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Tramadol

Tramadol
Aka: Tramal, Ultram.

The Drug

The Effects

The Risks

The Law

The Drug
Overview Appearance Use
Overview

What is tramadol? Tramadol, like other opiates, stimulates brain opioid receptors but it also increases brain serotonin levels. It is a medicine used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is only available with a prescription from your doctor. Other opiates include codeine, methadone and heroin.

Although tramadol is not as strong as heroin, it shares many of the same effects and both are addictive.

Tramadol can:

  • Produce feelings of warmth and well-being, relaxation and sleepiness.
  • Cause fatigue, drowsiness, loss of appetite, nausea and retching, diarrhoea, and dizziness or fainting.
  • Worsen side-effects and risks when used with certain antidepressants that tend to increase serotonin levels.
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Appearance

What does tramadol look like?

Tramadol is usually available as white pills, tablets or coloured capsules, although liquid forms are produced.

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Use

How is tramadol taken?

Tramadol is normally swallowed, but some people crush up the tablets and snort them. ‘Street’ tramadol costs between £1 - £2.50 per pill/tablet/capsule.

The Effects

What are the effects of tramadol?

Tramadol is an opiate. Although it is weaker than heroin and methadone, it still causes all the typical opiate effects, alongside some effects due to increases in serotonin activity. The effects include:

  • Feelings of warmth and well-being, relaxation and sleepiness.
  • Typical opiate effects of fatigue, drowsiness, nausea and retching, constipation and sometimes confusion.
  • Less often, diarrhoea, dizziness or fainting, excessive sweating, itching, raised blood pressure, tightness in the airways, muscle weakness, sensory disturbances, hallucinations, fits and blood disorders.
The Risks
What are the risks? Impurities Getting hooked
What are the risks?

What are the risks?

Although tramadol is not as potent as the strongest opiates like heroin, it still acts as an opiate, and also has additional risks due to its actions on serotonin levels:

  • If you have epilepsy or are taking certain antidepressants you should definitely only take tramadol with clear medical advice because of the known risks.
  • Tramadol can depress breathing and may be risky in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
  • Tramadol use has been linked with ‘serotonin syndrome’. This is a potentially life threatening condition where the serotonin receptors are over stimulated, which can lead to high fever, rapid pulse, shivering, sweating, trembling, muscle twitches and agitation and confusion.
  • Pregnant women should not use tramadol as it can be toxic to the developing foetus.

Tramadol and alcohol

Mixing tramadol with alcohol can have serious consequences – an overdose is more likely and this can lead to a coma or respiratory failure and death.

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Impurities

Only tramadol tablets that were dispensed from a pharmacy directly to you are reliably pure and have the strength indicated. It is important to think quite hard about any ‘medications’ you take from an uncertain source.

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Getting hooked

Can you get addicted to Tramadol?
Tramadol is addictive.

Over time, using tramadol produces 'cravings' and a psychological desire to keep on using.

Tolerance can also build, so that users have to take more just to get the same effects or to avoid an unpleasant withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms include nervous tremors, anxiety, yawning, sweating, runny nose, sleep disturbance, nausea, diarrhoea, goosebumps, restlessness, abdominal cramps and muscle spasms.

The Law

Tramadol and the law

Tramadol is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but is only available with a prescription from a doctor or other healthcare professional that is qualified to prescribe.  It is illegal for anyone else to supply it.

Did you know?

  • Like drinking and driving, driving while high is illegal – and you can still be unfit to drive the day after using tramadol. You can get a heavy fine, be disqualified from driving or even go to prison.

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