What Is The Medicine Tramadol And What Is It Used For?

The drug tramadol is used by professionals to relieve pain. To do this, it acts on specific nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. This drug belongs to the family of opioids. However, Tramadol behaves differently from other opioid medicines. We will discuss the mechanism of action of this drug later in this article.

Tramadol is especially effective as an analgesic when a patient suffers from pain after surgery. A single dose of 100 mg of this drug is equivalent to 1 g of paracetamol, one of the most widely used painkillers around the world.

In addition to analgesic properties, it has also been studied for use as an antidepressant and for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is because it increases the release of serotonin. However, there are still no scientific studies on its long-term antidepressant effect.

The drug tramadol: An opioid drug

Opioids have active ingredients that are characterized by the strong analgesic effect. Overall, they work by interacting with receptors found mainly in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.

The term “opioid” is commonly used to refer to all medications that are similar to opium. However, it is more appropriate to limit the scope to natural opium alkaloids and semi-synthetic derivatives.

In this way we can distinguish between three main groups:

• Opium alkaloids. Morphine and codeine.
• Semi-synthetic opioids. Heroin and oxycodone.
• Synthetic opioids. Tramadol.

How does the drug tramadol work?

This drug has a double mechanism of action. This means that it triggers a pain-relieving effect through a combination of two simultaneous mechanisms. On the one hand, it binds to μ-opioid receptors on neurons. These receptors are protein structures in cell membranes. When they interact with the molecule, it triggers a number of chemical reactions in the body, causing an effect.

The analgesic effect of tramadol is also due to the fact that it is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. This is why experts have wanted to investigate whether this drug can be used to treat depression.

Use of tramadol

For the administration of this drug, the medical professional must adjust the dose to the intensity of pain and the sensitivity of each patient. However, your doctor should always indicate the lowest possible effective dose to avoid side effects.

Some people must also take the lowest possible dose. This is because they are more likely to have complications due to their clinical situation. Here are some of the basic guidelines doctors use:

• Adults and adolescents over 12 years of age should never exceed a daily dose of 400 mg. If the patient’s condition is very serious and they require long-term treatment, they should only follow it with strict supervision by a specialist.
• Older. A dose adjustment is usually not necessary until the age of 75 if the patient does not suffer from kidney or liver failure. The older a person is, the more the dosing intervals need to be extended.
• Patients with renal or hepatic impairment. Finally, physicians usually extend the dosing intervals according to each patient’s clinical needs.

The side effects of the drug tramadol

Tramadol, like all other medicines, has possible side effects. The most common are nausea and dizziness. However, it can also trigger other symptoms, such as:

• Psychiatric disorders.
• Addiction.
• Problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Impaired vision.
• Impact on the nervous system.

Conclusion

This medicine is a prescription medicine. This means that you should not take it without medical authorization. Abusing tramadol can lead to addiction, which can have serious health consequences.