Information on Tramadol Medicine
This medicine can be dangerous if taken with alcohol, other drugs, or prescription medications that affect your nervous system. It may cause drowsiness or breathing difficulties, and even death. This includes sedatives, narcotic pain medicines, and some illegal drugs.
Even if taken exactly according to your doctor’s prescription, long-term usage can increase your dependence risk.
What is tramadol used for?
Tramadol is in a class of medications called opioid pain relievers. The drug works on the spine and brain to decrease the pain. It is used to treat moderate to severe pain that is not relieved by other medications. Only a prescription is needed to purchase this medicine.
This medication may cause seizures in some people, especially if it is taken with other drugs that affect the brain (such as alcohol or antidepressants). If you have a history of seizure disorders, discuss this with your doctor before taking tramadol. This medication can also slow or stop your breathing, which can be life-threatening. Children younger than 12 are not advised to use this medication. The use of this medicine during pregnancy is not recommended unless it has a benefit that outweighs any risk for the baby. This drug passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant. Talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.
Over time, you may need to take higher doses of this medication to get the same pain relief. This is because your body will develop a tolerance to the drug. Tramadol can cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially when it is first started or if the dose is increased. It is most likely to occur in elderly adults or those with certain conditions, such as lung disease or asthma. This can increase the pressure in your head, making it difficult for doctors to determine if you’ve had a brain tumour or a head trauma.
Drink lots of water and eat fiber-rich foods to help prevent constipation, which can be a side effect of this medication. The medication may cause drowsiness and dizziness. Do not drive or perform other tasks that require alertness until you know how this medicine affects you.
What is the tramadol effect?
Tramadol belongs to a group of drugs called opioid receptor antagonists. It works by attaching to certain mu-opioid receptors in your brain and changing the way your body recognizes pain. It also increases levels of chemicals in your brain called serotonin and norepinephrine. This can reduce your need to take other pain medications and help you control the intensity of your pain. Sometimes this medication is used in combination with other pain relief medications (such as Acetaminophen), to treat chronic or severe pain. The combination of tramadol and acetaminophen is more potent than tramadol by itself, but may cause side effects such as respiratory problems if used for long periods.
If you use Tramadol in excess or more frequently than recommended, it can have serious side effects or even be fatal. Your doctor will give you the lowest dose needed for the shortest amount of time possible. You must follow the instructions of your doctor exactly. Never share this medication with anyone else. The medicine contains a controlled substance that is highly susceptible to misuse, addiction, and abuse. Tramadol taken with alcohol or depressants, such as other drugs and/or tramadol, can cause serious side effects. These include very slow breathing, coma, etc.
Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant before taking tramadol. Long-term use of this medication during pregnancy can cause your baby to become dependent on the drug and have withdrawal symptoms after birth. High-pitched screaming, poor sucking and feeding behavior, shaking and seizures are all symptoms of withdrawal. This problem is known as neonatal withdrawal syndrome.
This medication is not for use in children younger than 17 years old. It is not safe for people with a brain or spinal cord injury, stomach problems (including ulcers), liver or kidney disease, or mental health problems. Your doctor may prescribe another medication if you suffer from these conditions. This medication can increase your risk of seizures if you have a history of them or head injuries. This medication can increase the pressure inside your brain, which could lead to strokes or damage.
Dosage
Exactly how much medicine you take and when you take it depends on your type of pain, how well it responds to treatment, and other medical conditions. Your doctor might need to change your dosage if you suffer from a liver or kidney disorder.
Tramadol can become less effective if you use it for an extended period of time. It may be necessary to take a larger dose in order to achieve the same level of pain relief. Tolerance to the drug is what happens. If you take a larger dose, your risk of side effects will increase.
It is likely that you will experience this if opioids have been used for many years. You may also develop a psychological dependence on opioids, which can lead to withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking them. This can be prevented by gradually reducing your dosage over a period of time before stopping the medication.
You should not take this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It can harm your unborn baby. If you do become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor right away. This medicine can cause serious side effects for your child if it passes into the breast milk.
Unless you are treating a very serious health problem, your doctor will not recommend this medication for children younger than 12 years old. It can cause life-threatening drowsiness and breathing problems in young children.
The medicine you are taking is controlled and requires that your doctor write a prescription for it. Keep track of your pill use and dispose of any unused medication properly. Ask your pharmacist where to find a drug take-back program, or mix your pills with cat litter or coffee grounds and throw them away in a safe way.
Side effects
Tramadol, an opioid pain medicine, works by altering the way that your brain perceives pain and reacts to it. This drug also raises the levels of brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and serotonin. This medicine is available by mouth as immediate-release tablets and extended-release capsules and as an injection. It is also available in combination with the pain reliever acetaminophen, under the brand name Ultracet and as generics. Tramadol can cause serious side effects, including liver damage, if it is abused. People who misuse tramadol can become dependent on it and develop withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking it suddenly. Your doctor will monitor you for these symptoms and may lower your dose gradually to prevent withdrawal.
Long-term use of this medication can lead to a reduction in bone density (osteoporosis). Ask your doctor if this medication is safe to use if you suffer from osteoporosis.
This medication can make you dizzy or drowsy. You should not drive, or perform any other activity that involves alertness, until you have determined how the drug will affect you. This effect can be increased by alcohol and other narcotics. This medication may also cause an extremely rare heart condition (QT prolongation). This condition can lead to an irregular or fast heartbeat that is fatal. Tell your doctor if you’ve had this issue in the past before taking this medication.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, tell your doctor before you take this medicine. This medication passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Your doctor may suggest that you stop breastfeeding or switch to another type of pain medication. If the mother stops taking this medication, the baby can experience life-threatening symptoms of withdrawal. Tell your doctor right away if you notice symptoms such as high-pitched crying, poor feeding and sucking behavior, trembling and abnormal sleep patterns.
Take Precautions
This information is not intended to replace the advice and judgement of your physician or another health care provider. Please discuss with your healthcare provider any concerns or questions you might have.
Tramadol can cause serious, life-threatening side effects if you take too much of it, or if you have certain medical conditions. Before taking tramadol, tell your doctor if you have liver disease; kidney or gallbladder disease; glaucoma; a history of head or neck surgery; or other serious health problems (such as a history of asthma or breathing problems). Also let your doctor know if you drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications, or use street drugs. They can cause seizures or other adverse effects.
Long-term use of tramadol during pregnancy can cause your unborn baby to become dependent on the medication. After birth, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawals symptoms. If you stop taking tramadol during pregnancy, tell your doctor right away if your baby has symptoms such as irritability, unusual sleep patterns, high-pitched crying, trouble feeding or sucking, shaking of a part of the body, trembling, or seizures.
This medication can interact with many other drugs, including antibiotics, antifungal medications, heart or blood pressure medicines, seizure medicines, and some other pain relievers. This medication may also slow down your breathing when you are taking sedatives like benzodiazepines and alprazolam. This drug can have very severe, potentially fatal, side effects when taken with alcohol, another sedative, or depressants. These include respiratory depression, coma or death. This medication is also not recommended for use in children younger than 12 years. This medication is unknown to pass into breastmilk or harm nursing babies.