Tramadol Addiction, Abuse, and Symptoms

How tramadol affects the brain

Tramadol and other opioids affect the brain by changing the way it perceives pain signals. When the substance attaches to the brain’s opioid receptors, it slows down the central nervous system, producing an overall sense of calm; some users even experience a euphoric “high” when they take tramadol. The attachment of tramadol to the opioid receptors also floods the brain with dopamine, activating the reward circuit involved in helping humans survive. Eventually, the brain starts to associate tramadol with pleasant feelings; as a result, it urges the user to keep taking tramadol. This sequence is what causes some users to become tolerant to tramadol and other opioids.

Behavioral signs of tramadol usage and abuse

Several behavioral changes may indicate that an individual has become addicted to tramadol. In an attempt to hide their behavior from others, some users start spending more time alone. Adults may give up their hobbies to avoid having to socialize with others, and adolescents may quit their extracurricular activities or stop hanging out with friends on weekends. Mood swings and difficulty maintaining personal relationships are also potential signs of tramadol abuse.

Money problems can be a sign of tramadol abuse, especially in individuals who previously had good control over their finances. Individuals who misuse tramadol may max out their credit cards, take out payday loans, or borrow money from friends and family to fund their addiction. Some users may even engage in criminal behavior, such as writing bad checks or shoplifting items to sell for cash.

Tramadol abuse can interfere with an individual’s ability to engage in everyday activities. For example, adults may have difficulty keeping their jobs due to behavioral changes that occur with tramadol use. These changes may include showing up late, missing work frequently, and not performing up to expectations. For adolescents, tramadol abuse can make it difficult to concentrate in class, leading to lower grades. An adolescent tramadol user may also skip school, act out in class, or refuse to complete assignments.

How tramadol affects the body

One of the main physical effects of tramadol is a decreased breathing rate. For many users, this reduced breathing rate does not cause any ill effects; however, some people metabolize tramadol quickly, causing their breathing to become much slower than expected. In users with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other lung problems, this rapid reduction in respiratory rate can cause serious consequences. For example, it’s possible to experience respiratory depression so severe that the individual must be placed on a ventilator until normal breathing can resume.

Early physical effects of tramadol

Due to its short half-life, tramadol starts working rather quickly. Some users experience its effects within as little as 30 minutes. Although tramadol is effective for relieving pain, some of these physical effects are unpleasant. In some users, they can even be dangerous.

Severe and long-term physical effects of tramadol

In chronic users, tramadol use can lead to loss of consciousness, especially when it’s taken more often or in larger doses than recommended. A loss of consciousness can be dangerous, especially if it occurs when the individual is driving or operating heavy machinery. If a loss of consciousness occurs during this type of activity, the individual may sustain broken bones, sprains, head trauma, and other injuries.

Tramadol can be dangerous when used by individuals with epilepsy or a history of seizures caused by other medical conditions. This is because tramadol has been known to cause seizures in some individuals. The risk of seizures increases when tramadol is combined with other medications; for example, mixing tramadol and alcohol can cause serious side effects.

Because tramadol slows down the central nervous system, it’s especially dangerous when combined with other CNS depressants. Therefore, tramadol should never be mixed with antidepressants, muscle relaxers, or other opioids. When tramadol is combined with these medications, the risk of overdose increases.

Further Resources

Both the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offer in-depth information on both the symptoms and treatment of prescription opioid addiction.

The global supply of tramadol has increased, causing concern about increased rates of tramadol use

According to the 2019 World Drug Report, tramadol usage has increased on almost every continent; the increase is attributed to a marked increase in the global supply of tramadol. In Africa, public health officials are especially concerned about tramadol use among individuals living in poverty. Although tramadol does have several legitimate uses, rates of non-medical use have increased drastically, especially in North Africa and Central Africa. The increase in tramadol usage is also a concern for Africa’s law-enforcement officials, as they’re tasked with responding to overdoses and seizing tramadol that has been trafficked in from other countries.

The extent of tramadol misuse is evident when examining drug-seizure data from 2017. According to the 2019 World Drug Report, officials seized nearly 70 tons of tramadol in 2017; this is approximately 140,000 pounds of tramadol. Due to the way trafficking networks are set up, most of the seizures (87%) occurred in Africa.

Tramadol use has also increased significantly in the Middle East, as traffickers have created drug routes to carry tramadol through Africa and into countries such as Israel and Iran. In many cases, this trafficked tramadol comes from illicit laboratories in Asia.

North America has the highest number of opioid users in the world; this includes tramadol

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 0.6% of the American population misused tramadol within the past 12 months in 2016. Medical professionals are concerned about increased rates of tramadol use, as tramadol can cause a serious condition known as serotonin syndrome, which causes agitation, sweating, high fever, and other symptoms. Misuse of tramadol and other opioids has increased patient loads in emergency rooms throughout the United States, taxing an already stressed health care system.

Although tramadol has narcotic properties, it’s not a true narcotic; therefore, it’s somewhat difficult to determine how many adolescents have misused tramadol within the past month or the past year; however, researchers have collected data related to the misuse of general prescription medications. According to the Monitoring the Future Study, nearly 15% of students admitted that they had misused a prescription drug at least once in their lives. Researchers also asked students if they had ever misused a prescription narcotic; 5.3% of the students surveyed admitted that they had misused a narcotic medication at least once.