The Pros And Cons Of Tramadol Addiction

Improved Essays
Tramadol addiction is a condition that often takes many people by surprise: it rarely makes the news and is rarely associated with drug culture. Unfortunately, tramadol addiction is a reality. While it does offer a relatively safe pain control method to many people when used properly, its addictive nature needs to be better understood by people who either currently taking or are interested in taking it.
Addictiveness Varies Tramadol is safe when used properly, but it has a dangerous ability to get people “high” when used improperly. Taking more than is prescribed or using it to get “high” creates an intense feeling of euphoria similar to opiate medicines, such as Oxycontin. Generally speaking, that euphoria is less intense, meaning tramadol is less addictive than other medicines. In fact, this relatively non-addictive state means that tramadol has not been classified as a “controlled substance.” In many instances, it is even used a method similar to methadone, i.e.
…show more content…
treating addiction to harsher opiates. Don 't mistake the relatively benign nature of tramadol as an indication that is 100% safe to use (or abuse). Tramadol addiction is still possible and can dangerously derail your life by forcing you into the spiral of dependency.
People Affected by Tramadol Addiction Tramadol addiction is usually more common in people who have suffered from some kind of addiction in the past. However, that doesn 't mean it 's limited to them: studies have shown that addiction to tramadol can even strike people with no history of addiction, even to substances as common as nicotine or caffeine. People are often blind-sided by tramadol addiction because addiction had been so rarely discussed. As a result, it is often perceived as completely harmless, leading to the potential for misuse. Thankfully, discussions on tramadol addiction are becoming more open.
Symptoms of Addiction People struggling with tramadol addiction are often unwilling to admit they have a problem. After all, tramadol is a medicine prescribed by their doctor: how could it possibly be addictive? Unfortunately, this belief has led to too many people nursing lengthy and damaging addictions. Common symptoms of addiction to tramadol include: Using it multiple times per day, when prescription calls for once a day use Repeatedly and aggressively asking for refills Visiting multiple doctors for multiple prescriptions Obsessing over the amount of tramadol left in the house Accidental overdose, even one time These are just a few examples of the symptoms that may indicate tramadol addiction. If you or anyone you love shows these symptoms, tramadol addiction is likely. Health Effects Like any drug, tramadol comes with its own series of potential side effects. Many of these are relatively benign, while others are more serious. People using tramadol properly are less likely to run into these problems, but people suffering from tramadol addiction increase their risk. Common health problems caused by tramadol use include: A “full” stomach Sensitivity to touch Bloody urine Chills or fever Problems with balance Increased blood pressure Blisters Convulsions or severe seizures Blurry vision Bloating or excessive gas Pain in various parts of the body (arms, legs, jaw, calves) Nausea Jaundice More severe health problems are more commonly associated with tramadol overdose. These problems include: Sudden changes in consciousness Irregular heartbeat Breathing difficulties Confusion Anxiety and paranoia Although relatively rare, complete loss of consciousness, coma, and even death are possible with tramadol overdose. Treating Tramadol Addiction The first step in beating a tramadol addiction involves detoxifying the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Zohydro Case Study

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the early 90s opioids were widely used because their few adverse effects and low abuse potential, nevertheless the tools were limited for monitoring responses and chronic use. In that time were a dramatic increase in the over-prescribing of opioids medications due to the misuse, abuse, diversion and addiction. There is a broad spectrum in the response, adverse events, lack of efficacy due to single nucleotide polymorphism variants or development of tolerance to these kind of medications.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Assignment #1 SAMHSA Patients who are privately insured receive limited follow-up services after opioid- related hospitalizations. The sample size for this report are 18-64-year-old, who have private insurance and were admitted into the hospital for opium. “Nearly 2.4 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder (SUD) related to prescription opioids”. According to the short report. As stated in SAMHSA.gov for Opioid Use Disorder that “opioids reduce the perception of pain, but can also produce drowsiness, mental confusion, euphoria, nausea, and constipation”.…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Prescription opioids are intended to be used for a limited period to treat higher levels of pain, but unfortunately, they are often misused and even abused. An estimated 90 Americans die every day due to overdosing on opioids. On the side of preventing the opioid crisis in America, all opioids should be…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Methadone Research Paper

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Difficult Detox Drug addiction and substance abuse are not only prominent with the use of ‘street drugs’, the epidemic has been increasingly present in the world of prescription medications as well, even those that are used to ‘wean’ people off of other illicit drugs. Here are a list of some of the most commonly abused prescription, or ‘legal’ drugs, and their self-detox risks. SubOxone: The intended use of SubOxone is the treatment of opiate addiction, however, many individuals develop a dependency on this ‘alternative’ as well.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Help for the hopeless Pain can be very intense it may seem perfectly reasonable to want something that would make it stop and find some relief. It is a complicated issue, but there has to be some balance and responsibility when consuming painkillers. According to the centers for Disease control and prevention, nearly 2 million Americans abused prescription painkillers in 2013, with 44 people dying from an overdose each day (D’ Amora). Although, these are devastating news; this is not the worse part. An unborn child has to suffer the sad consequence of a pregnant woman who is addicted to these types of pills.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Individuals may become addicted to opioids, which include prescription pain killers and heroin, from prescriptions, through self-medication for injury or mental health illness, peer-pressure and for a myriad of other reasons. Through continued use, scientists have found that addiction causes changes to the brains structure and function, “addiction hijacks the brain……

    • 1569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Opioids In Brave New World

    • 1879 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Addiction is a cause of misuse and abuse. When hooked on opioids, the “addiction causes the brain to produce a below-normal level of dopamine; thus, opioids are needed by addicts not to attain a state of euphoria, but rather to achieve a normal level of dopamine” (Adamec). This means that when someone is addicted to opioids, they don’t feel as happy as they did when they weren’t addicted, and they need opioids to reach that normal level of dopamine. This leads to people with addictions misusing the drugs and constantly trying to get more of the opioids, whether its from their doctor or from an illegal source. Another cause of abuse is the overprescription of the drug.…

    • 1879 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many Americans. The potency of these prescription opioids is so powerful that some become hooked on their affects. Amanda Gardner (2015), reports about an individual named Jason who has abused prescription opioids to help relieve his migraine headaches--Jason informs Amanda, “ ‘it took care of the migraine, but I found myself taking [the painkillers] even when I didn’t have the migraine, because I just enjoyed that euphoric numbness’”. Like Jason, many Americans are going through this same experience—more or less. Our brains are wired to accomplish tasks that are necessary for sustaining life and experiencing pleasures.…

    • 2124 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medication-Assisted Therapy for Opioid Addiction Opioid addiction is a chronic, recurring brain disease that can be adequately and safely managed. I have reviewed two articles that discuss medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction. The first article discusses three US FDA-approved medications for treating opioid addiction, while the second article discusses the treatment needs of pregnant women with opioid use disorders. In the first article, three presentations are discussed that provide an overview of medications, as well as an extensive view of medication-assisted therapy to support a chronic care model for opioid addiction (Tai, Saxon, & Ling, 2013).…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Opioids Persuasive Speech

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Opioid abuse can lead to severe overdose and death. Opioids are highly addictive due to its use as a pain reliever while also depressing emotions. Increased abuse of prescription opioids has correlated to an increase in the use of harder street drugs in areas that you wouldn’t except. Heroin use is among one of the most prevalent of these, “Heroin-related deaths increased 439% from 1999 to 2014” (Christensen, Hernandez).…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In 1898 heroin hit the shelves as a non-addictive substitute for morphine in was a huge fail ("Drug Dependence"...n.pag.). The dangerous and highly addictive drug being sold to day and causing just as much problems as its creator Opioid. Opioid has different reactions with different people under different circumstances ("Drug Dependence"...n.pag.). The Symptoms of opioid abuse are similar to other drug abuse situations…

    • 117 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Opioids In Nursing

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages

    If a person does however become addicted to a narcotic, there are evaluative processes and treatment plans to help a patient overcome their addiction. Treatment requires ongoing behavioral changes and hope that their body can accept another form of pain relief. For the future of the opioid crisis, I feel it is all about customer satisfaction. If the patient is not happy with their level of treatment and relief of pain, then that is portrayed as a disgrace to that doctor or healthcare team. Nursing is about patient centered care and quality of care, and if the patient isn’t satisfied with an order for ice & heat packs and exercise for 30 minutes a day instead of a pain pill, then the doctor or clinician is more likely to prescribe an opioid pain med without knowing whether the patient is truly in pain or what is causing…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the last 10 years opioid overdosing is up a total of 200%. There is a new trend in the 21st century, and we can’t turn our back to the facts. Drug overdosing is a problem. The one way to lower this number is to stop it from beginning at all. Most people start using drugs for different reasons.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When someone goes to the doctor because they are in pain doctors give them opioids also called opiates and narcotics which is a type of pain medication. People that take opioids for a long period of time become dependent on them or addicted and in the long run not good for people due to their side effects. Also, the risk of overdose higher with opioids. There need to be stricter regulations for doctors being able to prescribe these kinds of drugs long term due to that many patients that are prescribed these drugs should not be taking them because the abuse them. People can become not necessarily addicted to opioids but rather dependent on them.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The opioid epidemic has recently been described as the largest public health crisis to hit the U.S. since the AIDS epidemic.” (Dyjack 3) This quote by executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, David Dyjack, in an article for the Journal of Environmental Health, explains the extreme magnitude of the opioid epidemic currently oppressing the United States. Additionally, an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that approximately 27,000 deaths happen annually in the U.S. alone due to unintentional overdose of prescription drugs, and an overwhelming percentage are due to opioid analgesics. (CDC 2) Similar to the AIDS epidemic, it is a constant struggle in the…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics