Tramadol is a drug under the class of man-made opioids. In general, opioids work by creating a morphine-like impact to the person which is to ease physical pain. This synthetic drug is used to alleviate medium to intense pain, particularly from accidents or major surgeries.
Like other drugs, this is also known by several brand names. Some of the known brand names of this drug are Rybix, ODT, Ultram ER, Conzip, and Ultram.
This drug is easy to spot in stores and pharmacies because of its pill identifiers. It is commonly sold in capsules and tablets where its strength can be in 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, and 300 milligrams.
The 100 mg and 200 mg tablet are both round in shape and white in color. The distinct difference between the two lies in their pill imprints. The pill imprints of the 100 mg and 200 mg are “PAR 821” and “PAR 822”, respectively. Whereas, the 50 mg table has the physical features of white color, round shape, and with a pill imprint of “AN 627”.
In addition, this drug can be categorized based on how quickly it induces its effects. These two classifications are immediate-release and extended-release form. The former is fast-acting after oral ingestion as the effect of this drug can be readily felt by the person. Whereas, the latter form is gradual in its effect which is suitable for patients suffering from severe pain.
Tramadol, How They Work
The nature of the operation for this synthetic drug is similar to morphine and other natural opioids. Once orally ingested, it targets and binds on specific brain receptors and the spinal cord to block the capacity to feel pain.
In addition, to further ease the pain, this drug also stimulates the secretion of dopamine so the person experiences euphoric feelings. This drug also has the capacity to inhibit the absorption of serotonin and norepinephrine which reinforces its pain relief action.
In terms of strength, Tramadol has a weaker pain-relieving potential compared to morphine. The strength ratio between this drug and morphine is 0.25: 0.1.
Addiction and Dangers
Before, this drug was not controlled and made available over-the-counter to various patients. However, because of the numerous cases of abuse and dependence, this drug has now been classified as a Schedule IV Controlled Substance by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
There are several reasons why this drug has been considered dangerous despite its medical benefits. Some of the common reasons include the following: unsafe for children younger than 12 years of age, not suitable for the elderly and pregnant women. Moreover, there are certainly short and long-term side effects upon using this medication.
For children younger than 12 years of age, this medication is not advised for a prescription because of its nature of depressing respiratory and heart function. Children who have not yet reached the age of 12 years have a weaker lung and heart system. This is the ultimate reason why this drug is not given to the younger ones.
For the elderly, this drug poses an imminent threat because of the slower function of the kidney and liver for people in this age bracket. Consequently, this increases the risk for the elderly to experience the side effects of the drug. Likewise, stomach pain or constipation is the typical side effect felt by patients in this age group.
For pregnant women, intake of this medication is highly discouraged and consultation with the doctor must be done prior to taking it. Women in this condition are very fragile but the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of this medication are more detrimental for the unborn child.
Aside from that, the onset of medicating with this drug can already induce short-term side effects. The medication of this drug must be done for a short period only in order to avoid any dependence and tolerance.
The common short-term side effects of this drug include itchiness, nausea, frequent headaches, stomach pains, disorientation, lethargy, agitation, and heartburn.
Meanwhile, when used and abused for a longer duration, this can lead to serious long-term side effects. The typical long-term side effects of this drug include convulsions, suicidal behavior, low adrenaline rush, very low blood pressure, slowed breathing patterns, withdrawal syndrome for the unborn child, and death.
Moreover, this substance has a half-life of 6 hours. Consequently, this means if one ingested a 100 mg tablet, half of this amount is metabolized or flushed out from the body after six hours.
Medications and Treatments
Before starting any treatment program, it is wise to let the patient be the one to decide whether to go for treatment or not. In this way, the patient acquires full awareness of the condition and the self-motivation to undergo the treatment program.
For any treatment program, the first common step is detoxification and abstinence from the drug. Both processes eliminate a huge amount of the substance from the body. Detoxification can be done in three ways: stomach lavage, oral ingestion of activated charcoal, and blood dialysis. From the three options, ingestion of activated charcoal is a common choice because it is easy to do and it is not that expensive.
The gradual or abrupt cessation from the drug can pose withdrawal symptoms from the patient. One can experience serious withdrawal symptoms from the abrupt cessation of the drug. The typical withdrawal symptoms for tramadol addiction include nervousness, muscle spasms, vomiting, difficulty sleeping, sweaty and cold skin, and slight tremors.
In order to ease these withdrawal symptoms, methadone is prescribed to the patient. Other medications prescribed to counter the effects of tramadol are naltrexone and buprenorphine-naloxone. The two medicines work in slightly different ways but the general impact is to stop the effects of opioid substances.
Aside from that, therapies are always included in every treatment program for it hastens the recovery process and reinforces positive behavior. Some of the common therapies adapted are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Contingency Management (CM).
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the sole purpose of helping the patient determine those negative thoughts which trigger the addiction. After, the therapist helps the patient formulate positive coping mechanisms when faced with these unhealthy thoughts.
Contingency management (CM) is also known as the Reward System in some text. This therapy reinforces positive behavior and abstinence from the drug through monetary or non-monetary prizes. It has been proven that imposing rewards are more effective in motivating the patient to do positive behaviors.
