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Tramadol abuse: The dangers of med misuse

Written by Pie chan

Topic: Physical Therapy Published May 11, 2018

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Let us take a look at this painkiller’s history, the dangers that it portrays and the reasons why this narcotic pain medication has been banned. History of Tramadol Tramadol is a relatively young drug as compared to other pain medications. A German Drug Company created this medication in the year 1962 for the treatment of pain. After 15 years of clinical tests in Germany, this drug was finally approved and brought into the foreign market under the name Tramal. It became available in the U.S. after the year 1995. Dangers of this drug Tramadol is a synthetic (man-made) drug that has narcotic-like effects. Addiction to this drug has been growing in the U.S. and across the globe. Abuse of this drug creates the kind of effects that are similar to other opiates on the abuser: • Feeling of euphoria • Numbness or feeling detached from one’s body. • Feeling lethargic and heavy • Feeling relaxed and calm. Combining this medication with alcohol is even more dangerous. It is a matter of conce for the people who have a regular habit of consuming alcohol and were prescribed Tramadol to get relief from pain by physicians. This opioid painkiller, when consumed, exerts its action directly by interacting with the brain biochemical environment. As alcohol or alcohol metabolic products are also released as CNS depressants, consuming them together can lead to some very severe side-effects. This can lead to abnormal slowing down of Central Nervous System functioning with symptoms that ranges from drowsiness to depression, pinpoint pupil, coma or even death. Reason for Tramadol Ban Tramadol abuse has been on a rise despite the warnings given on its misuse. Not only is it abused by adults, children as young as 10-14 years and teenagers are also on the list. Even for adults, this medication is life-threatening who use it with prescription. Children using it without prescription for non-medical purposes like to enhance energy or for sexual activities is a matter of great concern. An abuse of a medication takes place when the user doesn’t follow a doctor’s prescription and starts to take the medication in larger amounts or consumes it for non-medical purposes. When a person keeps on consuming the drug in larger amounts for a long period of time, their body starts to get physically and psychologically dependent on this drug. On abrupt discontinuation of the drug after such a drug dependency can cause symptoms of withdrawal in the abuser. There have many death cases related to Tramadol abuse. This prescription drug now a banned drug, Tramadol, has been claiming lives more than any other drug (heroin or cocaine). There have been many suicide cases related to abuse of this opioid analgesic. Many people now are opting for other pain meds that are milder and effective. Soma pill is one example. It is not the exact alte ative for a pain med like Tramadol, but has been known to be helpful for many users. Growth of drug abuse For many years, doctors prescribed this medication as a “safer” drug for pain as compared to narcotic medications. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) did not classify this drug as a controlled substance for many years because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believed it to have a low risk of abuse. Even after growing conce s for Tramadol abuse, the FDA repeatedly determined that this drug is not abused widely and this kept this drug as an uncontrolled substance. This actually increased the dangers of this drug as then the people thought it to be less dangerous but it was indeed the evilest medication with greater potential to be misused. Another reason for abusing this medication is that it created euphoria or produced energy in people who liked using this medication as an anti-depressant. In the year 2004, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) declared this drug as a Schedule IV controlled substance that was only available with prescriptions. But, despite it being declared as a controlled substance, its abuse did not decrease. This medication has ruined numerous lives and caused deaths all over the world. Whether prescribed or non-prescribed, this medication has taken many lives. Steps towards an addiction-free life If you are someone who is a Tramadol addict or you know someone who has an addiction to this painkiller, please take the following steps. 1. Go for detoxification that is medically supervised to reduce the ill-effects of the withdrawal symptoms. 2. Take help of rehabilitation facilities that are available for the people who are suffering from Tramadol addiction. a) Inpatient treatment centers offer the patients with 24-hour supervision and intensive care for a period of 28 days or more. b) Outpatient programs allow a person to keep on staying in his/her home and to attend the therapy sessions for a multiple days or in the evenings every week. c) Peer recovery organizations (SMART Recovery, LifeRing Secular Recovery, and 12 steps group) provide people in recovery with a forum where they can share their experiences with other people and offer support to one another.

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