Why is Tramadol Prescribed and What are the benefits?

Tramadol is an effective pain relief medication that is prescribed for managing short-term pain. This medication provides relief from moderate to severe pain including after-surgery and injury pain. Tramadol also boosts the serotonin level which provides temporary anxiety relief which is beneficial for patients experiencing trauma after injuries. However, this boost in serotonin levels can lead to serotonin syndrome which can have fatal consequences. Just like serotonin syndrome, there are other health risks associated with the use of Tramadol which can be life-threatening in the worst case. Due to the health risks and misuse cases, you are only allowed to buy tramadol online with a valid prescription. You can avoid these health risks by taking the prescribed dose and using it under constant medical supervision.

Benefits of Tramadol

The following are some important benefits of Tramadol:

• Relatively low risk of addiction and dependence when compared with other opioid medications.
• Tramadol provides effective pain relief in moderate to severe pain when other non-opioid-based medications are ineffective.
• Tramadol is available in affordable generic forms generally covered by health insurance.
• When combined with acetaminophen, it can provide effective dental pain relief.
• Tramadol increases the serotonin(the “feel-good” hormone) level in your body which provides temporary anxiety relief and boosts your mood.
• Some studies show that tramadol and other weaker opioids can work for moderate cancer pain.
• Although it is not prescribed as the first choice, tramadol can be effective for premature ejaculation. Consult with doctors first, before taking the medication for PE.

There are multiple benefits of using this medication but using it carelessly can introduce some mild or severe health risks. That is why professional supervision is required while taking tramadol as doctors will continuously monitor the medicine’s effect on your body. Depending on these effects, the medical professional will increase or decrease the dosage. The benefits and risks of tramadol are closely related to your medical history and current medical condition. That is why before starting the treatment, first consult with your doctors.

Different Forms of Tramadol and Their Uses

There are many forms of tramadol available with different uses and dosages. Medical professionals will decide the form for your particular case depending on the severity of pain and duration of the treatment. Different forms of tramadol and their details are given below:

• Immediate Release
  • Dosage Available: 50mg, 100mg
  • This form of tramadol is used for short-term acute pain where temporary pain relief is required. The maximum dosage should not exceed 400mg/day.
• Extended Release
  • Dosage Available: 100mg, 150mg, 200mg, 300mg
  • Extended-release tablets and capsules of tramadol require extra caution during the treatment. It is strictly advised not to break, lick, chew, dissolve or split the tablets before taking them. Do not use extended-release tramadol for acute or temporary pain.
  • This is taken only when the pain relief effect is required for the whole day.
  • Start the extended-release tablet dosage with 100mg/day then increase the dosage with the doctor’s consultation.
• Oral Solution
  • Dosage Available: 5mg/ml
  • Tramadol is available in liquid form as tramadol hydrochloride for moderate to severe pain management. This form is helpful in case you experience difficulty swallowing the tablets or capsules.
  • Do not use household items to measure the dosage of liquid tramadol solution as it can lead to irregular doses. Use a volume-marked container while taking the oral solution.

When Should You Avoid Tramadol?

Although tramadol has its benefits and is effective for pain management, there are certain health conditions where using the medication can lead to adverse effects. The details of these conditions are given below:

• Children under 18
  • Use of extended-release tramadol for children under 18 is strictly prohibited. For the use of immediate-release tramadol consult with your doctors first. There are certain conditions where immediate-release tramadol is also not suitable for kids.
• Pregnancy
  • Taking opioid-based medications like tramadol during pregnancy can cause opioid dependency and other health risks in the infant. However, there are other pain-relief medications safer than tramadol that you can take for pregnancy or labour pain.
• History of Drug Abuse
  • There are risks of addiction and dependence associated with long-term use of tramadol. If you have a medical history of drug abuse, you should definitely avoid opioid-based medications like tramadol.
• Taking Opioid Medication
  • If you are already taking other opioid-based medication like hydrocodone or oxycodone, do not take tramadol as it can lead to opioid overdose. To avoid such risks consult with your doctor and get a prescription before you buy oxycodone online. Doctors will only prescribe you oxycodone or tramadol after checking your previous medication history and current medications to avoid opioid overdose.
• Taking Restoril or other Benzodiazepines
  • Both tramadol(opioid-based) and Restoril(a benzodiazepine) affect your central nervous system and slow it down, taking these two medications together can lead to fatal consequences. Restoril is also a strong medication which is why a prescription is required to buy Restoril online.
• Kidney or Liver Problems
  • Using tramadol is not recommended for people with kidney or liver diseases, doing so may increase the side-effects of the medication causing liver or kidney failure in the worst case.

Alternatives for Tramdol

Tramadol has its benefits and uses but this medication may not be the best solution depending on your particular case. The following are some common medicines used as an alternative to tramadol:

Acetaminophen

• It is a non-opioid medication that is used to relieve short-term moderate pain. Acetaminophen is a safer option when compared with opioid-based tramadol. However, the potency of acetaminophen is low when compared with tramadol.

Pethidine

• Studies have shown that in case of labour pain, pethidine is better than tramadol with less incidents of side effects.

Hydrocodone

• Hydrocodone is another opioid-based medication that is used to treat severe chronic pain. This medication is used in severe pain where weaker opioids like tramadol do not provide effective pain relief.

Ibuprofen

• This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for treating mild or moderate pain. Ibuprofen is also considered a safer option than tramadol because it can be taken for a longer duration without the risk of addiction.

There are both opioid and non-opioid alternatives for tramadol which you can take depending on the severity of the pain and the duration of treatment. First consult with your doctors, before starting any of these alternatives to avoid any harmful effects.

Is Tramadol a good option for Dental Pain?

Your dentist may prescribe you tramadol for your dental treatment pain because of its effectiveness and low risk of addiction. For dental pain relief, tramadol is often prescribed in combination with acetaminophen(a non-opioid fever reducer) because of its superior pain relief qualities when compared with tramadol alone.

Tramadol is effective for dental pain but is not considered the first choice as using opioid-based medications requires caution and constant medical supervision. It is only considered an option when the pain is quite severe and other non-opioid medications are not providing any relief. Consult with your dentist to see if you are eligible for the medication and only proceed further when the dentists say so.

Risks of Buying Tramadol Online and How to Avoid Them

Online pharmacies are gaining popularity as they are convenient and provide easy accessibility to people living in remote areas. However, there are some risks involved with online purchasing and they are listed below:

Risks

• Receiving tampered medicines which can cause severe adverse effects.
• The provider may sell you unapproved, expired medication.
• The website may ask you to click on a suspicious link and misuse your bank credentials during the payment.
• The online pharmacy may take a longer time to provide the medication which is not suitable for emergency cases.

How to Avoid These Risks

• Check whether the online pharmacy has a licence to sell prescribed medication. Having a State Board’s licence is a sign of trust and quality. You can check the state board’s official database, or if you have any queries, contact the pharmacy’s customer care.
• A licenced pharmacist should be there to validate your prescription and answer your doubts regarding the medication.
• Do not buy from websites that offer huge discounts and are not asking for a prescription.

Note from Dentis Healthcare professionals on Tramadol Overdosing

The main risk of using opioid medications is the life-threatening consequences of their overdose. There are mainly three main reasons behind overdosing:

• People who use opioid medications like tramadol for a long time develop a tolerance against the drug which reduces its effectiveness. To overcome this tolerance, patients take more than the prescribed dose which results in overdosing and lead to severe consequences.
• Tramadol is misused for the drug-like euphoric sensation it provides and people get dependent on this sensation. These patients take high doses of tramadol to get more of this euphoric feeling and overdose in the process.
• There are also accidental cases of tramadol overdose, for example misjudging the dose or taking the missed dose along with the current dose.

Following a medical professional’s advice can avoid the risks and adverse effects of Tramadol overdose. Dentis Healthcare and its dental professionals believe the risk of tramadol overdose can be reduced significantly with proper professional guidance. This is why, we also provide counselling to patients regarding dental treatment and the medications we prescribe.

Conclusion

Tramadol provides effective pain relief for short-term acute pain where other non-opioid medications are ineffective. This medication is often prescribed for after-surgery and after-injury pain because it temporarily relieves anxiety by increasing the serotonin levels in your body. Tramadol relieves pain by interfering with the communication of pain signals between the body and brain. Using tramadol requires caution and the supervision of a medical professional to ensure a complications-free treatment.

Online pharmacies are getting popular due to the convenience they provide and the accessibility they give to people living in remote areas with no physical stores. For your safety, only buy tramadol online with a valid prescription from a licensed pharmacy.