Tramadol withdrawal symptoms are all in the mind

[Seraphina56]

I’ve recently seen it suggested here that Tramadol withdrawal symptoms are “all in the mind”. Can that be true?

[Madlegs1]

The suggestion may well be true.

The fact is certainly incorrect.

[cyberbarn]

I think this might be a misunderstand of the word 'mind'. Some people mix up the words mind and brain. The 'mind' is an emergent property of the brain. So anything that our 'mind' does happens in the brain.

Tramadol effects the brain, that is how it works. It attaches itself to the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and this alters how we perceive pain. It also raises the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, similar to other antidepressants. This decreases anxiety and depression in many people.

So it is possible that when someone said withdrawal symptoms were 'all in the mind' they may have confused the mind with the brain, and what is really meant is that withdrawal symptoms are all in the brain.

It doesn't mean it is less real or that you can 'think' yourself out of withdrawal. The brain is a physical organ like the liver or heart and it is affected by the withdrawal of this drug, and many others. The nature of the emergent properties of the brain means that withdrawal from drugs that affect the brain will be behavioural based on the underlying physical withdrawal.

Does that make sense of it?

[Seraphina56 in reply to cyberbarn]

Thanks Cyberbarn. That makes perfect sense. But I do think this person was using the word ‘mind’ to suggest something that you can ‘think yourself out of’

[007bondd]

That's bullshit with a capital B, I was on tramadol for 7 years and my toilet will tell you it's not, "all in the mind"

[Deaemons]

Definitely not true. Tramadol is a wonderful drug but please taper coming of it else it will kick you hard. By far the worst physical withdrawal I have been through. Can’t blame Tramadol though as it states very clearly to taper off the drug when the time comes.

[Seraphina56]

Quite true. But I found I had to do it a lot slower than GPs usually anticipate.

[WhaleOvaries]

It’s a yes and no. The mind,or the state of mind when you decided to quit addiction isn’t, or won’t be the same state when your a few days into withdrawing. The pain takes turns and sometimes (most of the time) together... mental suffering together with the physical becomes nothing short of abhorrent. Have someone you cares about you to watch over you.

The GOOD NEWS is: Your going to be free of it or them. It may take a while but.... you’ll be free and stronger than most of us!

Once you overcome the addiction completely, your going to be OUR HERO! And don’t forget that.

P..S: I do realize that as an English Literature graduate my reply should be... I’m an addict and I’m having trouble seeing so I apologize for my ramblings .that I hoped would help even just a little. .

I just don’t want to be alone during and after dealing with this addiction. But if I have a hero YOU to look up to. I won’t feel alone during the battle.

[Seraphina56 in reply to WhaleOvaries]

Hello WhaleOvaries.

Thank you very much for your support and insight. I can see that you understand addiction and the struggle involved as trying to give up something you really really really want. You like the effects of the drug or fear the pain that the drug is meant to deal with returning; in actual fact many people suffering withdrawal symptoms aren’t in that situation at all. For instance many people, and this happened to me, took the drug for a pain which disappeared after three weeks. Besides giving pain relief when it was needed, there were no pleasant effects of taking the drug at all. For myself, there was no ‘high’, it just made me feel drowsy, lousy and spaced out with horrible sweats. I couldn’t wait to stop it. It wasn’t a case of choosing to ‘quit addiction’. However following the three weeks pain relief when I tried to reduce the drug, slowly, as I thought, I had the most awful and frightening withdrawal symptoms. After a week in bed I eventually, on medical advice, had to increase the dose back up to almost where it had been and wait two weeks for the symptoms to go completely before then starting an extremely slow reduction. On my own journey I have now, after almost two months, got down from 400mg a day to 100 mg. Even at this point, on the day following each attempt at 50 mg a day, I feel sick, weak, and tearful; not myself at all. I can honestly say I hate taking this drug, am desperate to be rid of it and have no pain so I don’t need it any more. So I can’t help but see these symptoms as purely physical. If I could, I would stop it today, but I suspect that will mean a return to the worst withdrawal symptoms and probably increasing the dose, so I have to try to be patient. I do have someone to help me, my husband. He makes sure I don’t take any less rather than any more, because he knows how much I want to just stop it.

Despite the fact that I know my problem is purely physical I will feel like a hero when I finally defeat this drug so thank you very much for that. I know that others in my situation who have not understood about very slowly reducing the doses, have ended up taking Tramadol for years because they couldn’t face the withdrawal symptoms, which I can well understand.

Thank you.