Tramadol Withdrawal

Whether you have been prescribed tramadol as a painkiller, or you’re obtaining it through other means, you may find yourself addicted.

Tramadol Withdrawal

Tramadol is commonly prescribed by doctors which means you may have thought it was safe and have been unaware of how addictive it can be. Although tramadol is not as strong as drugs such as heroin, it is also an opioid, which means it numbs pain and makes you feel happy, even euphoric.

You may have been prescribed tramadol to help you come off heroin, and having beaten one addiction have found yourself with another.

The severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on how long you’ve been taking tramadol, in what quantities, and whether you’ve taken it as a tablet, as per most prescriptions, snorted it, crushed up, smoked it or taken it as a liquid.

Symptoms of withdrawal can start hours after you’ve stopped taking tramadol and can make you feel as though you have flu. You can be free from addiction in 10 to 14 days, although heavy users may experience longer-term side effects.

The safest way to come off tramadol is gradually and with medical supervision.

How will I feel when I stop taking Tramadol?

Withdrawing From Tramadol

If tramadol has been used for prolonged periods of time (i.e., over three months), or if a person is suffering from tramadol addiction, withdrawal effects can occur when use is reduced or stopped.^1,13 

Suddenly stopping use of tramadol, without medical supervision, can produce significant withdrawal symptoms. To help mitigate these effects, it is recommended that the dose of tramadol is gradually reduced as part of a slow tapering regimen. This process can take weeks or months, depending on the starting tramadol dose.^1,3

Everyone’s experience of withdrawal can vary according to several factors, including a person’s age, physical and mental health, genetics, and their use of other substances and substance misuse history. 

Typically, withdrawing from tramadol can produce effects one to two days after the last dose that last for around one to two weeks.¹³ 

Tramadol Withdrawal Effects

Withdrawal Complications 

Some people may be at risk of withdrawal complications, including those who¹³: 

• Are over the age of 65 
• Are dependent on benzodiazepines
• Have a history of seizures or traumatic brain injury 
• Have developed dependence to multiple substances 
• Have a higher sensitivity to tramadol withdrawal  

If someone relapses during tramadol withdrawal, they could be at risk of a condition called serotonin syndrome. Use of tramadol alone or with other drugs, like some antidepressants, affects the body’s serotonin levels. Serotonin syndrome is characterised by an excess of serotonin which can cause significant effects such as altered mental status, changes in nerve and muscle function and hyperactivity of the central nervous system. This condition can be life-threatening if left untreated.^13,14

What Does it Feel Like to Suddenly Stop Taking Tramadol?

If you’ve been using tramadol for a long time or combining it with another drug or alcohol, reducing the dose of tramadol rather than going ‘cold turkey’ is the best way to kick your addiction. 

In rare cases, stopping immediately can result in seizures and also feelings of psychosis which might make you hallucinate and hear voices. They might encourage you to hurt yourself, or others, which is why it is best you stop taking tramadol under medical supervision.

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How to Get Help With Tramadol Withdrawal

You may struggle to come to terms with an addiction to tramadol, especially if you have no history of drug or alcohol misuse and you took it as prescribed and in good faith. Fortunately, there are many different types of treatment and support to help you kick the addiction. 

Firstly, speak to your GP and ask for their advice. They will be able to signpost you to helpful organisations, especially if you have been taking tramadol with alcohol or other drugs. Often addiction is a sign of other problems, such as mental health issues, and tackling the root cause of your reliance on drugs is as important as dealing with the addiction itself.

Tramadol addiction may be having a detrimental effect on your work or relationships so it is important you seek help as soon as you realise you have a problem. 

The support you receive needs to be ongoing, after detox is complete, to stop you from relapsing. 

Support Groups For Tramadol Addiction

Support groups where you meet other people with an addiction to tramadol are a great way of making you realise you are not alone. You may feel embarrassed to find yourself addicted to tramadol as it is a prescribed drug and you started taking it under a doctor’s orders.

There are also support groups for family and friends, who may also need support when it comes to overcoming your addiction. 

It can be useful for you to seek out and join a support group before you start your detox as talking to others in the same situation can help you manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent you from relapsing.

Counselling and Therapy For Tramadol Addiction

Just as drugs and addiction don’t affect everyone in exactly the same way, not everyone responds to the same treatment plan. Therapies for tramadol addiction come in many shapes and sizes and include talking therapies, family therapies, solution therapies, and even equine therapies, in which people take part in activities with horses. 

In most cases, therapy for tramadol addiction involves treating the reasons why you became addicted in the first place. 

Counselling and therapy for tramadol addiction can start before you embark on the detox process and continue long after it has been completed so you are less likely to relapse.

Outpatient Rehab For Tramadol Addiction

Attending rehab as an outpatient will suit you if you have work or caring responsibilities and feel you need to remain in the family home or can’t take time off work. However, if you are attending rehab as an outpatient you will need to be disciplined to ensure you attend when required and follow the treatment plan at home as directed. 

Although you will have access to doctors, psychiatrists, therapists and medical experts, who will monitor your symptoms and treatment, you will need considerable willpower to continue the treatment plan at home and avoid relapsing.

Inpatient Treatment For Tramadol Addiction

Moving into a rehab centre as a resident, where you live in comfort, with medical and emotional support on hand 24/7 can result in you experiencing few or no cravings. 

Without the distractions of work, family life or fellow drug users, you can concentrate solely on your recovery. Not only will you follow a bespoke treatment plan but psychiatrists and therapists are on hand to discover why you became addicted in the first place and give you strategies to cope with any future triggers.

Castle Craig provides treatment for substance misuse including tramadol addiction. Our programme consists of a medically supervised detox followed by evidence-based therapies designed to address the underlying causes of addiction.

Because addiction recovery is a lifelong process, your relationship with Castle Craig doesn’t end when you complete residential treatment. Before you leave, you’ll receive a customised, 24-week continuing care plan so you can successfully continue into a meaningful and inspired life in sobriety.

Frequently Asked Questions About Detoxing from Tramadol 

References

1. No authors listed, (2003), Withdrawal Symptoms and Dependence: Tramadol Too, Prescrire Int: 12 (65): 99-100
2. Pollice, R, Casacchia, M, Bianchini, V, et al, (2008), Severe Tramadol Addiction in a 61-Year-Old Woman Without a History of Substance Misuse, International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology: 21(2): 475-6
3. Tjaderborn, M, Jonsson, A K, Ahlner, J, et al, (2009), Tramadol Dependence:  A Survey of Spontaneously Reported Cases in Sweden, Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety: 18(12): 1192-1198
4. Radcliff, J A, Vellanki, S C,  Moore P S, et al, (2019), Retrospective Chart Review of Outcomes Resulting from a Three-Day Tramadol Taper for Acute Opioid Withdrawal, Journal of Addictive Diseases: 37:3-4, 252-258
5. Sidana, A, Domun, I, Arora, P, (2019), Tramadol Withdrawal Psychosis, Indian Journal of Psychiatry: 61(6): 655-656
6. Talih, F, Ghossoub, E, (2015), Moxonodine for Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms During Detoxification, BMJ Case Reports: bcr2015210444
7. Park, Y-M, Park, H K, Kim, L, et al, (2014), Acute-Withdrawal Restless Legs Syndrome Following Abrupt Cessation of Short-Term Tramadol, Psychiatry Investigation: 11 (2): 204-26
8. Tatarsky, A, Washton, A, (1992), Intensive Outpatient Treatment: A Psychological Perspective in Wallace B C (ed), (2011), The Chemically Dependent: Phases of Treatment and Recovery,  Routledge: Chapter 3

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