Tramadol
Typical Tramadol dosage is 1-2 50 mg tablets up to four times daily, with a maximum dosage of 400 mg daily. Tramadol is an opioid analgesic that binds on specific mu opioid receptors in the brain. Tramadol also stops the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. It is used for managing pain that is moderate to severe pain or neuropathic pain. It is felt to be somewhat less prone to lead to physical dependence than the true opioids, but is clearly in the class of opioids and should be considered to have habit forming potential. Tramadol can be used in people who would have problems tolerating the side effects of other opioids.
Tramadol dosage is also available in sustained release products that do not require as frequent a tramadol dosage schedule. Limiting factors in tramadol dosage can be side tramadol side effects like headache and weakness. Tramadol dosage has to be reduced in people who have kidney and liver problems and should be tramadol avoided in people who are taking SSRI antidepressants; another opioid analgesic should be used in these patients to avoid the risk of serotonin syndrome. Tramadol is a pro-drug, meaning that it is metabolized in the body into a more active form. This is the
reason that people who lack a specific liver enzyme to metabolize tramadol into an active metabolite tend to have lesser pain relieve when using tramadol.
