Tramadol may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use. Take tramadol exactly as directed. Do not take more of it, take it more often, or take it in a different way than directed by your doctor. While taking tramadol, discuss with your health care provider your pain treatment goals, length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, or has overused prescription medications, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse tramadol if you have or have ever had any of these conditions.
All medications come with a dose of risk. From minor side effects to life-threatening allergic reactions, every decision to take a medication should be made only after the expected benefits are weighed against the known risks. Recently, I wrote about how newly approved drugs often accumulate new warnings about their safety, including a gout medication that garnered a new warning due to an increased risk of death. Now, according to a new study, the common prescription pain medication tramadol may earn a similar warning.
Tramadol is a synthetic opioid analgesic medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain, such as that caused by osteoarthritis. Tramadol binds to opioid receptors, decreasing the body’s ability to feel pain. The U. Examples of other schedule IV drugs include Valium diazepam, Xanax alprazolam, and Ambien zolpidem. Tramadol may have a useful place in your treatment regimen.
Tramadol can be taken by adults and children aged 12 and over. During clinical trials, the frequency of adverse reactions, experienced by patients, generally increased with increasing doses from mg to mg. Tramadol is indicated for treatment of moderate to moderately-severe pain. TRP channel modulators.
Back to Medicines A to Z. Tramadol is a strong painkiller. It’s used to treat moderate to severe pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury. Tramadol is available only on prescription.