Tramadol Withdrawal Agony!!!!?
Question by paperdoll: Tramadol withdrawal agony!!!!?
I am going throughb terrible tramadol withdrawal. I have been to the ER TWICE in the last week for help, which was given in injection of ativan both times. They sent me home with script of kolonopin. Helps some, but am having what Icall ” brain zaps’. they come and go. Hardly sleep, sweat all the time, can’t keep mu body temp regulated, no appetite, mood swings, just awful I have been on this poison about 9 months. Can someone tell me how much longer this will continue?
Best answer:
Answer by Mathieu
Do you have a doctor (not the ER) you can go see? If you can you should try to find a psychiatrist (neurologist is the second choice).
How much tramadol were you taking? Are you taking any now? How quickly did you reduced the amount you take? Did you stop cold turkey?
How long have you been experiencing the withdrawal? Aside from giving you Klonopin and Ativan what did the ER doctors recommend?
The problem with tramadol is that it is technically an opioid but it is extremely weak compared to other drugs AND is has the same properties as many antidepressants. As a result you are likely having a withdrawal syndrome with both opioid and antidepressant symptoms- actually the “brain zaps” are classic antidepressant “withdrawal” symptoms. Also keep in mind the withdrawal (a result of physical dependence) is NOT addiction.
Symptoms of if withdrawal include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, abdominal distress, lethargy, flu-like symptoms, excessive sweating, insomnia, abnormal dreams including nightmares and decreased need for sleep, irritability, anxiety symptoms, dysphoria, agitation, dizziness, vertigo, light-headedness, dizziness, ataxia, paraesthesia, numbness, blurred vision/diplopia, ‘electric shock’, and visual lag.
Like I said you should see a non-ER doctor and talk about this. If you stopped cold turkey it may help for you to start taking a small dose of tramadol again and then SLOWLY discontinue.
It may be worth you taking a small dose of Prozac (fluoxetine), probably 10 mg (the lowest), in TABLET form (not capsules) to reduce/eliminate the withdrawal from the antidepressant effects. And then you could cut the tablet and slowly stop it. The nice thing about Prozac is that it has a massive half-life so it allows a more smooth withdrawal.
Was the Ativan more effective than the Klonopin? If the Ativan was better then it is probably worth taking that instead of Klonopin. Also you may need a larger dose of Klonopin and some hypnotics for a week or two.
If you have completely stopped the tramadol then most, if not all of the opioid withdrawal effects are gone.
Here are a few ideas you might mention to a doctor to see what he thinks.
1) Restart tramadol and then SLOWLY discontinue it. It would be best if you use a controlled release form of tramadol like Ultram ER or Zytram XL for a more smooth withdrawal.
2) Use 10-20 mg of Prozac in tablet form. If that reduces or eliminates your withdrawal symptoms then slowly discontinue it.
3) Use medication for symptomatic relief to reduce/eliminate the number and severity of your symptoms. Options include:
Valium (diazepam) or Librium (chlordiazepoxide)- these are benzodiazepines, the same class of drugs Klonopin and Ativan are in. If Ativan and Klonopin have not helped then Valium or Librium may be a good option. Although, as I said, you may need a larger dose of Klonopin or Ativan.
Restoril (temazepam), Ambien (zolpidem), or Ambien CR (zolpidem controlled-release)- if you have a hard time falling asleep all of these drugs will help (especially Ambien), if you have a hard time staying asleep (or both) then only Restoril or Ambien CR will help.
Clonidine- this if often used for opioid withdrawal and it should help with many of your symptoms.
I’m sorry I can’t give you an idea of how long the withdrawal will last. Has it gotten better at all? But I don’t have enough information and never the less you need a doctor who will really help you and monitor you. The ER is great for an acute problem but beyond that the ER is not very helpful at all.
However I can tell you that typically withdrawal does not last a long time and with the right medication you should not have many symptoms.
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Related Opioids Withdrawal Information…
The brain zaps can last for weeks on end. The ER should have taken you to a local Behavioral Health facility, otherwise known as Detox. A detox center can usually ease you off any medication a lot more comfortably than at home. They can also keep you medicated properly threw the transition. Tramadol should never be stopped cold turkey, and with that said, the previous answer was right. The actual doctor that prescribed said medication should give you a small amount to taper off with……..