Help please, I`m not sure which drug to stop first?

[[ne...]]

Hi all

Currently taking - slow release tramadol 100mg one at night, then one in the morning, to be followed up with 50mg x 4 during the day for breakthro pain.  These are for osteoarthritis in my sacriolliac joint but they don`t seem to be working.

I add 50mg x 2 paracetamol during the day- but again the combination doesn`t seem to be helping. I get more relief from my TENS machine or an ice pack.

Next I was recently diagnosed with an overactive thyroid ( Graves disease) and prescribed carbimazole which I`m now taking 10 mg as my blood levels are in range. Added to this 5 mg warfarin daily as I ended up with atrial fibrillation due to the overactive thyroid.  Then because of anxiety my doctor has prescribed me escitalopram 10 mg daily.  The last is temazepam 20 mg for insomnia.

I`m 63 yr old female.

I recently saw my doctor because of sweating, shivering and other joint pains besides my sacriolliac, he checked my blood work again and seemed happy with that - then questioned me about the temazepam use.  I have been taking it at erratically 30 mg here - 10 mg there. The doctor believes I`m having withdrawal and has asked me to get on a level before I begin a withdrawal. So I`m now taking the 20 mg as prescribed every bedtime.  2 days later and I woke sweating profusely again - is this normal please and I`m not giving it enough time yet to settle down? Also after realising the tramadol are doing nothing to help my pains, I`d like to stop them too. I think I`m taking far too many drugs - which has slowly crept up on me. I have to take the warfarin and carbimazole for now and perhaps the antidepressent but I would really appreciate your help in a tapering plan for the temazepan and tramadol.  I`m so sorry this is such a long post but I was trying to show the whole picture.  Thank you sooo much fr any help  x

[[be...]]

heya Nevercantell,.... i was also at one time taking a painkiller (methadone) along with my benzo. i opted to get rid of the opiate first (by myself and in the dead of winter) since i felt i would need all the strength and determination i had to pull it off. i figured the methadone c/t would be more difficult than the benzo taper and so far in my case, this has turned out to be true. i'm sure others will tell you quitting the benzo will be more difficult and for most people that is probably most certainly the case. i would quit the ultram first....sorry if all this really didn't help you that much.....bjunk.

[[Di...]]

I would think get off the painkiller first, then the benzo.

 

Benzo can help during tapering of pain med, IMO.

 

All the best to you. 

[[ne...]]

Thank you Benzojunkie and Disney girl for your advice and glad I asked it, as I was thinking of doing the opposite. But what you,ve both suggested makes more sense.  It would work out better anyway as my doctor wants me to take the temazepam 20mg every night and I wanted to get started reducing one of these drugs asap. I (hopefully) can get the tramadol out of the way and then concentrate on the temazepam................and never take either again!! 

 

[[be...]]

if i remember correctly BB member 'the Grinch1' stopped ultram a couple of months ago. if anyone can help you with it all it would probably be her...good luck..any questions just ask..bjunk.

[[Bi...]]

I quit 3 months of oxycodin use with the help of Clonidine .3mg 3X a day which is an adrenaline suppressant.  It made it easy but I felt like a zombie on it.

 

Quit the tram first as the benzo is best done slow.  VERY SLOW

[[Di...]]

if i remember correctly BB member 'the Grinch1' stopped ultram a couple of months ago. if anyone can help you with it all it would probably be her...good luck..any questions just ask..bjunk.

 

Great suggestion!  I think it was Grinch.

[[ne...]]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Well day 1 in my tramadol taper and I left out the 100mg last night and again the next 100mg  this morning.  I wonder if that`s too quick but I`ve only been taking these slow release tramadol for 2 weeks, after I saw my doctor about worse joint pains. (Which we now believe is due to temazepam withdrawal). So far so good though and there`s been no difference in pain relief- so I was correct the tramadol wasn`t helping the pain!

I took my 20mg temazepam last night as usual and this morning woke up badly  sweating and shivering again. The doctor wants me to get on a level before I start that withdrawal.  Would anyone know how long getting on a level is likely to take?  I`m already withdrawing  as I`d become tolerant to the temazepam - I`m really grateful for all of your help - thank you