Active ingredient
TramadolTramal® is a drug from the opioid group. Opioids are among the strong painkillers, with a distinction being made between low-potency and high-potency active ingredients within opioids. Low-potency agents such as Tramadol can be used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, while high-potency agents such as Fentanyl are reserved for the treatment of very severe pain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a graduated scheme for this purpose, which deals with pain therapy. In stage 2, low-potency opioids, possibly in combination with stage 1 analgesics, i.e. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac or indomethacin as well as paracetamol and metamizole (Novalgin®), are administered; in stage 3, high-potency opioids are administered. Tramal® is one of the low-potency opioids and has 0.1 times the potency of morphine. Almost all opioids are subject to the narcotic drug law (BtM), Tramadol is an exception. It is available in the form of tablets, hard capsules, suppositories, drops and injection solution.
Side effects
Unlike drugs from the widespread group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac, opioids have relatively few serious side effects on the organism. However, they can cause numerous side effects that can be distressing for the person concerned. They often include nausea and vomiting, sweating, headaches, dry mouth and dizziness.
More rarely, they can cause drowsiness, which in some patients leads to reduced ability to drive. In addition, skin symptoms such as rashes (exanthema) or reddening of the skin may occur, and constipation is also common. On the one hand, these are painful for the patient, but on the other hand they are also dangerous, as they can lead to intestinal obstruction. For this reason, patients who are treated with opioids over a longer period of time are often given an additional drug that stimulates bowel activity (laxatives). Rare side effects of opioids are mood changes such as euphoria or dysphoria (increased irritability), difficulty urinating (micturition difficulties), hallucinations and confusion, muscle weakness, respiratory depression, seizures, slowing of the heartbeat (bradycardia), increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and allergic reactions.