Tramadol withdrawal and alternatives ???

I was taking about 400mg of Tramadol (tolerance) for chronic lower back pain and the pain associated with being alive on this Earth.

And believe me, Tramadol was God's gift. The Tramadol calm was a feeling like no other. It allowed me to function ... fixed my depression, anxiety, insomnia, even my annoying IBS !!!

My doc cut my prescription because I've been taking it too long without an eval (no money for a doc appt .. no insurance). So my Tramadol dream is over.

The first month of withdrawal was UNBEARABLE. I could not sit in a friggin movie theater and watch 10 minutes of a movie.

I now take Kava Kava and Tylenol extra strength (max allowed daily), but it is NOTHING compared to the Tramadol experience.

Any other OTC alternatives out there ? Anyone with similar experiences ?

Have you ever tried kratom? Supposed to be like a mild type of opioid experience, but kratom is not an opioid.

I was forced off benzos cold turkey in 2013, and I'm still not OK. If you try the kratom, please let us know if it's any good.

I thought they were trying to make it illegal?

I didn't know. :/ They try to make everything illegal these days. Unless they agree to tax it so heavily no one can buy it except desperate users, like with cigarettes.

kratom will be federally banned on Sept 30th this year

tramadol withdrawals are intense because not only are they an opioid they also affect serotonin , so they have anti depressant effects. so it's like u are withdrawing from 2 substances at once. the first 3 days were the worst for me, then i noticed intense anxiety. eventually it subsided and i am ok now. i have read of people using Imodium for withdrawal effects, i havent tried it personally. as far as kratom, it is very helpful for withdrawal and managing anxiety but it can be psychologically addictive (as anything can) and mildly physically addictive. plus it is expensive and wont be sustainable way of managing feelings/stress as the DEA has put out a letter of intent to make it a schedule I drug (same as heroin and meth) on sept 30th 2016