The Relief and the Side Effects By Chris Cornell

Nobody likes pain. Sadly, it is an inevitable part of live. We employ different means and methods to combat all sorts of pain once in a while in our lives. For the physical pain, we more than often pop pills to relieve them. Some we deem are not strong enough so we up the dosage or shop for something stronger. There have been issues where people become addicted to pain relievers and resort to it at any slightest chance turning it into a recreation drug. The incessant use of it, has led to many vendors offering competitive prices to rev up sales.

When it comes to pain management, tramadol is like a one-stop center. This powerful pain reliever is used to treat mild to very severe pain. Some of the side effects of the drug is said to be akin to the feelings one has when in an inebriated state - impaired thinking and/or reactions, seizures, etc. The narcotic nature of the pill has affected tramadol prices some argue, and has led to warning that people with addictive tendencies should abstain from it. Its effectiveness and ease of availability has encouraged abuse of the drug and overdosing on it can be very fatal. Taking it with alcohol or other drugs can lead to short of breathe and instant death.

Tramadol prices can greatly vary depending on where you get them. Today, for various personal and convenient reasons, most people get their medical subscriptions over the internet. This trend has greatly increased the possibility of getting a substandard product. Due to its addictive tendencies, the dangers of consuming fake tramadol cannot be over emphasised. One must not be carried away by vendors offering lower tramadol prices, especially over the internet; cost does not necessarily dictate quality when it comes to drugs, beware! Get your drugs only from a certified physician or outlet.

Tramadol is a powerful pain killer that works like morphine.

What You Need to Know About Pain Medication By Joan One

Tramadol is a generic version of Ultram which is a synthetic analgesic medication. Although the exact process by which tramadol works is not known, it is believed to function just as morphine does. This involves binding the opioid receptors in the brain. These receptors are responsible for the transmission of pain sensations throughout the body.

Tramadol is prescribed by doctors for purposes of treating moderate to moderately severe pain. It belongs to a class of drugs called opiate agonists and works by altering how the body senses pain. When taken for up to three months, this medication has been found to help to reduce pain and stiffness, while improving function and overall well being of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Although commonly mistaken for an NSAID or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, tramadol is not any of the above.

Tramadol may be prescribed in a 50mg dose as an immediate release tablet, or in a 100, 200 or 300 mg dose in an extended release table. The latter is normally prescribed to patients suffering from chronic pain who are in need of continuous treatment in the long term. Tramadol should be taken properly while following the prescription instructions so as to avoid serious side effects or even death. For instance, the extended release tablets should be taken whole, and not chewed, split or crushed.

Avoid taking tramadol when pregnant as the safe use of this medication by expectant or breastfeeding mothers has not yet been established. Avoid taking more tramadol than your prescription provides as this could lead to dependency. You should also not stop taking tramadol without prior consultation with your doctor as this could lead to withdrawal symptoms. Most doctors recommend gradually decreasing your dosage over time.

If you are already taking other medications, be sure to inform your doctor before he starts you on tramadol. This is because drug interactions are possible with tramadol including reduced effects by Carbamazepine, increased concentration of 50-60% by Quinidine, and seizures or other serious side effects due to MAO or SSRI inhibitors. Your central nervous system and respiratory depression may be increased when tramadol is combined with certain substances such as narcotic drugs, alcohol, sedatives, anesthetics and tranquilizers.

Although tramadol is normally well tolerated, it does result in certain temporary side effects such as constipation, nausea, headaches, dizziness, vomiting and drowsiness. Other less common side effects include sweating, itching, dry mouth, rash, diarrhea and vertigo as well as rare cases of seizures. Symptoms of an overdose of tramadol include difficulty in breathing or remaining awake, decreased pupil size, seizure, coma, heart attack or loss of consciousness.

Joan One is a freelance journalist and creative writer who immensely enjoys writing and researching into any topic under the Sun. She specializes in writing "green" eco-friendly topics aimed at enabling environmentally conscious readers to find simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help save our planet.

The Unique Pain Medication By Yury Bayarski

Tramadol has been used as an analgesic since the late 1970s, and became one of the most popular analgesics of its class in Germany. International interest for the drug has been renewed when it was discovered that tramadol not only acts like opioids, but also inhibits serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake.

Mechanism of action
Tramadol is a unique medication. Its mode of action and safety profile distinguishes it from other opioids. It is classified as an atypical centrally acting analgesic, and has opioid and non-opioid properties. Tramadol is a synthetic analogue of codeine that has weak opioid agonist properties. It also inhibits the neuronal reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin as do the antidepressant drugs
Tramadol has strong structural similarities to the antidepressant venlafaxine. Because of its similarities to venlafaxine, tramadol may possibly exert a degree of antidepressant effect in certain patients, particularly those with chronic pain.

Side effects
Tramadol is generally well tolerated, the most common side effects being nausea and vomiting. In contrast to agents such as morphine and pethidine, respiratory depression rarely occurs during tramadol treatment at equipotent doses. But large doses of tramadol may increase the respiratory effects of other drugs. It is also associated with a low incidence of cardiac depression and significantly less dizziness and drowsiness than morphine.
Finally, dependence and abuse potential is relatively low because it has only a weak opioid effect. The low abuse potential of tramadol has been demonstrated by postmarketing surveillance data.
Tramadol appears to carry the same risk of urinary disorders (difficulty in micturition, urinary retention) as other opiates.
The medication should be avoided in persons with epilepsy and used cautiously in those taking medications which lower the threshold for seizures.

Tramadol uses
It is effective in different types of moderate-to-severe pain, including neuropathic pain. This medication has a dose-dependent efficacy that lies between that of codeine and morphine, with a parenteral potency comparable to that of pethidine.
Comparative studies have demonstrated that tramadol is more effective than NSAIDs for controlling post operative pain. Moreover, as the mode of action of tramadol does not overlap with that of NSAIDs, it is a useful agent to be combined with these drugs. Use of a combination of tramadol and NSAIDs allows the tramadol dose to be reduced and results in a lower incidence of side effects.
Tramadol may be particularly useful for elderly population suffering from osteoarthritis because, unlike NSAIDs, it does not aggravate high blood pressure and cardiovascular complications, nor does it have the potential to cause peptic ulcer disease.
Tramadol has been used with good results for the management of labour pain without respiratory depression of the neonate. It is effective for the treatment of pain from myocardial ischaemia, renal colic and acute trauma.

Recommendations

The recommended daily dose of tramadol  is between 50 and 100mg every 4 to 6 hours, with a maximum dose of 400 mg/day; the duration of the analgesic effect after a single oral dose of tramadol 100 mg is about 6 hours.