Tramadol and its use
Tramadol is a prescription medicine that is sold in multiple forms. The most popular kind of this drug is a pill. There exist two types of Tramadol – immediate-release (IR) formulation and extended-release (XR) formulation. They have the same effect but differ in strength.
Tramadol can be purchased in its generic form. The IR tablets are sold under the brand name Ultram. Generic versions of the medication are generally a bit cheaper than the brand-name version. However, they aren’t always available in all forms and strengths.
Both IR and XR formulations of Tramadol belong to the class of controlled drugs. It means that a patient should always be under the doctor’s supervision.
What is Tramadol for?
Tramadol is known among patients and doctors as an effective painkiller.
Tramadol can be taken solo or along with other medications. The course of treatment is determined by the doctor.
Detailed description of the Tramadol work
Tramadol is one of the drugs from the class called synthetic opioids. All medicines related to this group work approximately the same. As a result, they can be used for treating similar conditions.
The active ingredients of Tramadol change the way your brain perceives pain messages from receptors. The drug dulls them as they aren’t that bright and strong anymore. We can compare the work of Tramadol with endorphins – natural painkillers produced by our bodies. Their main purpose is the same, although Tramadol is the product of pharmaceutical companies.
Side effects of the treatment
During your treatment with Tramadol, you may experience sleepiness. Depending on its severity, be sure not to drive or perform any activities that may lead to self-harm – using tools and machinery. It’s important that you wait until the effects wear off.
There may appear other side effects. Here’s a shortlist:
- giddiness
- migraine
- feeling sleepy or tired
- sickness or vomiting
- constipation
- apathy
- sweating
- dry mouth
- itching
You don’t have to worry about these side effects until they are severe and prolonged. Typically, it takes a few days (on rare occasions, weeks) for them to go away. If your symptoms are severe, it’s better to consult a doctor or a local pharmacist.
Drug-drug interaction
Tramadol can be combined with some medicines, vitamins, and even herbs. This interaction, however, may influence the efficacy of the pill. In order to avoid any harm ask your doctor to adjust the dosage.
The first and the most important rule is the correct management of your therapy. If your doctor is not aware of some other medications, supplements, or vitamins you are taking at the moment, tell him. This information can be useful for prescribing the right amount and strength of pills.
Below, we provide a shortlist of medications that you can take with Tramadol.
Tramadol and other medications
In order not to increase the intensity of side effects, discuss all details of treatment with your doctor. For example, when you are already on some medication, it would be great to be monitored more frequently and closely than usual.
This is the list of such meds:
- Antibiotics
- Antidepressants
- Antifungal drugs
- Heart rhythm drugs
- Protease inhibitors
A few words on the Tramadol dosage
All patients ask the same question: what is the best suitable dosage of Tramadol that can help me? There’s no universal answer since the number of pills, their form, and strength differ a lot. It all depends on multiple factors like the age of the patient, his condition and medical history, the reaction to the first dose, and many other aspects.
We’ve gathered general information on dosages but don’t expect it to be truthful in your case.
Adult dosage (for patients of 18-64 years) is 200 mg per day (for IR pills) or 100 mg per day (for XR pills).
Child dosage (for patients of 0-17 years) can reach 200 mg per day if taking IR tablets. No known studies are showing any efficacy of the XR pills for patients under 18.
Senior dosage (for patients 65 years and older) may be up to 300 mg per day. In general, senior patients need stronger pills or increased dosage because of the way their liver and kidneys work at this age. However, it may also lead to more intense side effects.