DOSE:		oral	Pharms - Tramadol	(daily)
	0.5 mg	oral	Pharms - Clonazepam	(daily)
	0.1 mg	oral	Pharms - Clonidine	(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

200 lb

I was a nine year combat medic with three tours to Iraq. One faithful day, at age 24, my ambulance gets hit by a roadside bomb. Truck got totaled, my left hand got messed up, and the wonderful US Army doctors introduce me to the joys of Tramadol. It all started out pretty simply, seeing as I was being MEDEVACed to Germany anyway to get some surgery done to repair my broken hand. I distinctly remember the doctor saying 'Hell I don't care if you give him fifty of the things, get him to the hospital.' That started it.

Now Trams are a damned fine drug. If I'm in some moderate pain and pop a couple, it'll fix it good. If I'm not in any sort of pain and pop a couple, I'll feel good. Sneaky, relaxed but still functioning, everything's pretty cheerful good. It's non-scheduled too, so most docs call it safe and hand it out like candy.

So, I medevac home, the surgeons are all amazed that the only painkiller I want is my trams after my fixator surgery. Little did they know, that 'take four times a day' note, meant just for breakfast. I started running a good 10-12 pill a day habit, plus APAP 'for the kicker', for three years of my military career.

Just consider that. For three years, a combat medic was stoned out his head on opiates that his doctors willingly prescribed at the drop of a hat.

Now, we fast forward a bit. The horns and trumpets blare, I accept my honorable discharge, and I'm back in the real world....and damnit, pills cost money. Money I don't HAVE! So, time to quit. Fail one, tram is addictive as all hell, and after multi-year use, it ain't lettin go too easy. So we pawn the TV pawn the car pawn the xbox pawn the furniture pawn the...man pawnshops will take anything cuz I'ma use that last bottle to stagger off right? Yeaaah, addict logic don't work that way.

Well, on 3 Nov 09, I give in, and walk into the local ER. I said 'Hey, I'm an addict, this is my drug. I need inpatient care cause I can't control myself.' Spent 24 hours tied naked to a psych bed (trust me, not as arousing as it sounds). Got cut loose a day later with a call from veterans affairs.

VA hauls me in, I'm expecting berating from my doc. He examines me, explains how bad I've trashed my liver, and prescribes clonidine and klonopin. Talks me through some diet changes. Not once accuses me of being anything more than any other sick patient he normally sees. Since I've started the meds....*0* withdrawal symptoms, save an upset stomach.



The hardest part was that first admission though. Me, I'm going to get my TV back tomorrow.

[Reported Dose: 'tramadol 50mg 12-13 times a day, klonopin .5mg day | clonidine .1mg day']

Exp Year: 2006-2009	ExpID: 82109
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 27
Published: Nov 11, 2016	Views: 10,118
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Pharms - Tramadol (149) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Medical Use (47), Addiction & Habituation (10), Military (48)