Before You Buy Tramadol What You Should Know About Its Safety Profile
May 14, 2010
Most people wonder how safe tramadol is
since it is a controlled drug. There is no easy answer to this because like any other approved drug its safety depends on how it is used. However, the first thing to chalk up in tramadol’s favor is the fact that it has been in used since the late 1970s even though it was approved in the US in March 2005. These long years of use have afforded researchers a lot of time to study the effects of the drug extensively and now we have a clear idea of how safe it is.
The maximum daily dose is put at 400mg but most prescriptions rarely go over 300mg. Also compared to other opioid analgesics used to treat pain the potential for physical dependence is low. However, withdrawal symptoms can be severe which is why patients are advised to taper off their dose when going off tramadol instead of abruptly stopping it.
Some other patient groups are also advised to take adjusted doses of tramadol 50mg. These lesser doses are administered due to underdeveloped (under 18 years) or diminished organ functions (above 75 years, those with liver and kidney damage which are the sites of metabolism and excretion). Also, tramadol medication is contraindicated in pregnant women and is to be taken with caution and only if necessary by nursing mothers.
While tramadol’s safety profile has often been guessed from the safeties of the chronic use of other opioids, the drug has sometime proven to defy this. An example is the evidence that tramadol may often enhance immune function unlike other opioids which do the reverse. Quite a number of tramadol’s off-label and investigational uses come from such surprises.
So how safe are tramadol pills? Well, if you don’t abuse it, very safe in fact.
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