depression, and BAD anxiety. When he does sleep, he dreams of pills. Swim knows 4 tramadol right now would erase all 3 of these completely. Swim could buy more online, but knows he NEEDS to quit NOW, before things get worse. He made it this far!!!!!

All responses appreciated greatly!

Reputation Comments on this post:

	its good to see people coming here to vent/share their experiences with us.
	thanks for this informative thread
	Welcome. Good warning for others
	Tram sucks, good post.

[mortenmannen]

stories like that makes me wonder how tramadol is considered so "safe".
BLTC\TGDG has mixed information about it.

Tramadol has pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties that are highly unlikely to lead to dependence. This was confirmed by various controlled studies and postmarketing surveillance studies, which reported an extremely small number of patients developing tolerance or instances of tramadol abuse. Tramadol is a central acting analgesic which has been shown to be effective and well tolerated, and likely to be of value for treating several pain conditions (step II of the World Health Organization ladder) where treatment with strong opioids is not required.

and yet, as ive read and heard about so many times (yet never experienced myself after pretty extensive use).

We report on a patient who had taken the centrally acting analgesic tramadol for over 1 year. The compound had proven to be sufficient to treat her painful episodes related to fibromyalgia. Due to lack of supply while being on a trip, intake of the drug was stopped abruptly, resulting in the development of classical abstinence-like symptoms within 1 week. Abstinence-like symptoms consisted of restlessness and insomnia for which the benzodiazepine lorazepam was given. Diarrhoea and abdominal cramps were treated with the peripherally active opioid loperamide, while bouts of cephalgia were treated with sumatriptan. Diffuse musculoskeltal-related pain and restless leg syndrome (RLS) were treated with dextromethorphan. All these different medications proved to be efficacious as they resulted in the cessation of symptoms. Within 1 week symptoms ceased and the patient regained her normal activities without any sequelae. Although tramadol is considered a non-habit- and non-dependence-forming analgesic, abstinence symptoms are likely to develop following abrupt cessation of intake, especially when the compound had been taken over 1 year. Therefore patients should be advised of such an effect whenever they decide to stop intake or their physician is planning to switch to another medication. To avoid abstinence-like symptoms doses should be slowly tapered down

As its a pretty special opiate and its primary analgesic effect is achieved from the monoamineric effect of inhibiting serotonin and noreprinephrine reuptake, im not sure what the withdrawals is caused by.
The opiod mu receptor is, but only to a very low degree affected, so is it opiate wd's or antidep wd?

ive wondered about this for some while as it might be a good way for many to kick buprenorphine dependence.

My advice is,

Either go for it now, and hang in there. Someone says wds last a week, other says they last for allmost a month. i really cant tell you.
Read up on it, theres a experience database on erowid which contains dozens of "Dependence" reports.

OR

go to your doc, or some clinic and either tell them the truth, or say you have a bad backpain and you want a mild painkiller like tramadol, and they will probably have no prob giving you a prescription.

This way you can taper your dose in a sensible manner.
And if done right, you should have minimal wds.

Good luck whatever you choose, hope you make it!

[bpilgrim70]

Hey bro,

I took tramadol everyday for 4 months. Then doc cut me off cold with no explanation.
Long story short - I had the EXACT same WD as you are having. Mine was a little worse I think as the anxiety and mental "torture" don't know how to describe it were flat out insane. No sleep for 5 days!!!! Just tossed and turned. I found that in my case upping my antidepressant Zoloft helped a little- Its an SSRI. But didn't fix everything. 1mg Klonapin daily for 1 week helped a little too for anxiety. It took about 2 solid weeks before I felt even close to OK and 1 month before I was pretty much outta the woods. By 6 weeks you should be back to normal IF you STAY AWAY for ALL tramadol and NEVER go back. It does get better so hang in there.

[Rainbowzz]

Yeah, what PP said.. give it a good 6 weeks for your brain to rebalance. Thats whats reccomended with most SSRI's and SNRI's

Sorry swiy is having such a hard time.

[Naked Lunch]

I had a tramadol habit, I was taking about 400mg+ per dose, dosing 2-3 times a day...its a wonder I never had a seizure.

When i got cut off of the RX the withdrawals were pretty bad, nothing like H but still bad, I was all jittery,legs aching, insomnia, twitching like fuck all the time, severe mental cravings.
Tramadol is nasty nasty stuff, although its similar to some opioids it kinda had a amphetamine quality to the high and I found myself staying up to 4am on the stuff.
Needless to say, I'd only ever take tramadol in an emergency in the future.

Naked Lunch added 1 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

EDIT: I ended up getting off tramadol with CWE codeine, two doses a day, 400-800mg each.

[squiddlydiddly]

I hope you start to feel better soon. I am in a similar situation as you. I am enrolled in college right now, my girlfriend and I are in a shaky relationship, my grandfather's days are numbered (he pretty much lives at the hospital), and I am addicted narcotics, mostly hydrocodone (not tramadol I acknowledge, but similar). I had to get them from my hometown too because I had no hook-ups at school. However, I have been clean for thirty days but I still crave Vicodin as if it were day two. The reason why I replied is because I wanted to let you know that your not alone as we have almost identical stories. More importantly though, we both have our whole lives ahead of us and right now is just a lesson to grow from. Hang in there, I am trying so hard right now too.

[Ilsa]

good attitude: swiy has made it this far--don't turn back now!!

there are numerous threads on this forum about coping with wd's, here's a link to get swiy started:

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=281

[Cuberun]

swim has experienced that tramadol WD. Having his first and only wet dream ever in his life. In the dream swim was receiving a blowjob from the devil. Probably one of the strangest experiences in his life.

it helped make the tramadol avoidance permanent.

[ex-junkie]

tramadol is an interesting subject. swim has heard many doctors in the past state that it isnt addictive, when clearly for some people it is.

[AceOvArts]

Cuberun, that is one bizarre dream !!! SWIM works in advertising and generally sucks the devils dick on most days
As for Tramadol, SWIM has just started taking some for mid level pain maintenance, thanks to th OP for highlighting the dangers !

[Mesaja]

give it a good 6 weeks for your brain to rebalance.

When you experiencing tramadol w/d,six weeks is kinda like 6 ages.
So,its waay to much time to hold on,specialy with the cravings in the third week,which are getting enormus,and SWIM just have to have at least one pill.
But,SWIM hopes SWIY will hold on,never get back on the shit again.
Best of luck.
Peace and love.

[ponehacker]

First of all, hats off to swiyou there Mr. OP. Swim was in that same boat(sinking) right along with swiyou bro. Un-fuckin-believable how something so easily obtainable & unscheduled(federally) can produce such horrid hell of a w/d syndrome ain't it? And CUBERUN swiyou hit that proverbial nail on the head about the dreams.

Anyway I guess this thread is a little aged but swim'd love to hear an update from you there op...really hope all is well with swiyou(and all others swimming in tramadol infested waters).

[nois]

SWIM has alternated Tramadol and Percocet use for some time. It is good to hear SWIM isint the only one with these problems