I have been taking Tramadol 37.5 for the past year due to a sciatic nerve issue. I started off with taking it four times a day and now I only take it if needed, so twice a day, sometimes only once a day. I had surgery to open the disk space and take the pressure off the sciatic nerve at the L4-5 six weeks ago, but still have some pain. The pain starts at the piriformis muscle and radiates down to my ankle. I want to stop taking the Tramadol as it s affecting my memory, I m tired all the time, I sweat and have abdominal gas and abdominal pain which I believe to be side-effects of the Tramadol. Can I stop taking it immediately or do I need to taper down? And can I take Ibuprofen while I m tapering off? The pain I m experiencing now is mild compared to pre-surgery. I also get pain shots at the pain clinic every 6 weeks which has helped immensely, but haven t had one since surgery. I have an appointment at the pain clinic in two weeks. If I stop taking the Tramadol immediately, will I go through withdrawal after having been on it for so long and what can I expect in the way of symptoms?