Opiate Addiction- Commit and Quit. Withdrawal from Ultram Codeine Morphine Tramadol Hydrocodone Oxy

Thanks Mr. Stone. I was a neurological specialty rep for years. After I figured out I was a victim of rebound pain there is no way in hell I would allow a doc to prescribe any drug. I quit working for the pharmaceutical industry because I flat out refused to play the bs game. Opiates, antidepressants, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants can be very, very dangerous drugs with life altering consequences. What makes me most angry is that I had no idea that tramadol permeates every cell, changes your brain, cardiovascular system and ability to regulate. I was an idiot to be so trusting, thus, my post.

After 600 mgs. for around 12 years, I slowly titrated down to 25 mgs. a day (half of one 50 mg tablet). I was on 25 mgs. for around 3 months before I stopped. I stopped on September 11, 2011. The pain wasn't near as bad as the sweating. For four months I have alternated from hot to cold in four minute increments. It is just getting better now. Researchers have discovered that opiates can severely disrupt the hypothalamus and hormonal regulation. Tramadol has severe consequences that are just now being discovered.

Hormones, Brain and Behavior

Kratom is a godsend for these types of withdrawals. This one is specifically bad due to the whole lowered seizure threshold thing. That's all I will say though because I have a feeling this thread may not survive.

I am amazed by your will power. I couldn't do it....I tried. The kratom took the edge off enough to make it tolerable. I had some Clonidine available (probably the same thing you had), but I found that it made me feel worse. I will NEVER touch another pain drug unless I am incapacitated by pain. The pain the tramadol caused was worse than the original pain ever was. It is amazing how badly your body wants this stuff. Thrashing around like a fish out of water about nails the experience. I think tramadol is so evil because of the antidepressant properties. It is like coming off of Prozac and Heroin at the same time. Ugly.

Kratom will be the next amazing substance outlawed because it impacts Big Pharma profits. Medicinal plants were given to mankind so that we have relief and CONTROL over our bodies. Government can't stand anything that allows us to take care of ourselves or to feel good. I believe it is our right in the pursuit of happiness to have access to all plants in their native (unadulterated) state.

I've never taken tramadol (Ultram) but i am on the fentanyl transdermal system 1 patch every 3 days 72 hours apart..I've been one day late on changing my patch and man its hell withdrawal sets right in i don't think id ever trying going off this drug i think it would kill me ive been on it for 7 years for extreme pain ..
Im also on vicoden but i don't take much of that id like to get off the fentanyl but its not going to happen i don't think i could put my body through that kind of withdrawal..Fentanyl is a very powerful drug...But i have to say your thread is a very good one for people that want to kick the habit Peace,sugarcookie1 S&F

Thanks for the reply sugarcookie. The issue with Fentanyl is that you are at the mercy of your prescribing physician. One reason I was motivated to get off of the tramadol was the fear of being in a situation where I didn't have access to the drug. Martial law for instance....I had some saved up, but I lived in fear of not having access to my medication. I once drove six hours from home on a trip.....remembered I had left the tramadol and turned around and headed back home. By the time I got home I was a sweating...my legs were bouncing around (restless legs is a common side effect when the tramadol wears off), and only one thing mattered to me- getting back to that drug. I think of how many days I planned around access to this drug, the things I didn't do because I was miserable while waiting for my next dose. The drug even affected my job. It made me tired all of the time. It took away my drive and motivation (except to get more), dulled my sex drive and became the center of my life.

My advice to you would be to look for alternatives. I would rather be addicted to kratom than to fentanyl. At least I could grow it at home legally. At least it wouldn't be a synthetic drug altering the vital functioning of my body. I understand pain......it is a life changer, but I also now completely comprehend the destruction of your body from a pain drug. Forcing myself to exercise has been a game changer. So has eating healthy, and going out of my way to do things to make my body make endorphins. I am taking a pottery class. I suck bad, but at the same time I am engaged, I am laughing and I am experiencing life again. Fentanyl will become your lover, your god and your focus if your not very careful.

In conducting research I also learned about how kratom and other naturally occurring plants are very effective in managing pain, but once you alter their natural properties they become addictive. I had no problems with kratom, but I really did like the way it took off the edge and bound to those receptor sites.

One more thing Sugarcookie- I thought I was in extreme pain also. I had planned on being on tramadol for the rest of my life and ten different doctors told me how fortunate I was that tramadol worked. Fentanyl will cause rebound pain also. It becomes impossible to differentiate between the pain from coming off of Fentanyl and the original pain syndrome. Are you really in pain, or is your pain from your body's inability to manufacture it's own opiates?

Studies and articles on tramadol addiction:

Substance Abuse-American Psychiatric text

There is another option I didn't purse, it is a chinese herbal complex called WeiniCom. WeiniCom is a Chinese herbal compound. WeiniCom was compared with buprenorphine, an established opioid detoxification treatment agent. The Withdrawal Symptom Rating Scale and the Craving Rating Scale were employed to assess acute withdrawal symptoms and craving for heroin. A study found that both WeiniCom and buprenorphine treatments are well-tolerated and very safe. Overall, the relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms and craving was better in the WeiniCom group than in the buprenorphine group. The rate of reduction in the severity of the withdrawal symptoms was faster in the WeiniCom group than in the buprenorphine group. By day nine to 10, the WeiniCom group showed very few withdrawal symptoms. In contrast, from day five on, the buprenorphine group continued to report relatively high scores for withdrawal symptoms and craving. WeiniCom demonstrated positive effects quickly, and required a shorter treatment period to achieve a desired degree of elimination of acute withdrawal symptoms and craving

Read more about WeiniCom and other chinese herbs noted for addiction and withdrawal here.

Another study on chinese herb U'finer, a compound that has been studied extensively and helps the brain through withdrawal and healing. Amazing study on the power of herbal compounds vs. western drugs.
U'Finer

I have been taking hydrocodone for 9 yrs. due to sever lower back pain. I had a spinal fusion that helped for awhile but that did not last. I have sever arthritis in my midback due to too much heavy lifting. I take 15-20 mg per day for pain and I dont want to do without, because of my pain level. My pain is not going to go away, period. I have detoxed and went without meds for up to 6 months at a time, the pain does not go away. I have a TENS unit, exercise, used traction for decompression, and various other scripts including gabuputin (sic) abilify, and antidepressants. So truthfully I may be an addict but at least I can participate in my kids lives and do a little gardening. I guess it is just a choice between the bad and the intolerable.

I am so sorry to hear that. There is legitimate, intractable pain and a place for the opiates. And then there are cases like mine, where the triggering pain has resolved, and been replaced by drug-induced pain. Gabapentin in a very weak drug that usually must be dosed around ten times the recommended dose to be effective in pain. Hydrocodone will give you the same rebound pain syndrome tramadol does. I'm not a doctor, but if I were you, I would try lowering my dose of hydrocodone and try augmenting with something natural and obtainable. If it doesn't work, you go right back on to your regular dose of hydrocodone. If it does work, you might be better off. Kratom has some similar chemicals comparable to chocolate, and might have superior antioxidant properties. I also posted information for Weinicom and U'finer. The reason they work in opiate addiction, is because they have pain treating properties themselves. Again, I lived in fear of not having access to my medication. It might be wise to have a backup plan in the rare event that you wouldn't have access to the hyrdrocodone.

I have the Weinicom recipe for enterprising souls:

Extracts of the following: Coptis chinensis rhizome, Schisandra chinensis, Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Terminalia chebula, Zingiber officinalis, Ziziphus jujube, Panax quinquefolius, Ganoderma Lucidum, Nauclea Spp, Cordyceps sinensis, Magnolia officinalis, Epimedium grandifora, Corydalis yanhusuo, Corydalis decumbentis, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Sida Cordifolia, Rhodiola crenulata.

Two more proven Chinese herbs that are effective in pain are Corydalis (yan hu suo) and pueraria root (ge gen). Corydalis is one of the strongest herbs available to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown it to work directly on the central nervous system, and has been compared to morphine and codeine. Pueraria root is remarkably effective in relieving headache pain. [Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Herbs 1983; 447. & Zhu XZ. Development of natural products as drugs acting on central nervous system. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 86 (2):173-5, 191, & Bensky D, et al. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica. Eastland Press 1993. & Yeung HC. Handbook of Chinese Herbs. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 198

I have a metal pole running up my back from a 13 hour surgery and i have Cystic fibrosis and my bones are a mess guess there isn't much density left in them then years back i was told i have to take shots because im diabetic (common in CF people) but now i have Diabetic Neuropathy in my legs and feet so the pain from all these problems gets so bad all i can do is sit and cry..I cant imagine not haveing these drugs to take the edge off this mess..And yes Fentanyl will become your lover, your god and your focus i agree but i don't want all the pain that would come to me without them and im talking the kind of pain that makes you want to go out back its life crushing ..peace,sugarcookie1

I am so glad you have access to Fentanyl and a doctor that is responsive to your pain. I wish there was something I could do to help you with your pain. I hope you find comfort.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I'm fairly new to this. As for my pain levels, I can't say Icahn give you a great answer because my pain went almost completely away because I finally stopped listening to my pain management doctor who said that there wasnt a surgery that could fix my problem without a high degree of paralysis. He used to brag he went to Harvard when i would ask about new science and other types of docs like neurosurgeons, whom I had been to many years before, way back 10 years ago they agreed with him, but I found a doc fresh out of school but with 3-4 years experience and he knew of a surgery to help me. After having 3 cervical disks replaced with cadaver bone and a hinged plate and 8screws I had to recover for 12 weeks, then I knew I had to get off the strong stuff. Once I had the Suboxone in me, there was no turning back and I have my life back.
Sorry for the long story, but I feel you have to find the right doctors who are willing to fix what is wrong or the strong meds are needed. The pain was pure HELL for me.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I read about your wife and I feel for her so much. But let her know that Suboxone does have a better mix of opiates and binds better to the neurotransmitters (I believe that's where they bind) my fear was that it wouldn't be as good of relief, because the pharmacology says it had less opiates. Well, let her know it's much better relief, and instead of 10 pills a day I only take 1 or 2. Also let her know it's not only given for detox but is given as a pain med now as well. She just has to trust someone that has been there and lived threw it. Tell her this next statement and I guarantee her ears will perk up! "How would you like to have Better pain relief? Not have the every month or so withdrawals because they wont prescribe you enough because your tolerance has risen? And not feel like the medicine has made you an addic?" I used to fear id have to go through the embarrassment of rehab to get off the stuff, but with this miracle drug I didn't have to admit to something I wasn't "powerless to get off the drug", I just had to find the right tool, and this was it. I still have my career in a Fortune 500 company of 25 years and I can enjoy my wife and little girl again ( although my libido is still in the next to nothing range :-( ) at least I can be the normal fun loving person I once was. And now I hope I can help others out of the hole I was in. May God bless you for trying to find answers for her. Unfortunately too many people in her shows have family members looking down their noses at them as if they chose their problem. Love her as much as you can and I pray God gives both of you the strength to run, not walk, to find a doc that will prescribe Suboxone for her. Would love to hear back from you when she feels as good as I do.
Take care
Patrick

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by PMNOrlando

 

What happened to your pain levels and daily discomfort when you were fully detox'ed off the Rx load? I keep wondering how much of her pain is a result of her body adding reasons to insure the pain killers never stop or slow down.

When you come off opiates your nerves are essentially being reawakened. Unfortunately, this can be an excruciating type of pain when everything has to start working normal again.

The Kratom will not make discontinuation of opiates completely benign, but it helps to the nth degree.

Damn plant is nearly a cure all for many ailments.

reply to post by lostviking


I love how you steal the Drugs.com "Thomas Recipe" almost word-for-word and act like you came up with this stuff on your own without giving the actual author any credit or citations. Keep up the good work!

i am going through dt's right now.
i was taking 40 milligrams of oxycontin, 120 milligrams of roxicodone, and lyrica twice a day. i have crps. i have been on workers comp but just settled my claim so all my prescription coverage stopped.

the dt's are bad. i am frreezing but sweating at the same time. i have not eaten in 3 days. i cant sleep. i cant stop moving my legs and i feel disgusting.....my beard feels nasty and my skin is burning....my nose is running.....its terrible.
anyway, i bought some kratom this morning at 11 and i feel fine....not great but all those symptoms are gone...

i cant believe it.

someone told me about kratom about a month ago and i thought it was just bs.....imo whenever i see 'dietary supplement" i think its crap...
i couldnt feel like this anymore so i had my wife go around the corner and grab the kratom.
i honestly can not believe how fast it made me feel better.

i can tell you with confidence that kratom will be in this house from now on....no doubt