What is Ultram? What Doctors Are Not Telling Patients.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tramadol is an atypical opioid which is a centrally acting analgesic, used for treating moderate to severe pain. It is a synthetic agent, unrelated to other opioids, and appears to have actions on the GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. Tramadol was developed by the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH and marketed under the trade name Tramal. Grünenthal has also cross licensed the drug to many other pharmaceutical companies that market it under various names, some of which are listed below.

Ultram, also called Tramadol, is a good analgesic designed to treat moderate to severe pain. While it's not in the NSAID family (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) it is also not a member of the narcotic pain reliever family. It's unique in that it offers the benefits of both drug types, without subjecting users to the negative aspects of either of them.

Tramadol is usually marketed as the hydrochloride salt (tramadol hydrochloride) and is available in both injectable (intravenous and/or intramuscular) and oral preparations (e.g. Zydol® in UK and Ultram® in US). It is also available in conjunction with paracetamol (acetaminophen) as Ultracet® or Tramacet®.

People who are weary of the volatile effects of narcotic pain medications, like those associated with strong opiates (Vicodin, Oxycontin, Morphine, Demerol, etc) can enjoy the benefit of good pain relief without them.

Ultram Tramadol

On the other hand, Ultram also acts as a good anti-inflammatory without the risk of stomach damage or irritation associated with many of the NSAIDs. So it's no wonder that many physicians find it an ideal and appropriate treatment for a variety of pain issues with their patients.

Dosages vary depending on the degree of pain experienced by the patient. Tramadol is approximately 10% as potent as morphine, when given by the IV/IM route. Oral doses range from 50–400 mg daily, with up to 600 mg daily when given IV/IM. The 'combination' pills each contain 37.5 mg of tramadol and 325 mg of paracetamol, with the recommended dose being one or two pills every four to six hours.

Now the fact that Ultram is classified as non-narcotic can mislead both doctors and patients into thinking there's not a risk for addiction or dependency. Though, in the last few years, doctors have realized that many of their patients have become dependent on this medication. Many doctor's offices are now handling Ultram the same way they do narcotic prescriptions.

Note that unlike virtually all other opioids/opiates, Tramadol is not considered a controlled substance in many countries (US and Canada, among others), available only with a normal prescription. According to Erowid, there have also been reports that, in a few countries, Tramadol is available over-the-counter without a prescription at all.

Yet there are still a number of physicians and patients who are unaware of its habit-forming potential. There have even been cases where patients attempted to inform their doctors that they were experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms from discontinued use, and were dismissed, doctors having cited that it was not possible to experience these types of symptoms with a non-narcotic drug.

We have learned in recent years that withdrawal can occur as a result of discontinuing any number of medications, namely anti-depressants like Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro. The fact is that once the body is used to processing a substance for a period of time, it reacts strongly to its no longer being in the bloodstream. This reaction is almost always very unpleasant and uncomfortable for the one experiencing it.

Formula Ultram Tramadol

Mechanism of action

The mode of action of tramadol has yet to be fully understood, but it is believed to work through modulation of the GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. The contribution of non-opioid activity is demonstrated by the analgesic effects of tramadol not being fully antagonised by the μ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone.

What adds to the habit-forming nature of Ultram is that in addition to its effectiveness at relieving pain, it also acts as a great anti-depressant, as well as a healer of several other ailments. For many of those who have taken Ultram, it could be described as a wonder drug-as in one wonders why they can't just take this medication indefinitely. The reason of course, is that it's not been approved for such use.

Tramadol is marketed as a racemic mixture with a weak affinity for the μ-opioid receptor (approximately 1/6000th that of morphine). The (+)-enantiomer is approximately four times more potent than the (-)-enantiomer in terms of μ-opioid receptor affinity and 5-HT reuptake, whereas the (-)-enantiomer is responsible for noradrenaline reuptake effects (Shipton, 2000). These actions appear to produce a synergistic analgesic effect, with (+)-tramadol exhibiting 10-fold higher analgesic activity than (-)-tramadol (Goeringer et al., 1997).

Many patients wondered whether or not Ultram could follow the example of Wellbutrin. This drug was created to treat depression, but after it was widely reported by users to be helpful in quitting smoking, it became approved for this purpose as well, then marketed as Zyban to consumers seeking this type of product.

This will likely never happen with Ultram, much to the disappointment of the thousands of people who have been using it as an anti-depressant. This is partly thanks to the many who have not just used Ultram, but abused it.

The serotonergic modulating properties of tramadol mean that it has the potential to interact with other serotonergic agents. There is an increased risk of serotonin syndrome when tramadol is taken in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. SSRIs), since these agents not only potentiate the effect of 5-HT but also inhibit tramadol's metabolism.

There are many reports of people taking up to twenty 50 milligram tablets per day, while the maximum daily dosage allowed is eight of those tablets. People have also attempted forgery to gain access to it, and exhibited other drug seeking behaviors as part of the abuse of the drug.

Since Ultram is not a narcotic, it has never been necessary to misuse it in such a way. But people who are addicts by nature will misuse any medication or substance they come in contact with.

It is suggested that tramadol could be effective for alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety because of its action on GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. However, health professionals generally do not suggest use of the drug for treatment of such disorders.

It is important to note that while Ultram does not produce a lot of heavy side effects, it is extremely habit forming just in the sense that it easily creates one of the harshest and most extreme withdrawal experiences of anything out there. Doctors need to be aware of this so they can advise their patients accordingly and the dosage tapered before it's stopped.

Tramadol may also be used to treat hypertension when other treatments have failed.

If you have been taking this medication for any length of time, do not stop suddenly. The symptoms you can experience as a result are: shaking, trouble breathing, extreme allergies and sneezing, restless limbs, diarrhea, severe agitation, lethargy, and rapid heart rate. Obviously the longer period of use, the more severe the symptoms will be, but it doesn't take long for it to become a habit for your body to process this medicine.

While Ultram is a great medication and works well for its intended purpose, use it carefully, even if your doctor sees no reason to proceed with caution.

Source

What is Ultram? What Doctors Are Not Telling Patients.

Mechanism of action

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