Seriously addicted to tramadol?

[HerMajesty]

LOL what buzz from tramadol? I certainly never got one! A hangover yes, a buzz no!

[calluna]

Well, when I first started taking it - the 'normal' stuff, not the slow release - I felt as if I'd had two stiff drinks, and then I fell asleep. Not sure if that counts as a buzz or not! The slow release has never had a strong impact for me, it just took the pain level down. Neither the 'ordinary' nor the slow release ever made it go away completely though.

ezer, I too have had periods when the pain has been less, and I've taken the dose down - and conversely when it has been right up, and I've taken the tramadol right up too. I do have my doubts about all this - my daughter is soon to qualify as a doctor, and she tells me it is a controversial area, and there doesn't seem to be much evidence for the 'false pain' theory at all. The doctor that said this to me was one of the team at my local GP surgery - not my own GP - it is very difficult to see the same doctor twice running, at the GP's, and I may never see that particular doctor again. My own GP, whom I have seen since then, expressed some scepticism about the 'false pain' but agreed that it was probably a good idea to take a break from tramadol at some point quite soon, and he said that it was good that it was my own decision to take a break.

But anyway I am off it now, I have had no problems whatsoever in stopping it, and I actually think I could have stopped it faster than I did. (I gather from info on the Pain Clinic's website that this is one reason why they prefer to prescribe slow release meds for people with long term pain - they are much easier to stop taking. I find that interesting, logic seems to suggest that the converse would be true - but apparently this isn't the case. )

I feel no 'need' to take tramadol now - other than the fact I know it would help the pain. I've had no unusual symptoms, just a step up in the pain with each step down in the tramadol. However the gabapentin and nortriptyline do seem to be starting to help, finally. So that's good.

I am at the pain clinic on Tuesday next week, so I shall talk to them about it then. I'm also going to speak to them about a referral to see Dr Greenslade, to see what he thinks. Always easier face to face.

[Cora]

I just got done reading this whole thread with great interest, as I continue to every now and then think about weaning off my MS contin to see where my pain is at. I haven't been on the site for a little while cuz I have been having chronic insomnia, going thru more menopausal symptoms and saw a neurologist recently to get some of the tests I never got. ( like a full sacral MRI) I was having a lot of achiness, stiffness, pain in the morning, washed out flu-like symptoms and it's so hard to differentiate and she thinks I have fibro. But... I am starting to wonder if I am having some issues with tolerance with the morphine. I know the symptoms of my hot flashes so that is not an issue, except that all this stuff ends up triggering pain, and PN pain too. I've been on MS contin 15 mg twice a day for about 2 1/2 years now and I would take 1 to 2 vicodin during the day if it was one of those days that I have had to drive a lot etc. But lately, I have been home a lot and this thread has me thinking that I have built up tolerance. So... any suggestions appreciated. The hard thing to sort out is this- if I feel the increased pain, flu- like stuff, joint aches, muscle aches,and I take a vicodin, I feel better, so is it my tolerance that is being treated or is it true fibro? We honestly don't have any good pain specialists around our area, so my husband is going to run this by one we got the name of out of state.. but my hunch is that I may need to up my dose of MS Contin. So then I have to ask myself... do I do the full withdrawal to see what my baseline is ?? knowing that likely I will need it again due to pelvic pain? I just go in circles. My pain is very well controlled thus far. Any insights appreciated. Also on Cymbalta 60mg

Cora

[Cora]

a post script here: Well, I think my husband is right. I woke up this morning with all the achey fibro kind of symptoms and we had bumped up my opiates to control for that variable. So, it seems likely it's an all 3 situation, pfd/pn pain, sometimes med withdrawal symptoms, and fibro pain. I'm starting to be able to discern the difference, but it's tricky. Thanks for listening,
Cora

[calluna]

It is an interesting balance, I think. I was not experiencing any tolerance effects with the tramadol, so my situation is a bit different. I didn't experience any med withdrawal symptoms at all, either, no problems at all. I gather that this is because I was taking a slow release form of tramadol as (I am told) this is much easier to stop taking than the ordinary stuff.

What I have discovered is that my pain is basically exactly where it was at the beginning - however I am aware that I am managing it much better now, in my head, thanks to CBT there.

If you are wanting to add in another element to help with your pain management, I'd really recommend trying CBT - it has made a difference for me.

[HerMajesty]

I am down to 1/4 tab of the 50mg tramadol (non slow release)...it certainly IS hard to get off for me at least! I mean, I could just quit and tough it out but I gave myself from Dec5 to Dec 28 to wean off, so if I can do it that way with minimal discomfort I will. I am taking 1/4 tab when I start to get chills and flulike symptoms which happened to me yesterday at the 24 hour mark. It feels ridiculous that the dose is so tiny but I still get sick if I skip it! I am hoping today I can go 36 hours or even not have any more withdrawl and finally put the stuff up on the shelf.
Fact is, I feel MUCH better without it. It was a very insidious drug for me in that while it only helped minimally, I decided to start to take it regularly anyhow because at first I felt no side effects at all. Then after taking it for a few months, I started having a lot of trouble getting up in the morning, like no matter how much sleep I got I wanted to die when the alarm went off. I didn't even know it was the tramadol causing this but now that I am mostly off I am a morning person again. And the little tastes of withdrawl I have had when I tried to wean too fast really sucked! So that's my tramadol story which is pretty much over, as I have already committed not to touch the stuff past Dec 27.
Cora, I think with narcotics tolerance is inevitable with regular use, isn't it? It's just the nature of the substance.

[Cora]

Ya, I struggle as I have been so so very fortunate to just need a very small amount and it makes the world of a difference for me. But after a couple and half years now, I will need to bump it up. I think there are just those realities and I was hopeful that since I didn't develop tolerance for so long that maybe I would ride this out even longer. I did do a cold-turkey stop last year ( some will remember my rants) cuz I had a colonscopy and was already past most of it.. but nine days into it, it was obvious I still was having my share of pain. Someone mentioned CBT, I do that and daily tai chi and meditation and an hour walk..so I think I have to let myself off the hook once again. I mean... as we all know...we wouldn't be saying I gotta get off the insulin if we were Type I diabetics. Even after all this time, and how I advocate for others to do so.. I still judge myself regarding using narcotics long-term. And that in and of itself is a struggle that needs to stop.

Cora

[helenlegs 11]

I know we are talking about tramadol here, but I would just like to echo pianogirls earlier post about NOT stopping gabapentin 'cold turkey'.
My tramadol side effects seem only to be consipation, not what is needed when the pain is pelvic related! and because of that I try not to take too much of the stuff. It does work a treat for my piriformis (muscle) and sacroiliac pain but doesn't seem to touch the nerve pain so much. I don't seem to have any ill effects if I stop taking it for a day or so . . . . well just pain.
Alongside tramadol I have also taken gabapentin (plus an anti depressant) for nerve pain and stopping taking this was a whole different story. I really didn't think it had any nasty side effects for me, apart from a proper 'dumbing down', which I expected BUT it has taken AGES to ween myself off them and it wasn't nice.
Everyone is different, obviously. I'm glad Gabapentin is working for you Calluna but sometimes you are not aware of any side effects until withdrawl so be careful if you decide to come off these ones in the future.
Helen

[calluna]

Actually the gabapentin is not working for me, I have been at 1800mg now for a couple of weeks, and so many side effects too including weight gain and the famours brain fog. I think I have given it a good enough try and my GP agrees, so I am coming off it over the next ten days which should be interesting. After that I am coming off the nortriptyline as well, palpitations and racing heart are waking me several times every night, so this one is going too.

I shall carry on with TENS etc until I see Dr Greenslade at the beginning of April, will be interesting in a way to find out what the baseline level of pain is now....

[helenlegs 11]

Well at last you have given it a go, but have examined the effects carefully too. I was taking 2400 mg per day and for the very slight positive effect it had the withdrawl 'end' effects not really side effects are simply not that worthwhile. UNTIL I got a repeat stabbing nerve pain for over 2 hours the other night . . . resisted the temptation to go back onto them. I know Peaches has had sucess with lyrica for her pudendal pain and is prescribed it by Dr G while others have had a good result with cymbalta. Never tried either . . . . .
Hell it's complicated !
Helen