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New research shows that painkillers tramadol While it provides only modest relief for chronic pain, its potential side effects probably outweigh any purported benefits.
The powerful, prescription-only opiate, marketed under various brand names including Maxitrum, Marol, Zydol, Zamadol, Tramulife and Tramaquel, is usually reserved for moderate to severe pain, such as that experienced after surgery or significant injury.
While some people are prescribed the drug for long-term pain management when less powerful medications prove inadequate, a recent study has raised concerns.
experts, writing BMJ Evidence Based Medicineindicated that tramadol – a particularly popular option in the US – offers limited effects on chronic pain and is likely to increase the risk of serious adverse effects, particularly cardiovascular disease.
The team evaluated 19 published clinical trials involving 6,506 people with chronic pain.
Five trials looked at the effect of tramadol on neuropathic pain; nine focused on osteoarthritis; four noted chronic low back pain; and one focused on fibromyalgia.
Most people were taking the drug in pill form, and the duration of treatment ranged from two to 16 weeks.
The pooled data analysis showed that tramadol reduced pain, but the effect was small and less than what would be considered clinically effective.
Researchers also observed that the risk of harm associated with tramadol doubled compared to placebo drugs, mainly driven by higher proportions of things like chest pain, heart disease and congestive heart failure.
Some patients also experienced nausea, dizziness, constipation and sleep problems.
The researchers concluded: “Approximately 60 million individuals worldwide experience the effects of drug addiction narcotics,
“In 2019, drug use Was responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths, approximately 80 percent of these deaths were opioid-related and approximately 25 percent were caused by opioid overdose.
“Given these trends and current findings, tramadol and other opioids should be used as little as possible.”