Hi celticfairy you might be able to get some help with this if you go onto the pain managment board, there are some people on there who have expirience of this. I myself am on tramadol but as yet have no expirience of coming off the drug, what you say sounds very similar to what others have suffered. I have heard very similar things about subutex/suboxone, also 13 years is a very long time and this drug seems to cause many, many unpleasent side effects, i have a friend who calls these symptoms post withdrawal syndrome which may be what you are are suffering. If its any consolation everyday clean is a day further away from it, recovery from narcotics is a long slow process unfortunately but your doing excellent give yourself a big pat on the back and keep posting theres plenty of support on the addiction and PM boards.

I was on Tramadol for about a year and withdrawing from this was living hell. I have been off this med since August of last year but I started taking increased doses of Lortab in September. I have been clean from both since January and though its been a long hard road I wouldn't change anything. I really don't suffer from the body jerks anymore my biggest problem has been the cravings and sleeping. Don't gt me wrong they have got better but they still show up every now & then. Tramadol is very addicting and people should be warned. I onlly took four to five 50 mg doses a day and I even tapered down and it was still hell coming off. What I have learned is your body & your brain need time to heal and I think that is what is happening. It will stop but depending on the amount of time you were taking them will determine your recovery. Each day gets better you will make it through just give it time.

Winnie

I don't have any direct experience with Tramadol, but from what I've read it's supposed to act similarly to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) in addition to its opiate agonist properties, e.g. it effects serotonin levels in the brain. The SSRI class (think Zoloft, Paxil) has long term withdrawal side effects - (which I have experienced) - which include a sort of "brain shock", very disconcerting. I would not be surprised if Tramadol is having a similar effect after really long term use. Just a guess. It's probably worth talking to your doctor about.

Best of luck,

Raz

Wow, coming off Tramadol was hell! I went through a week long detox period which doesn't sound long but it was miserable. I only was on it for 2 months after surgery and my doctor forgot to tell me to get off it gradually, so I went cold turkey. Awful, and I never want to go through it again. Feeling anxiety, unable to sleep, unable to sit still but too exhausted to move around, just horrible! I was hospitalized later and was on Dilaudid and Demerol along with a morphine epidural (ended up allergic to the morphine) and when I was being released I was warned that there was damage to my central nervous system which resulted in jumping out of my skin every few minutes while trying to sleep. I got off all painkillers as quickly as possible & now only take Advil or Tylenol #3 if absolutely necessary.

I just joined today trying to find out if anyone else is addicted to Tramadol. I got addicted to Vicodin last year and started taking Tram to ween of the Vic. I take about 6 50mg a day and have a doctor who is willing to put me on a Suboxone program to help me W/D. However, at least one person on the board says that is a TERRIBLE idea because Sub for a 6 Tram a day habit it like using a skillet to swat a gnat!! I have tried tapering of the Tram and it gets ugly. I am a mom, wife, working and actually attend AA regularly. I have not had a drink or any other kind of drug (except the Vic & Tram) in years. This is a real mess I have gotten myself into. Anyone else have ideas about Suboxone or a better way to detox off Tramadol??

Thanks for your thoughts and the best of luck to anyone reading this post!!

I used to take approx. 9 tramadols a day. I decided to go cold turkey and it was just as bad as when I later went cold turkey for percocets. Tramadol is a narcotic. While withdrawing from Tramadol, I experienced a tremendous amount of depression. I saw a doctor on day 2 and he wanted to put me on Sub. I didn't want to do it because I was scared about what I read. I then went back on day 5 and I was just as bad. I then decided to try Sub and within a half hour of my first dose, I was a completely different person. Sub was a life saver for me. Tramadol has some sort of anti-depressant quality to it. Because Tramadol isn't classified as a narcotic, a lot of people underestimate it's addictive qualities. If you really want to try Sub then I say go for it. But I do agree to try to quit as quickly as possible. And make sure that you trust the doctor that is prescribing it for you and follow his/her directions to the tee.

I hope I helped and please let me know if I can answer anymore questions.