They say that you become an addict the moment you start taking a drug that presents such a potential. At the exact period when I was prescribed Tramadol for low back pain, most research had shown that it was non-addictive. How was I supposed to know that in just a couple of years they were going to change their minds? For me, the experience with Tramadol was something extremely difficult, particularly the times when I faced the awful withdrawal symptoms. But let me tell you how it all began.

Working in constructions for 5 years now, I started to feel a pain in the lumbar region that would only cease when I rested. In just a couple of weeks, the pain grew worse and I was unable to lift weights. The pain had not only become more intense but also constant, without any link to effort or rest whatsoever. I went to the doctor and was quickly diagnosed with low back pain, put on treatment with painkillers and recommended to a medical rehabilitation center. The treatment was of course symptomatic and I was not given Tramadol at first.

During the period I went to physical therapy, the pain passed through varied intensities and patterns, making the doctor even more confused. He reconsidered his diagnosis and discussed my case with other specialists. They all agreed on low back pain, particularly since I had worked in constructions for so long. Was there any surgical treatment available? Yes but it was not the proper moment for it, at least not yet. After a period in which the pain was stabilized, I was going to undergo a medical intervention in which one of the discs in my vertebrae was going to be replaced with a synthetic material. Until that period, I had my meds to relieve the pain and the exercises to maintain my muscular force and tonus.

After two or three weeks the doctor switched me on Tramadol, starting with a dose of 100 mg/day. The pain was immediately stopped and I was finally able to concentrate. I decided to take a short trip in one of the popular beach resorts near my home town and forget for a while of the pain I went through. Still, I had forgotten to refill my prescription for Tramadol and I could not find any pharmacist willing to give it to me without a doctor’s prescription.

The following night was horrible and without a doubt an experience I never want to go through. Leaving aside the fact that I could not close an eye, I felt incredibly anxious and irritated. The excessive sweating annoyed me even more and it seemed like every muscle in my body was constricted. In a very short period of time, I went from hot flushes to cold shivering, associated with tingling in both feet and hands. I finally decided to request immediate medical assistance and it was a fortunate decision. The ambulance doctor explained to me that I was facing withdrawal symptoms and that the consequences of ending Tramadol treatment abruptly can be fatal. Admitted in the hospital, I was administered Tramadol once again and recuperated from those nasty symptoms. It took almost one week for me to regain my normal state and it was one night that I received a call from my doctor.

He had called to let me know that they were able to perform the operation in exactly two weeks that is if I were up to it. I went by his medical office the next day and we talked about what happened and the addictive potential of Tramadol. At the same time, he explained to me how the operation was going to relieve the pain and that I will not need the medication any more. The dose had to be reduced slowly and I so it was. The operation was a success and even though I could not work in constructions no more, I was happy. There was no pain, no Tramadol and certainly none of those life-threatening symptoms I had experienced. Today, I am perfectly recuperated and I am part of a support group for drug addicts. The reason I have taken such a decision is because I want to let others know is that there is always room for hope!