Tramadol Detox Center

Painkillers are helpful substances that you can use to deal with your pain. Unfortunately, they have a dark side to their helpfulness. Synthetically developed painkillers have become a regular part of American life. T

here’s no need to deal with pain (even chronic pain) if you don’t have to. Tramadol is one of those painkillers that has seen widespread use in the US. However, it can cause someone to become dependent on it over time. How does someone deal with Tramadol dependency? Can someone quit Tramadol outright? What options are there for someone who wants to leave their dependence on this drug behind?

What Is Tramadol?

As mentioned before, Tramadol is a drug in the class known as opioids. These are synthetic drugs designed for a particular purpose – pain control. Tramadol typically comes in pills and is used to manage moderately severe pain. Physicians usually direct people who need to take the drug to stagger its use. Typically, they suggest no more than one pill every four to six hours. It might be used as part of combination therapy in some cases.

When used this way, Tramadol serves as one of a few drugs that can effectively treat pain from a disease, infection, injury or wound. Since Tramadol may negatively interact with other medications, a person should never mix it with anything else. Only physician-approved combination therapy should be considered when dealing with this substance.

Tramadol’s functionality is due to how it interacts with the brain. The human brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to send information from one point to another. They rely on sites called receptors to pass the data they carry along. Pain is one such packet of “information.” Tramadol competes with the endorphins for the same receptor sites.

Since Tramadol occupies most of these sites, only some of the pain can get through to the brain. While it doesn’t actually stop pain from happening, it can decrease the amount of discomfort the body may experience. The unfortunate side effect is that it might lead to permanent changes in the brain’s structure. This “rewiring” can lead to dependence. The brain tends to reuse these chemical transmitters, breaking them down after each use.

Tramadol also stops the brain from recycling them, making it more difficult for recreation of these chemicals in the future. As a result, Tramadol functions to both stop neurotransmitters from reaching their destination and slow the production of it in the future.

What is Tramadol dependence?

Dependence is a physical change in a person’s body that makes them need a substance to function normally. In the case of Tramadol, it’s that “rewiring” mentioned above. When someone starts taking Tramadol regularly, the body becomes tolerant to it. Tolerance means that, with each successive dose, the person needs more of the substance to get the same effect. As a result, they end up taking more and more Tramadol to deal with their pain, which starts to rise.

In some cases, this leads to the person’s brain-changing to accommodate Tramadol. When this happens, the person can no longer function without the substance in their bloodstream. If they try to stop taking the drug, their body will develop symptoms because of the lack of the chemical. These symptoms are the body’s way of convincing the person to keep taking the substance, even though they know it’s not good for them.

Dependence is the first step towards addiction. Addiction is a brain disorder that changes a person’s behavior because of their dependence. If someone is addicted to a drug, they seek it out even though it may negatively impact their lives. Such people place the drug as more important than things like friends and family or even employment.

When this happens, their behavior changes, leading to massive social upheaval. Addiction and dependency are related, but they aren’t the same thing. Someone can be dependent on a substance yet not be addicted to it. Dealing with addiction starts with breaking dependence. The best way to do that is to look at options for detox.

What is Tramadol Detox?

Tramadol detox is where most people who have a dependence on the substance start when they want to leave it behind. Detox can be mild, moderate, or severe. The intensity of the process depends on how long the person has been using the substance.

Some people try to perform Tramadol detox on their own, but this may be a bad idea. Detoxing usually requires the person to go through withdrawal. The process of withdrawal brings with it severe side effects.

These symptoms can be both physical and psychological. Tapering the dosage is how doctors deal with Tramadol detox. The goal is to lower the amount of Tramadol inside the person’s body over time.

How Long Does Tramadol Detox Take?

Tramadol detox may take as much as two weeks to complete. When someone enters a Tramadol detox center, they can be monitored by medical professionals throughout the process of detoxification.

Monitoring the progress of the visitor is crucial since it allows doctors and clinicians to effectively deal with the side effects of withdrawal. Withdrawal for Tramadol is slightly different than for other opioids such as hydrocodone.

Tramadol Withdrawal symptoms

Tramadol’s unusual withdrawal symptoms come from its interaction with brain chemicals. While it still does competitive inhibition of receptors, as mentioned above, it also has a secondary function increasing its potency. When the brain chemicals are finished being used, they are broken down and sent back to the brain for recycling.

Tramadol inhibits the reuptake of these chemicals, making it difficult for the brain to send more pain signals. Thus, Tramadol’s withdrawal symptoms may cover two categories.

Typical Withdrawal Symptoms

Like other opioids, Tramadol withdrawal presents with:

• Muscle aches
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Body pains
• Nausea

In addition to these typical symptoms, Tramadol may also display atypical side effects, including:

• Depersonalization
• Panic attacks
• High Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Unusual sensory feelings
• Confusion
• Disorientation

The atypical symptoms are not life-threatening, but they can be dangerous in other ways. They may lead to the person making bad choices while going through withdrawal. These symptoms are the reason why detoxing without medical assistance or monitoring could lead to bad outcomes.

Tramadol Withdrawal Timeline

Like most other drugs, Tramadol tends to present the majority of its symptoms across a broad period. For this opioid, withdrawal may last up to fourteen days. However, each person experiences withdrawal differently. The amount of time a person has historically used Tramadol, as well as the level of dependence, can affect both intensity of symptoms and the length of the process.

Most detox centers try to wean their clients off Tramadol when they first enter treatment. This approach involves reducing the dosage over time to lower the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms when they occur. The timeline of Tramadol withdrawal can be split up into three phases.

Phase 1: Early Withdrawal

This stage happens immediately after the person stops taking Tramadol. It may last between one and three days, with symptoms getting worse as the stage progresses. Cravings for the drug will also start increasing slowly over time. At this stage, the dependency leads to a person thinking about the drug. The intense need for the substance rises, but it hasn’t reached the full extent of its impact on the patient, and most individuals can ignore their urges at this stage.

Phase 2: Peak Withdrawal

Peak withdrawal happens when symptoms start to ramp up significantly. The patient may feel disoriented, and insomnia may become apparent. Psychological and physical symptoms typically intensify.

This phase lasts for up to three days as well. For most individuals attempting to detox at home, this phase is crucial since the cravings become increasingly challenging to ignore. Because of the intensity, most people who are detoxing outside of a facility fail at this point. The impulse for consuming the substance is too much.

Phase 3: Late Withdrawal

At this stage, symptoms should have lessened considerably. However, psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression may persist for up to seven days after the end of peak withdrawal.

In late withdrawal, the physical need for the substance is no longer there. However, to cope with triggers and other issues that may lead to relapse, therapy is needed. Many Tramadol detox centers offer counseling or can help guests find programs to support their intention to quit.

How to Detox from Tramadol

Detoxing can happen both within a facility and on one’s own. However, if someone decides to detox on their own, they may have to deal with the negative fallout of the withdrawal process without medical support. Detox centers exist to offer a safe and non-judgmental place for a person to overcome their dependence on Tramadol.

A detox center also provides medical support if needed. Most detox centers operate with the same goal in mind – helping the guest get over their dependence. While their individual methodologies are different, they share many the same processes when it comes to admitting guests.

1. Check-In and Evaluation

When someone checks into a detox center, they meet a representative that puts their mind at ease about detoxification and asks a few questions. The information from these questions is usually passed on to medical and clinical personnel.

They use the answers a person provides to develop a strategic plan for dealing with their Tramadol use disorder. The questions may delve into medical history and previous psychological diagnoses.

2. Customized Tramadol Detox Plan

Detox is a process that involves immense planning. Both medical and clinical staff are involved in developing a plan that addresses a particular person’s problem. Dependency isn’t a problem that can be solved generically. Since each person has different factors affecting their dependence, their personalized plan addresses each of these elements.

At this stage, medical personnel also look at dual diagnosis. For example, if a person has Tramadol addiction but also has an additional psychological issue, the plan takes this specific situation into account.

3. Medical Stabilization

The actual process of detoxification happens at this stage. A guest is slowly weaned off Tramadol over time. They face the withdrawal symptoms with doctors and clinicians at the ready in case of complications. During withdrawal, the personnel at the center monitor the guest through their entire detox process, ensuring that they are safe and healthy. Being in a facility helps to manage exposure to external triggers and keep the guest focused on their detoxification.

4. Post Detox Recovery

Tramadol detox can be both mentally and physically draining. Post-detox recovery allows for a person to prepare their next moves. However, quitting Tramadol isn’t just about detoxifying. The triggers and psychological urges will come back unless dealt with. Therapy offers a helpful way to deal with the situation. Long-term support and treatment can help an individual recover from Tramadol dependency and cope with psychological urges.

Who Needs Tramadol Detox?

Tramadol is a valuable drug, but it can lead to dependence and addiction in some inidividuals. Those who want to attempt to leave their dependency behind should consider a detox. Even individuals who aren’t addicted to the substance but display symptoms of dependence should look at detoxification. The removal of Tramadol from a person’s body allows them to get perspective on their life.

Discussions with medical personnel at a Tramadol detox center can even help them strategize alternatives to Tramadol. Once someone has become dependent on the drug, the first step to break that reliance is detoxification. No permanent recovery from the substance can happen until they get past that step.

Finding a Tramadol Detox Center Near Me – What to Look Out for

A Tramadol detox center offers much support for people who want to stop being dependent on the substance. Trained medical professionals can guide a guest in what they should do.

Personalized treatment plans ensure that the approach they take will deal specifically with a person’s problem. If you’re looking for a Tramadol detox center near you, consider Pathfinders Recovery Center. With a track record of helping hundreds of people recover, we’re confident that we will be able to offer you some support. Give us a call today and see how we can help you overcome your dependence on Tramadol.