Tramadol is used to treat chronic pain, but can also be addictive. Learn about the side effects of tramadol use and the signs of tramadol addiction.
Tramadol is a pain medication that is commonly given to people with ongoing moderate or moderately-severe pain. Due to its opioid-like effects, when tramadol is used inappropriately or other than intended, it can be addictive. It is therefore important to understand tramadol side effects and tramadol addiction.
How is Tramadol Abused?
Tramadol abuse occurs when an individual uses tramadol in ways other than its intended use. Tramadol is a pain-relieving medication that can have euphoric effects when taken at doses higher than the recommended daily use. When people are seeking this euphoric effect, they may use alternate routes of administration of the drug including direct injection and snorting the powder from crushed pills. Both of these routes are dangerous and tramadol should never be taken this way.
Becoming Addicted to Tramadol
Tramadol is considered an addictive substance due to its effects on the brain. When taken in amounts larger than intended, it can cause a euphoric sensation, or “high.” A person seeking that high feeling may use increasing amounts of the drug to achieve it. When this happens, they are at risk of becoming addicted to tramadol.
Two common questions about tramadol addiction are:
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- Can you get addicted to tramadol? Yes, tramadol is considered an addictive drug due to its effects on the brain. Tramadol is classified as a Schedule IV by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), meaning that it has a low potential for abuse.
- How long does it take to get addicted to tramadol? This factor depends on a variety of elements, including the demographics of the person using the drug (age, weight, health, family history, etc.), how much tramadol they are using at once and the route of administration they are using. A person that already has another kind of substance use disorder may also be at increased risk of becoming addicted to tramadol.
Side Effects of Tramadol Addiction
The side effects experienced by someone addicted to tramadol will vary from the normal side effects of the drug. The difference in side effects is due to long term use of tramadol. Side effects of tramadol addiction can include:
Tramadol Abuse Facts and Statistics
As tramadol use has become more common, misuse of tramadol has increased. In 2017, it was estimated that 0.6% of individuals over the age of 12 misused tramadol in the past year. This number has been increasing in recent years due to the increased availability of the drug from an increase in the number of prescriptions written. The use of tramadol among different groups includes:
Tramadol Abuse and Treatment Trends in South Florida
There has been a growing trend of drug abuse in South Florida. In 2010, there was a sharp increase in prescription drug abuse, with 5,647 drug-related deaths. Prescription opioids were the drug most often detected in the deceased. The rate of non-medical use of prescription drugs, particularly oxycodone, was significantly increased in Florida compared to the rest of the United States — especially among 21 to 29-year-olds.
Within prescription opioids, tramadol is one of the most prescribed, with the number of prescriptions consistently increasing from year-to-year among Floridians. From 2012 to 2013, there was an 8% increase in the number of drug-related deaths where tramadol was detected in the deceased. In an effort to reduce the prescription of opioids and therefore make them less accessible, the Florida government passed a law in 2018 limiting the number of pills a doctor can prescribe at once. Unless a patient has a proven chronic condition, doctors are limited to writing only three- or seven-day prescriptions.
Tramadol Overdose
Tramadol overdose can occur when a person uses very high doses of tramadol. This event is more likely to occur with chronic use and when the person requires higher doses of tramadol in order to feel its euphoric effects. When a person becomes dependent on tramadol, they may no longer experience a “high” with its use. This change may lead them to try taking more and more of the drug to feel the euphoric effect again. If a person takes too much tramadol, they may overdose.
Tramadol overdose can cause seizures and respiratory depression, to the point where a person may stop breathing. Tramadol overdose is often associated with the use of other substances, but tramadol overdose alone can be fatal.
How to Treat Tramadol Addiction
Treating tramadol addiction involves a series of steps to get the person to stop using tramadol and then have them avoid using it again in the future. Common treatment plans for tramadol addiction can include:
