Has Anybody Else Ever Become Addicted to the Drug, Ultram(tramadol), How Did You Kick It?
Question by John H: Has anybody else ever become addicted to the drug, ultram(tramadol), how did you kick it?
This stuff is billed as a non-narcotic, but i can tell you, it is VERY addictive. I simply cannot function without it. I take about 15 50mg pills a day. I am certain i am going to have to go to detox. It is also becoming VERY expensive. Nobody seems to deal with this drug in the addiction circle. What is the answer? Weaning? Methadone? N/A? I must stress, this is more than i psycholigical addiction. When i do not take this medication, i feel like death. My muscles tense, i cant breathe, i get a migraine headache, and i become suicidal depression wise. I simply cannot function without it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best answer:
Answer by bunnyblue
i am addicted to ant percribed drugs iv been clean for 5 days now very very hard i got rid off all tablets went dr to help
Answer by Czar Walters, Child Saver!
You are going to need to go to detox. I am a pharmacist, here in the US, and I’ve seen, firsthand, that Tramadol causes opiod dependency in some populations. Tramadol is not a true opioid, but it can cause mild opioid withdrawal, because it affects a specific opioid receptor in the brain.
Not only do you need to overcome this addiction, the doses you are taking put you at a very high risk for seizures. Tramadol lowers the seizure threshold, and at the same time, acts on a specific opiod receptor and causes a release of serotonin. There are several ways you can be detoxed. One is with medical supervision, and minimal sedative medication to prevent blood pressure problems and seizures.
Some clinics will give you liquid hydrocodone or Suboxone to do what is called a “rapid taper” off the meds. It can take anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Another option, is to withdraw under general anesthesia, but this is dangerous, expensive, and probably not called for in your case.
As for methadone maintenance therapy, you probably don’t qualify. For one, methadone is very addictive, in and of itself. The withdrawal from it is worse than that of heroin, and lasts a month or two. Then, to get methadone, you have to go to a clinic every day, early in the morning, and wait around to get your dose. Not a good route to take, and it can cause even worse problems.
Do a detox first, and don’t worry about whether you have insurance or not. The ER can direct you to state-run detox programs. I think you’ll be surprised at how well you will be treated when you seek help. Medical professionals know that prescription drug addiction is rampant, and it even affects many medical professionals. What I’m saying, is you have nothing to be ashamed of, and you are to be commended for realizing you have a problem and taking action to treat it. At detox, they will point you to outpatient treatment to help prevent a relapse. It will take some work to conquer this, but it can be done, people do it all the time.
If you relapse after treatment, you may be eligible to be prescribed Suboxone treatment. Your doctor can write you a script for a month at a time, and you can get it at the pharmacy. Much less of a hassle than methadone, and the withdrawals are not as bad as methadone.
Don’t get me wrong, that is the last course of action, because Suboxone (buprenorphine) is very expensive and can have pretty horrible withdrawals if you are not tapered off of it correctly.
Good for you for seeking help! Don’t be ashamed, addiction doesn’t care who it traps…all you have to do is get help and get free of the opioid addiction. Good luck.