The Do's and Don'ts of Tramadol!

April 12th, 2008

Written and Endorsed by:
Vlãsceanu Alexandra - Medical Student
“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Physical therapy and medical rehabilitation specialty,
Bucharest, Romania

Tramadol is an opioid analgesic, used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. The drug is found under the form of hydrochloride salt, being especially useful for postoperative pain, including that following oral surgery. There are certain indications that one must follow when taking Tramadol and perhaps just as many precautions or contraindications to pay attention to.

If your doctor has prescribed Tramadol for your pain, be sure to take it exactly as it was recommended. You must seek emergency medical attention or phone the local poison control center in case you have taken too much Tramadol. Even though they are rare, overdose cases can be fatal, particularly when children or elderly people are involved. If you recognize or experience any of the following symptoms yourself, then there is a high risk for overdose: aggravating somnolence, decreased heartbeat and difficult breathing, extreme fatigue, cold skin, passing our or coma.

Tramadol is to be used only by the person for whom it was prescribed. The medication must be kept in a place that is secure and out of reach for children. Also, if you are around anyone who has had a problem with substance abuse, be sure to control your Tramadol pill bottle all the time. As a general precaution, you should store Tramadol in a room with a lower temperature, without excessive heat, sunlight or humidity. Keep track of how many pills you had.

Following a constant treatment with Tramadol is likely to affect the way you perceive things and your thinking abilities. Thus, you are not to drive or do anything that might require mental alertness on your behalf. For a better absorption of the drug, you should take Tramadol with a full glass of water. If you decide to take Tramadol with food, there is a high chance that the absorption process is slowed down and in consequence, it will take longer for the analgesic effect to appear. Once you missed a dose, be sure to take it as soon as you remember.

Just like other medication, Tramadol presents a potential for allergic reactions. If you notice signs of anaphylactic reactions on you or on anyone else for that matter, be sure to call 911 as soon as possible. Allergic reactions include itchy skin eruptions, shallow breathing, and swelling of the face, tongue or even worse, throat. All these hypersensitive reactions can be really serious, life-threatening in certain situations. At the same time, there is an entire range of side-effects that are likely to appear, causing patients to discontinue the treatment with Tramadol. You should contact a medical professional if any of the following signs appear: seizures, dyspnea or weakened pulse. In fact, you should mention any side-effect or reaction that you find unusual when taking Tramadol.

Before prescribing Tramadol as pain-relieving medication, any doctor will ask about what other medication you are taking. Knowing all potential drug interactions is essential, that being also valid for homeopathic drugs but also for vitamins and minerals. If you have had a problem with substance abuse in the past, you should know from the start that you are not allowed to take Tramadol. This treatment is also contraindicated to those who had a drinking problem or are still fighting with alcoholism.

The recommended dosage of Tramadol varies between 50 and 100 mg per day, depending on the type of pain and the patient. At any given moment, you should not take Tramadol in larger doses than it was prescribed for you or for a longer period of time. The maximum dose accepted by most medical professionals is somewhere between 300 and 400 mg/day. As Tramadol can be habit-forming, you ought to pay increased attention to the number of pills you are taking and never share them with somebody else.

If you do not feel alright with the treatment prescribed, be sure to contact the doctor and reduce the dosage accordingly. Stopping Tramadol without the guidance of a physician, abruptly, will lead to powerful withdrawal symptoms. These include severe anxiety, excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting. When your body goes through withdrawal, all the vital parameters are modified, including your temperature (thus, the chills or tremors), your cardiovascular and respiratory centers (rapid heartbeat and dyspnea). Many of the patients who have stopped taking Tramadol at once declared that they suffered from intense insomnia and even hallucinations. Considering all that, you must realize why medical attention should be sought when deciding to stop the treatment.

Tramadol is available in several forms but often times the medication is administered orally, as tablets. The medication must be taken as such, swallowed whole, without being crushed. You must not inhale or inject the powder obtained from crushing a Tramadol tablet, as it can lead to severe side-effects. Inhaling, diluting or injecting this powder can produce life-threatening adverse reactions, with overdose symptoms and finally death.

You will have to tell your doctor about any other medication you are taking, including narcotics (for pain relieving effects), sedatives, and antidepressants, for anxiety, mental illness or muscle relaxants. These, as it was already said, might interact with Tramadol’s action in the body and do more harm than good. Also, you should not change your dosage without consulting the doctor. Do not take more tablets than recommended just to compensate for the missed dosage. If you are taking MAO inhibitors, carbamazepine, warfarin or digoxin, be sure to tell your doctor and adjust the dosage of Tramadol administered. The same thing goes for any medication you are talking or you’re planning on taking.

As you can see for yourself, there are many indications and contraindications for those who want and need to take Tramadol. It is highly important that you pay the right amount of attention to them, as they can affect your general well-being. One last advice: if you have taken Tramadol before and presented with anaphylactic reactions to any of its ingredients, tell that to the doctor and don’t take the medicine on your own!

Written and Endorsed on April 12th, 2008 by:

Vlãsceanu Alexandra - Medical Student
“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Physical therapy and medical rehabilitation specialty,
Bucharest, Romania