Tramadol, which is a medicine widely used for moderate to extreme pain relieved through post-operative medication, belongs to a class of medicines termed opiates or narcotics. A coating of Tramadol is not given for mild forms of pain, but for severe forms of pain like post-surgery or after fetching treatment receive a dose of Tramadol tablets. A doctor may prescribe these medicines in cases of pain persisting for a long duration when less strong medicines are ineffective.
Although it does not remove the pain sensation entirely, it deadens the sensation significantly.
Apart from pain relief what other Tramadol uses are seen?
Although Tramadol is widely popular for removing the pain sensation and giving relaxation to muscles, even if it is on a temporary basis, it treats many other things such as.
- Cough-. The pilot study shows the effect of Tramadol on those who suffered from intense cough in their daily life. All subjects in this study reported some mild improvement in their cough symptoms.
- Anxiety- Some low doses of Tramadol can act as an excellent sedative to reduce anxiety. The main active ingredient of Tramadol is Tramadol hydrochloride, which causes drowsiness.
- Restless Leg Syndrome- Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic that seems to have less side effect potential and a lower risk of abuse than conventional opioids. Since treatment of RLS with either levodopa or standard opioids has its problems, it would be worthwhile to investigate other options.
Hence, apart from curing the majority of pains, Tramadol is also beneficial for the above-mentioned complications.
Why do we need to use Tramadol very carefully?
Tramadol use should be done with ultimate guidance because if not, it can pose a serious threat to public health and safety.
There are some recommendations to be followed that will allow Tramadol to be safely consumed and minimize the risk of injury. They include:
Tramadol is not for use in anyone under 18 years old, particularly in ER forms like Ultram ER.
Tramadol should not be taken with alcohol as the combination can lead to excessive drowsiness at unexpected times.
It has been reported that hyponatremia, which is low sodium in the body, is one of the possible side effects of Tramadol; therefore, it should be fortunate to take advice from the doctor.
Before you take this medication, join the REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) Program for opioid analgesics for important safety and dose information and withdrawal, side effects, etc.
Do not drive right after taking this medicine as it can make you drowsy and fatigued, which increases travel accidents.
It is important to know how it interacts with other medications or treatments. Some drugs, such as MAO inhibitors phenelzine, linezolid, and selegiline, will interact with Tramadol and could have harmful effects.
How has Tramadol use increased over the years? Is it good or bad?
The methodology adopted for this study involved a repeated cross-sectional study design on national data from 2013 to 2018. The analysis was done using a multi-source monitoring mechanism of the Addictovigilance Network, which included
1) data collection systems providing input from toxicology professionals on deaths associated with analgesics, including the DTA and DRAMES study, as well as pharmacist surveys on illicit prescriptions, the OSIAP study
(2) data collection systems providing input from toxicology professionals on deaths associated with analgesics, including the DTA and DRAMES study, as well as pharmacist surveys on illicit prescriptions, the OSIAP study
(3) surveys of drug users on their use practices during visits to drug treatment centers, the OPPIDUM study.
Hence, the increase in Tramadol use in recent years has caused a matter of concern.
Conclusion
Tramadol is classified as an opioid due to its ability to attach to mu-opioid receptors. It belongs to the class of opioid analgesics and begins to work within the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate pain. Tramadol uses are also common since it is available as several well-known brand names, including Maneo, Oldaram, Tilodol, Zeridame, and Invodol.
