In this article, I’m going to provide you with a Master List of all the common and uncommon tramadol withdrawal symptoms that ensue from the abrupt cessation of tramadol.
Additionally, I’ll be helping you out a great deal, because along with listing off all of the tramadol withdrawal symptoms, I’m also going to provide you with the best remedies for minimizing or even eliminating each and every symptom.
After six years of studying and perfecting the “Art of Opiate Recovery,” I’ve come to realize that there are well over 70 tramadol withdrawal remedies that can assist you to mitigate withdrawal symptoms.
I’ll be providing the cream of the crop in this piece, so sit tight…because help is on the way!
tramadol withdrawal symptoms can be broken down into the following categories:
- Common Symptoms
- Uncommon Symptoms
- Physical Symptoms
- Mental Symptoms
- Emotional Symptoms
Now that you’ve been educated on the framework of this article, let us start the learning process and dive right in…beginning with an overview on tramadol, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, symptoms of tramadol withdrawal, and the tramadol withdrawal symptoms timeline.
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms – Tramadol Overview
Tramadol is a prescription medication used to treat mild to severe pain. Contrary to popular belief, tramadol is NOT an opiate, because it does not come from the opium poppy plant. Furthermore, tramadol will not show up as an opiate on a drug test. So how exactly does tramadol work?
Tramadol is a centrally acting synthetic analgesic agent with opiate activity due to a low-affinity binding of the parent compound and higher affinity binding of the O-demethylated metabolite M1 to mu opioid receptors.
So basically, tramadol is a synthetic (man-made) drug that has opiate effects (pain relief, constipation, euphoria, respiratory depression, etc.) due to it binding to the same opioid receptors in the body that opioid analgesic drugs like morphine and hydrocodone bind to.
However, unlike opioid analgesics, tramadol is not currently scheduled as a controlled substance by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Note: Unfortunately, doctors and other professionals should not have dismissed tramadol’s ability to cause addiction, dependence, and withdrawal as quickly as they did.
It turns out that coming off tramadol can be extremely difficult and dangerous…and here’s why:
- Since tramadol fills mu opioid receptors in the brain, coming off tramadol can result in opioid-like withdrawal symptoms.
- Tramadol also inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, so coming off tramadol can also induce symptoms similar to withdrawal from Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) drugs.
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms
Though you’re only coming off one medication, depending on the tramadol dependence severity (dosage and length of use, unique biochemistry, physical and psychological health, age, and other drugs you might be taking), you could be prone to the following list of tramadol withdrawal symptoms in varying magnitudes:
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms (Typical):
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Sore and aching muscles and limbs
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
- Diarrhea
- Gastrointestinal (GI) distress
- Nausea
- Sweating, hot and cold flashes
Note: Most of these opioid withdrawal symptoms are typical in varying degrees in most people coming off tramadol. Usually (though not always) the magnitude of tramadol withdrawal symptoms severity is directly proportional to the tramadol dependence severity.
SSRI and SNRI Drug Withdrawal Symptoms (Atypical):
- Electric shock feelings
- Psychosis
- Paranoia, anxiety, and panic
- Emotional instability
- Dizziness
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Hypomania
These two lists accurately portray the most common (though not all) of the possible tramadol withdrawal symptoms.
As you can see, some of the symptoms from these two lists are identical, therefore, it can be difficult to ascertain whether or not you’re actually experiencing the atypical symptoms caused by the immediate cessation of SSRI and SNRI drugs, or merely the typical opioid withdrawal symptoms.
If you’re coming off a high daily dose of tramadol, your chances of experiencing atypical symptoms are greater than someone who has used a low dose for a short period of time. Ultimately, the type of tramadol withdrawal you will likely experience is based on varying severities of dependence and biochemical uniqueness.
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline
How long do tramadol withdrawal symptoms last and when do they begin? Approximately 12 hours after your last dose of tramadol, the mild tramadol withdrawal symptoms will begin to arise.
Here is a brief overview of the tramadol withdrawal symptoms timeline after stopping the use of tramadol:
- Day 1 – Unpleasant tramadol withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to get through the day.
- Day 2 – A significant increase in the severity of tramadol withdrawal symptoms.
- Days 3-4 – tramadol withdrawal symptoms peak and are the most severe during these final two days.
- Day 5 – The acute withdrawal phase is technically over, and the tramadol withdrawal symptoms become much less severe, though you still feel them a lot.
Please Note: This tramadol withdrawal symptoms timeline can be much different than what you read above. For instance, if you’re on a high dose of tramadol, the antidepressant withdrawal symptoms timeline will be longer. Furthermore, if you’ve been taking an extended-release tramadol formulation, the timeline will be delayed. The tramadol withdrawal symptoms from the opioid agonist effect of the drug might not begin for around 30 hours.
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline – PAWS Overview
Many tramadol users have successfully managed to get past the acute tramadol withdrawal symptoms phase, only to realize that the struggle was far from being over. Though the symptoms, duration, and severity vary, an estimated 90% of all opiate daily users experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) to some degree after the acute withdrawal is over.
To accurately and simply define PAWS, let’s break down the meaning of each individual word:
- Post – “After”
- Acute – “Very serious or dangerous; requiring serious attention or action”
- Withdrawal – “The discontinuance of administration or use of a drug”
- Syndrome – “A group of symptoms”
Simply put, PAWS is a group of symptoms that occur after an individual has gone through the serious withdrawal phase induced by the discontinuation of drugs.
In his popular book, Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention, Terence Gorski states the following:
Post-acute withdrawal is a group of symptoms of addictive disease that occur as a result of abstinence from addictive chemicals. In the alcoholic/addict these symptoms appear seven to fourteen days into abstinence, after stabilization from the acute withdrawal. Post-acute withdrawal is a bio/psycho/social syndrome. It results from a combination of damage to the nervous system caused by alcohol or drugs and the psychosocial stress of coping with life without drugs or alcohol.”
PAWS Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline
PAWS can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. In fact, there is even a possibility that PAWS can continue for the rest of an individual’s life after quitting long-term daily tramadol. Unfortunately, there is really no way to determine how long it will last.
Luckily, things like supplementation, nutrition, and exercise can help you reduce the severity and timeline of PAWS tramadol withdrawal symptoms. Click here to check out my holistic PAWS treatment plan that will help you get better FAST.
PAWS Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms List
There is a wide range of symptoms an individual might experience from PAWS. Post-acute tramadol withdrawal symptoms will vary from person to person. Post-acute tramadol withdrawal symptoms will also vary in severity from person to person.
Some common post-acute tramadol withdrawal symptoms include:
- Inability to think clearly
- Memory problems
- Emotional overreactions or numbness
- Physical coordination problems
- Stress sensitivity
- Hostility
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Increased susceptibility to emotional and physical pain
- Gastrointestinal (GI) issues
- Intense cravings to use opiates
- Drug dreams
- Fatigue
- Inability to experience pleasure (“pleasure deafness”)
I strongly believe that the last two symptom (“pleasure deafness” and fatigue) is the #1 reason why most individuals going through PAWS relapse within the first 90 days of getting sober.
Going weeks to months without feeling any pleasure in life, and on top of that having no energy or motivation, is in my opinion more detrimental to recovery than any of the other post-acute tramadol withdrawal symptoms.
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms – Top 20 Things That Can Help
Since you’ve made it this far in the article, I know you’re serious about using the best remedies for reducing the severity of your tramadol withdrawal symptoms. I aim to deliver on my promise.
Thus, without further ado, here are the Top 20 things that can help, with clickable links so you can learn more by checking out articles entirely dedicated to each tramadol withdrawal symptoms remedy.
In order from the most helpful first, here are the Top 20 remedies for reducing tramadol withdrawal symptoms:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Kratom
- Ibogaine
- Gabapentin
- Lyrica
- Mega-Dose Vitamin C
- Clonidine
- Klonopin
- Xanax
- Valium
- Ativan
- Librium
- Loperamide
- DXM
- Baclofen
- Tramadol
- Cannabis
- Exercise
- Phenibut
Along with these, no matter which remedies for tramadol withdrawal symptoms you end up using, make sure you also this Opiate Recovery Supplement.
You’ll need the nutrients in these supplements to help your brain begin restoring healthy levels of dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and GABA, which are the most important neurotransmitters for mood and behavior.
This supplement can lead to the following benefits:
- Restores Healthy Neurotransmission
- Enhances Mood
- Eases Stomach Discomfort
- Increases Natural energy
- Calms Anxiety
- Reverses Depression
- Reverses Insomnia
- Reduces Opiate Cravings
Tramadol Withdrawal Symptoms – Conclusion
I hope you’ve gained tremendous insight and value from this blog post on tramadol withdrawal symptoms and the Top 20 Things That Can Help.
I didn’t provide overviews on the Top 20 remedies for tramadol withdrawal symptoms because this article is almost 2,000 words long (which is long enough!), and I’ve already written separate articles for each remedy, which have detailed information, including how to use each remedy for tramadol withdrawal.
Now you have everything you need to know about tramadol withdrawal symptoms, tramadol withdrawal timelines, and the most effective remedies that can help you reduce or even eliminate your tramadol withdrawal symptoms.
If you liked this article, then you’ll absolutely love The Ultimate Opiate Recovery System, which goes much deeper into tramadol withdrawal and recovery methods.
Click here now to check it out.
If you have any comments or questions on tramadol withdrawal symptoms, please post them in the comment box below.
Justin
I’ve been on tramadol since 2016. It is now September of 22 and I am on my third day of being off 4-6 50 mg pills a day. I have felt worse but this is not a pleasant experience at all. I haven’t slept for over a day. The pain is really bad on the start of the 4th day with many withdrawal symptoms. I hope this gets better or I might have to take them again. The new pill they are switching to is beyond useless
Charmaine
I was on Tramadol 50mg for 2 years due to extreme back pain. I have been off Tramadol for a week now. I am getting chest pains, breathlessness stomach ache, fatigue, lack of motivation. I felt like I was having a heart attack last night as I had bad chest pains and felt like I couldn’t breathe. I have had no support or advice from my doctors. I’m not sure if what I am experiencing is normal.
James E Holmes
I got 100 50mg pills for hip pain, in about 10 days the hip pain left, but I fell down and hurt my shoulder. When it healed up I was too long on a riding lawn mower and my back hurt. All thru this I continued taking Tramadol. After about 7 weeks and 80 pills I felt all was well so quit the pills. 1st day i felt kinda sick and tired, so I took a pill and felt ok. Same thing every time I missed a pill. My Doctor was out of town and I was worried I would run out. Then I realized I could be having withdrawal symptoms. I am on the 5h day without pills and starting to feel better finally. I had cautioned Doctor I had taken Oxycodone for about 30 days and it took a month to get over, and he said Tramadol was very mild. I am 84 year old male with a pacemaker and a stent. That is all that kind of junk for me. it takes very little to become addicted. Good Luck all