Millions
of people live with pain everyday, whether it is chronic pain, daily pain, or
severe pain. Of all the medications offered in the market today, the painkillers
are by far the most common type. And one of the most popular medicines of this
type is Tramadol. It has been used as an analgesic way back in the 1970s. Since
its introduction in the market, branded versions of Tramadol were introduced and
one of this is Ultram.
Ultram
is effective in various types of moderate-to-severe pain like neurophatic pain.
It has a dose-dependent efficacy that lies between that of codeine and morphine
with pareteral potency likened to that of pethidine. Studies have also shown
that this drug is more effective than NSAIDs when it comes to controlling post
operative pain. And because the mode of action does not overlap with that of
NSAIDs, Ultram is considered as a helpful agent to be combined with these drugs.
The combination of tramadol and NSAIDs allows the former dose to be lessened and
to result in a lower incidence of side effects.
Ultram
or tramadol hydrochloride is available in 50 mg. caplets. An extended release
capsule is also available. Ultram is offered in blister packs of 10 pcs. each
pack or 100 pcs. per bottle. The inactive ingredients in the tablet are corn
starch, lactose,hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, polyethylene
glycol, microcrystalline cellulose, polysorbate 80, sodium starch glycolate,
titanium dioxide and wax. The drug should be stored at controlled room
temperature from 15C to 30C. The recommended dosage of Ultram is 50 mg. 3 to 4
times daily depending on your condition. Maximum daily dose should not exceed
400 mg.
Aside
from effective pain management, Ultram can also be very useful for the elderly
population suffering from osteoarthritis because unlike the NSAIDs, Ultram does
not aggravate high blood pressure and cardiovascular complications. And of
course, the effectiveness of Ultram does not end there as the benefits of this
drug are immense. It has also been used with positive results for the management
of labor pains even without respiratory depression of the neonate. It is
effective for the treatment of pain from myocardial ischaemia, renal colic and
acute trauma.
There
are however some recorded side effects of Ultram. This drug is generally well
tolerated and the most common side effects include nausea and vomiting. However,
respiratory depression rarely happens during Ultram treatment at equipotent
doses. But large doses of this drug may aggravate the respiratory effects of
other drugs.
Some
would ask what is the difference between tramadol and ultram? These two terms
are actually used interchangeably. Again, Tramadol is the generic name and
Ultram is the brand name. This drug is a centrally-acting analgesic. Though this
drug is a synthetic analog of codeine, it has a lower affinity of opioid
receptors than codeine. It is also used to treat postoperative, dental, cancer
and acute musculosketetal pain and as an adjuvant to NSAID therapy in patients
with osteoarthritis.
It
is important to note that Ultram should not be administered to patients who have
previously demonstrated hypersensitivity to tramadol and other component of this
product or opioids. It is also contraindicated in a situation where opioids are
contraindicated, including acute intoxication with alcohol, hypnotics,
narcotics, and a whole lot more.
Ultram
can also cause dependence. If you ever had an issue with narcotic painkillers
like morphine, you need to avoid ultram. Withdrawal symptoms may also take place
if you stop taking ultram abruptly. The symptoms may include anxiety, insomnia,
sweating, pain, nausea, tremor, diarrhea, and respiratory problems. A gradual
decrease in dosage of this drug will definitely prevent any of the symptoms from
showing.
Actually
there is no difference between tramadol and ultram. Whether you purchase the
generic version of Tramadol or the branded Ultram, both drugs will be very
helpful in helping you treat moderate to severe pain.
