Summary: Classified as central nervous system drug, Tramadol is used as a painkiller for wide range of applications from relieving moderate to severe pain in various cases.
Tramadol Hydrochloride (Ultram, Tramadol) is a medicine used in treatment of severe and moderate pain. It can be used in various conditions such as treatment of restless legs syndrome and fibromyalgla and elevating symptoms of depression, anxiety and phobias. It is a centrally acting opioid analgesic and acts on the noraderenergic and serontonergic systems such as its atyoical opiod activity. However, doctors and other health professionals have not endorsed its use for these disorders. They claim that it may be used as a unique treatment only in the cases when other treatments fail. Also, it is very important to use the medicine under the control of a psychiatrist in such special cases.
Tramadol was developed by pharmaceutical company Grunenthal Gmbitt in late seventies. It comes in various forms: capsules, tablets, suppositories, ampoules of sterile solution for injections, preservative-free solutions for injections by the various spinal routes, powders for compounding, liquids with and without alcohol for oral and sub-lingual administration. It is often used in the form of an ingredient in multi-agent topical gels, creams and solutions for nerve pain, rectal foam, concentrated retention enema, and as skin plaster (transdermal patch) quite similar to those used with lidocaine. The most well known dosing unit available is 50 mg generic tablet. It also is commonly available in conjuction with APAP (Paracetamol).
The dosage that is generally prescribed per day is 40 mg for oral use and 600 mg for parenteral use. However certain brands or formulations have lower maximum doses. The medicine has a characteristic and seemingly unpleasant taste, which is somewhere near to a mild bitter taste. However, oral and sublingual drops and liquid preparations come with and without added flavoring.
Tramadol is indeed an important medication that is approved mainly for the treatment of various pain ailments. It also comes with its own set of precautions to be taken for safe and useful results. Patients taking SSRIs (Pro Zac, Zol oft, etc.), TCAs, MAOIs, or other strong opioids (oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, morphine) should inform the doctor before taking Tramadol as it has a tendency to interfere with other medicines. Those above the age of 75 and below the age of 18 should also take the doctor’s advice before using the medicine to skip the flip side. Tramadol may prove fatal in the cases of patients suffering from severe reduced kidney functions or reduced liver functions and it is also not safe for pregnant and breast feeding women as it has a tendency to badly effect the baby.