Tramadol is an organic chemical compound used as an opioid pain reliever. Tramadol is used to treat moderate to severe pain of various origins. Tramadol is often used to treat post-operative pain as well as difficult-to-treat chronic cancer pain. However, not all patients decide to use this substance because of fear of addiction and side effects.

Contents:

  1. Tramadol - can everyone take tramadol?
  2. Tramadol - precautions in therapy
  3. Tramadol - side effects and safety of therapy
  4. Tramadol - interactions with other drugs
  5. Tramadol - dosage

Tramadolis a multifunctional organic chemical compound with opioid receptor antagonist activity. It is used as a synthetic opioid analgesic. The analgesic effect is also associated with the inhibition of the reuptake of norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. According to research, tramadol shows, in addition to its analgesic effect, a sedative effect, i.e. sedative and slightly hypnotic.

In therapeutic doses, it does not significantly affect the functions of the respiratory system and hemodynamic parameters, does not change blood pressure, but slightly slows down intestinal peristalsis, but does not cause chronic constipation.

Absorption after oral administration is about 68% and increases to 90-100% with doses taken systematically over a long period of time. It takes about 20 minutes to start working, to peak blood levels after about 2 hours, and the entire duration of action is about 4-6 hours. However, the duration of action depends on the individual predispositions of the patient and on how long tramadol has been taken.

Tramadol - who can take tramadol?

Despite therapeutic indications, tramadol cannot always be used by the patient. Contraindications are:

  • hypersensitivity to tramadol or other opioid analgesics
  • opioid addiction treatment
  • acute alcohol poisoning
  • treatment with MAO inhibitors and a period of 2 weeks after such treatment
  • intoxication with sleeping pills
  • poisoning with painkillers, including opioids or psychotropic drugs
  • non-responding epilepsyget treatment

If a patient who takes this substance has any doubts about its use, consult a doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Can tramadol be taken by pregnant women and nursing mothers?

Tramadol unfortunately crosses the placenta. The safety of using tramadol in pregnancy has not been established, as there are no specific studies conducted in pregnant women and no one will probably conduct them. Therefore, the drug must not be used during pregnancy.

0.1% of the dose taken by a nursing mother goes to the baby. For this reason, tramadol is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women.

Tramadol - precautions in therapy

The physician, when adding tramadol to the therapy, should take into account all comorbidities, other medications taken by the patient, and should also conduct a thorough interview with the patient.

This drug should be used with particular caution in cases of opioid addiction, after a head injury, in disturbances of consciousness - especially of unspecified origin, in the case of respiratory disorders or disorders of the respiratory center, and in the case of increased intracranial pressure.

The risk of seizures is associated with taking tramadol. The risk is greatest in patients taking other agents at the same time to lower the seizure threshold. Tramadol should not be taken by people suffering from epilepsy - if necessary, only under strict medical supervision.

From tramadol rarely, but you can get addicted. Especially if you take the drug in high doses and for a long time.

Tramadol - side effects and safety of therapy

Tramadol, like any drug substance, can cause side effects, they depend on other comorbidities and the patient's individual predispositions. Patient-reported side effects include:

  • Very common: dizziness and nausea.
  • Common: headache, drowsiness; constipation, vomiting; excessive sweating; feeling tired.
  • Uncommon: cardiovascular disorders - they may occur especially during intravenous administration of the drug and in patients after exercise; in addition, retching, gastric and intestinal irritation, diarrhea may occur.
  • Rare: bradycardia, blood pressure increased; changes in appetite, muscle tremors, inhibition of breathing, convulsions, involuntary muscle contractions, abnormal coordination, fainting; hallucinations, confusion, sleep disturbances, restlessness and nightmares; out of focusvision; dyspnoea; skeletal muscle weakness; urination disorder
  • Very rare: withdrawal symptoms - panic attacks, increased anxiety, tinnitus, confusion, delusions, depersonalization, loss of sense of reality, paranoia.
  • Tramadol can severely impair psychomotor performance, therefore you should not drive or operate machinery while taking it, especially at the beginning of its use, when the patient cannot predict how he will react to this drug.

In the event of any side effects, consult a doctor who may decide to change the dose or, in the event of he alth or life-threatening conditions, change the drug completely.

Tramadol - interactions with other drugs

Patients should inform their doctor about all other medications before taking tramadol.

  • You may feel sleepy, weak and sometimes even faint if you use tramadol at the same time as sedatives, sleeping pills and other painkillers such as morphine and codeine, and with alcohol. In this case, consult your doctor and perhaps change the dosage of the preparations you take.
  • The threat to the he alth and even life of the patient appears when he takes other medications that may cause seizures.
  • Tramadol may interact with drugs used to treat depression.
  • If you use coumarin anticoagulants, such as warfarin and tramadol, you may experience uncontrolled bleeding, and the higher the dose, the more difficult the bleeding becomes.

Only a doctor can decide about the use of tramadol and its dosage. Despite the patients' fear of this substance, it should be mentioned that the risk of addiction is lower than in the case of, for example, the quite frequently used morphine. To avoid or minimize the risk of side effects or addiction, follow your doctor's instructions and never modify the dose yourself.

Tramadol - dosage

Tramadol is usually administered orally, but is also available as an intravenous and rectal drug. Almost never - except in exceptional circumstances - is a dose greater than 400 mg of tramadol hydrochloride used, always starting with the lowest dose possible.

Does tramadol have an anti-depressant effect? ​​

Tramadol has a chemical similarity to venlakaxine - a druganti-depressant. Patrick and Markowitz, who were the first to note this similarity, suggested that tramadol could be used in depressed patients suffering from chronic pain syndromes.

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