Tramadol is one of the most used drugs, prescribed by doctors for relieving severe or moderate pain. But excess use of tramadol can cause harm to the body. Prolonged use can make it habit forming which can cause physical and psychological damage. Most of the time it takes the recipient into more depression which can cause fatal health issues. If you are taking tramadol regularly, you must know how long does tramadol withdrawal last so that you can keep your health stat safe. In this article, you will find why a doctor prescribed Tramadol, when you should take it, how its prolonged use causes depression, and what precautions you should take to avoid such circumstances.
What is tramadol?
Tramadol is mainly used as a painkiller. It comes in both capsule and tablet forms. Oral tablets are used for immediate treatment and capsules are used for prolonged treatment. Both help in the same way to relieve moderate to severe pain. It can be either just a part of the overall medication course or can be ordered for single use by the physician.
When it is prescribed?
A medical practitioner prescribes tramadol mostly in those cases where he needs to relieve the pain of the patient in a short time. Tramadol is considered one of the safest narcotic analgesics. That is why physicians ordered it in most of the pain related cases.
How does it work?
As Tramadol is an opioid drug in the list of drug classes, it mainly works on the brain. Tramadol helps the pain to decrease the sensation of pain. There is a hormone in the human body system called Endorphins released from the pituitary gland. It deals with the feeling of humans. Endorphins bind with the receptors that convey the sensation to the brain from nerves. Then the receptors reduce the pain message and return it to the central nervous system (CNS) again. Tramadol also works in that way. It binds with the receptors and slows down the pain message periodically.
Adverse effects of prolonged use
Though tramadol is used for relieving pain primarily, physicians also suggest it as an anti-depression drug. It shows a positive result on the low dose. But if a person takes tramadol for a prolonged time that may occur a serious side effect of Respiratory depression. Excessive use of Tramadol can cause mood swings, develop depressive symptoms, and can have many addictive properties.
Depression
Depression is a common and serious mood disorder that may be described as a medical illness that negatively affects your feelings, your thoughts. Depression is a serious medical condition. It can get worse without effective treatment. When tramadol is misused it may develop depression symptoms such as a pale face, not enough sleep, loss of interest, anxiety, uncontrolled emotion, and many others. As tramadol binds with the central nervous system receptors which control our stress and feelings, it obstructs other hormones such as norepinephrine and serotonin. So the result is tramadol causes harm to feeling sensation which makes mood swing and other situations. Besides that maximum tramadol is made including morphine. So it binds with the receptors of the human brain and causes depression to the nervous system. So the use of tramadol for a prolonged time can cause death also.
Other adverse effects
Acute side effects such as headache, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting may occur. But reports show serious cases including REMS, respiratory depression, accidental ingestion, serotonin syndrome, QT prolongation, and many more.
In acute conditions, there is no need for medical help from professionals. Enough rest and an adequate amount of drinking water can solve this problem. But in serious cases, you must meet your nearest hospital or health professional as soon as possible before it causes fatal damage to your life.
Addiction to Tramadol
Those are at risk for developing an addiction that misuse or abuse tramadol. Many people develop a tolerance to the drug after prolonged use of tramadol. As a result, they need to take high doses of drugs to feel the drug’s effects. Along with resistance, tramadol users may encounter withdrawal manifestations when they quit using the medication. This can cause irritability and depression symptoms.
Precautions
Tramadol is used for short-term or long-term treatment. The length of treatment depends on how severe the pain is. If you don’t take it as prescribed, it can cause serious risks.
You may have symptoms of withdrawal if you stop taking the drug suddenly. Such as-
- feeling irritable, anxious, or restless
- trouble sleeping
- increased blood pressure
- fast breathing rate
- Excessive use could have dangerous effects of the drug in your body, including-
- confusion
- slow breathing
- low blood pressure
- extreme tiredness
- dangerous heart problems
- depression.
Take tramadol exactly as prescribed by a doctor. Discuss with the medical professional about your pain treatment goals, length of treatment while taking Tramadol.
In most cases, Tramadol is prescribed as it has less addictive properties than other opioid painkillers. For its calming and euphoric effects, people abuse tramadol. Abuse of tramadol usually feels relaxed and pleased but gradually puts them at higher risks of serious side effects.
Following strict medical guidelines and taking Tramadol in low doses is safe for the treatment of depression.
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