tramadol addiction

lisaboston · 09-17-2007, 03:57 PM

hi everybody,

i am addicted to tramadol (25-30 per day) i feel as if i will never be strong enough to stop! I've already had one seizure and am scared to death,but still i keep going and going! My boyfriend is aware of the situation and is very frustrated with me.Tramadol is so easy to obtain online I sometimes think that this is going to be my life and Iwill never break this addiction.i need help and advise or encouragement. thanks! lisa

72575 · 09-17-2007, 04:54 PM

Well, how's this for encouragement: There is enough Acetaminophen in the quantity that you are taking to give a normal person who doesn't use it regularly an acute overdose. The maximum daily intake that your liver can handle is around 4g.
Tramadol has, what, 500mg of Acetaminophen in each pill? So 2 pills = 1g. 10 pills= 5g. 20 pills = 10g. And so on and so forth.

You are literally killing yourself by taking in so much Acetaminophen (Tylenol) every day. You liver is what it hits and since the liver can't handle the overload, it passes the duty on to the kidneys, which were not intended to do the work of the liver, and thus it destroys both organs.
I have no doubt that your liver and kidneys are damaged if you have been doing this for any length of time.

Tramadol is non-narcotic, but your body can and will become dependent on it just like it does with narcotics, only to a lesser degree. You can quit cold turkey and have 3 days of withdrawals, or taper down to a few doses a day.

I was taking 20 a day, 5 at a time, when I was on them and quit cold turkey. It was a rough couple of days, mainly just the mood swings and not so much the craving like a narcotic withdrawal.

MerelyMe · 09-17-2007, 10:45 PM

ULTRACET has acetaminophen in it, ULTRAM does not, I was on Ultracet, but was taken off and put on the Tramadol, because my Dr was concerned with the acetaminophen in the ultracet.

I myself have no problems with the Tramadol, I do however have an addiction to Norco and now take Tramadol through my Pain Management Dr.

I have heard the withdrawals are worse than the opiate withdrawals, but if you do a search there are many on this board that have made it, the people here are awesome, they have wonderful advice and the support system you will find here, is second to none.

You've already succeeded with the first step, admitting your problem, take it slow, take it easy , you didn't go from one pill to thirty in a day and you wont be able to stop in a day, but the outcome is so worth the fight...

we are all here if you need us...welcome..

Still just
Me

72575 · 09-17-2007, 11:41 PM

Some of them have the tylenol in them, the Tramadol. Just check your bottle and it will tell you.

nolachica · 09-18-2007, 12:26 AM

Lisa -
If you look over my posts for the past few weeks, you'll see I am
facing the exact same thing!! I said I was at 20 - maybe 25 -
who knows, I could have taken up to 30 in a day.

I have chosen to taper. I cut down to 11 - 12 almost right away.
How? I prayed - and prayed. But, I seem stuck at
10. I even strayed back up to 11 a time or two.

As my body adjusts, I feel so much less dizzy and spacey. It's really
kind of nice. I am always tempted to pop a few extras when I am
mad or stressed.

I think I'm going to cut down by half a pill at a time for the next step.
If I get to 8, at least it is the legally prescribed amount. I'd like
to go lower, but I do have some legitimate pain issues with my back.

I've done the cold turkey a few times - it is really awful - sweats,
shakes,restless legs, can't sleep. I can't take that anymore - so
I,m hoping tapering will work.

Maybe we can encourage each other!! Are you going to CT, or taper?
Are you going to get medical help? I have no, so far. Keep me in the loop.
Take care, Nola