Tramadol how does it work

However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you.

Tramadol can cause or worsen seizures. These drugs include other opioid pain drugs or certain medications for depression, other mood disorders, or psychosis. If you take too much tramadol, you may be treated with a medication called naloxone. This drug also raises your risk of seizures. If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center right away.

If your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room. Taking it again could be fatal cause death. The use of drinks that contain alcohol can increase your risk of certain side effects from tramadol. These include slowed breathing, decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, or confusion.

You should not drink alcohol while taking tramadol. For people with seizures: If you have seizures or a history of seizures, tramadol can cause or worsen seizures. Talk with your doctor about whether tramadol is safe for you. For people with mental health problems: If you have thoughts about intentionally hurting yourself, or have hurt yourself, do not take tramadol. For people with addiction problems: If you have problems with addiction, such as addiction to alcohol or drugs, do not take tramadol.

Also avoid this drug if you have a history of addiction. For people with head injuries: Tramadol can increase the pressure inside your head. This can worsen your condition or make it harder for doctors to diagnose or find the cause of problems in your brain. For people with stomach problems: Tramadol can make certain stomach problems worse.

It can also make it harder for doctors to diagnose or find the cause of problems. For people with breathing problems: Tramadol may slow your breathing and cause shallow breathing.

Shallow breathing means you take small, short breaths. If you already have a breathing problem, such as asthma, talk with your doctor about whether this drug is safe for you. For pregnant women: Tramadol is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:. This drug should only be used if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this drug. For women who are breastfeeding: Tramadol may pass into breast milk and cause serious effects in a child who is breastfed.

These effects can include slowed breathing and death. Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. For seniors: The kidneys or liver of older adults may not work as well as they used to.

This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects.

Seniors 65 years of age and older are at higher risk of side effects from the extended-release forms of this drug. Tramadol oral tablet is used for short-term or long-term treatment. Your dose will depend on how bad your pain is, how you've responded to previous painkillers and if you get any side effects. Fast-acting tramadol comes as capsules, drops and 2 different tablets — soluble and dissolve-in-the-mouth tablets:. Slow-release tramadol comes as tablets and capsules.

It's important to swallow slow-release tramadol tablets and capsules whole with a drink of water. Do not break, crush, chew or suck slow-release tablets and capsules. If you do, the slow-release system will not work and the whole dose might get into your body in one go. This could cause a potentially fatal overdose. When to take it depends on the type of tramadol that you have been prescribed:.

If you're 65 and over, or you have liver or kidney problems, you may be asked by your doctor to take tramadol less often. You can take your tramadol at any time of day but try to take it at the same time every day and space your doses evenly. For example, if you take tramadol twice a day and have your first dose at 8am, take your second dose at 8pm. If you forget to take a dose, check the information on the patient information leaflet inside the packaging or ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice on what to do.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine. If you need to take tramadol for a long time your body can become tolerant to it. This is not usually a problem but you could get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it suddenly. If you want to stop taking tramadol, talk to your doctor first.

Your dose will usually be reduced gradually so you do not get unpleasant withdrawal effects. Tramadol can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you come off it suddenly, such as:. If you have been taking tramadol for more than a few weeks do not stop taking it without speaking to your doctor first. It's important not to take more than your prescribed dose, even if you think it's not enough to relieve your pain.

Speak to your doctor first, if you think you need a different dose. If you've taken an accidental overdose you may feel very sleepy, sick or dizzy. You may also find it difficult to breathe. In serious cases you can become unconscious and may need emergency treatment in hospital. The amount of tramadol that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person. If you've taken 1 extra dose by mistake, check the information that comes with the medicine packaging or ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Generally, you are unlikely to get any symptoms and you can take your next dose as usual. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance. Take the tramadol box or leaflet inside the packet plus any remaining medicine with you. It's safe to take tramadol with paracetamol , ibuprofen or aspirin aspirin is suitable for most people aged 16 years and over.

Do not take tramadol with codeine-containing painkillers you can buy from a pharmacy. You'll be more likely to get side effects. Some everyday painkillers that you can buy from pharmacies contain codeine, which is a similar medicine to tramadol.

Codeine-containing painkillers that you can buy from pharmacies include co-codamol , Nurofen Plus and Solpadeine. Like all medicines, tramadol can cause side effects although not everyone gets them. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects listed below bother you or don't go away. Very common side effects of tramadol happen in more than 1 in 10 people and include:.

Common side effects of tramadol happen in more than 1 in people. They include:. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to tramadol. These are not all the side effects of tramadol. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. In early pregnancy, it's been linked to some problems for your unborn baby. If you take tramadol at the end of pregnancy there's a risk that your newborn baby may get withdrawal symptoms.

However, it's important to treat pain in pregnancy. For some pregnant women with severe pain, tramadol might be the best option. Your doctor is the best person to help you decide what's right for you and your baby. It's safe to breastfeed while taking tramadol. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Tramadol may cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children.

Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at While taking tramadol, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available e.

Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood. Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs.

You should make sure that you and your family members, caregivers, or the people who spend time with you know how to recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family members how to use the medication. Ask your pharmacist for the instructions or visit the manufacturer's website to get the instructions.

If symptoms of an overdose occur, a friend or family member should give the first dose of naloxone, call immediately, and stay with you and watch you closely until emergency medical help arrives. Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone.

If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of naloxone. Additional doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes, if symptoms return before medical help arrives. Keep all appointments with your doctor and laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to tramadol. Before having any laboratory test especially those that involve methylene blue , tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking tramadol. Do not let anyone else take your medication.

Tramadol is a controlled substance. Prescriptions may be refilled only a limited number of times; ask your pharmacist if you have any questions. Don't keep unused tramadol 'just in case', since this can lead to inappropriate use.

Keep tramadol out of reach of children and pets. Never throw medicines into a garbage bin or flush them down the toilet — this is dangerous to others and harmful to the environment. Asking about your treatment or medication is important to help you understand your options. Here's a guide to questions to ask your pharmacist or doctor before taking a medicine. See also this list of medicines that contain tramadol to read the consumer medicines information CMI leaflet for the brand prescribed.

You can also:. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Opioids include any drug that acts on opioid receptors in the brain, and any natural or synthetic drugs that are derived from or related to the opium poppy.

Read more on Alcohol and Drug Foundation website. Opioids are natural drugs derived from the opium poppy or synthetic drugs, and have a depressant or sedating effect, causing the brain and central nervous system to slow down. Read more on NSW Health website. Read more on Australian Prescriber website.

Read more on Cochrane Australasian Centre website. The Drug Wheel is a classification model that groups different types of drugs based on the effect they have on the body. The updated version of the Drug Wheel has seven categories. Learn about the various types of medicines and procedures that are available that may be able to form part of your musculoskeletal pain management plan.

Read more on Better Health Channel website. The burden of living with fibromyalgia is higher than with other rheumatic disorders and higher than with most other chronic illnesses. The Return Unwanted Medicines Project is a free and safe way for consumers to dispose of unwanted medicines at