Taking too much of any medication can lead to overdose. This can also happen if you take too much Tramadol. This drug is an effective treatment for moderate to severe pain and mostly used with prescription from a doctor. However, there are some people who self-medicate which is a risky thing to do. Before taking any pain reliever, it is very important to assess the level or kind of pain that one feels. There is an appropriate pain medication for different levels of pain. Although Tramadol is popular for its pain killing action, it should only be used for a more severe condition.

Following the dosage prescribe by your doctor will not lead to any overdose of the drug. Doctors know how potent the drug is so they will just give you the right dosage that will ease the pain. Remember that Tramadol is not a cure for a disease but only used to control or manage the pain caused by other health problems. If Tramadol is needed for longer periods, your doctor should give you an advice on what to do. There are reports that Tramadol can lead to dependence if used for longer periods.

Normal Dosage of Tramadol

The normal dose of Tramadol ranges from 25-100 milligrams every 4-6 hour for 16 years old and above. Please take note that the dosage should not exceed 400 mg. per day. Your doctor may also base the dosage on your body weight which is also being followed in prescribing tramadol to children.

For patient who shows intolerance to the drug, the dosage can be adjusted to 25 mg per day. This can be adjusted to 25 mg every 3 days to reach 100 mg per day taken 4 times daily. If the patient can take more dosage and still needs higher dose to ease the pain, the doctor can increase it to 50 mg every 3 days to reach 200 mg day. This should be taken at 50 mg 4 times daily.

The recommended dosage for extended release tablets is 100 mg daily which may be increased by 100 mg every 5 days. However, this should not exceed 300 mg per day. Tramadol can be taken with or without food but you have to drink plenty of water. To avoid an upset stomach, the drug should be taken after meals. Tramadol is taken orally and should not be crushed, chewed or dissolved for injection.

Type of Tramadol Overdose

An overdose to Tramadol can be classified into 2 types. It can be accidental or intentional. There are some cases where the patient increased the dosage to cope up with the missed dose. Children who accidentally ingested the drug can also lead to overdose. But it is more common that the cause of overdose is intentional. Patients who become dependent on Tramadol usually increase the dosage without the approval of their doctor. For example, a patient hides his Tramadol use to his family and get prescriptions from other doctors. It even reaches to a point where he is taking 50 mg 8 times daily which is way beyond the normal dose.

If you feel that that the medicine is not working well for you, consult your doctor first. Your doctor can adjust the dosage for you and at the same time he could suggest of other methods of decreasing the pain. If your body can't take more of the drug, it will lead to complications and side effects. Seizures are common to those people who overdose on Tramadol. Serotonin syndrome may also happen if the drug is taken with stimulants or antidepressants. Other signs of Tramadol overdose include extreme drowsiness, slow heartbeat, cold and clammy skin, shallow or labored breathing, extreme weakness, fainting, feeling light-headed, cardiac arrest or coma.

There is a higher risk of seizures for patients with the following conditions:

- a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorder

- a history of drug or alcohol addiction

- suffering from metabolic disorder

- a history of head injury

- taking an antidepressant or muscle relaxant

- taking medicine for nausea and vomiting

It is also important to tell your doctor about other health conditions. A special test or an adjustment in the dosage of Tramadol is needed for some diseases like kidney, liver, and stomach disorder. The doctor should be aware if you have any history of depression, mental illness, or thoughts of suicide.