Tramadol is available in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms. However, the common way it’s administered is as a tablet. This tablet form is usually a small white oval which bears a unique imprint code based on the dosage and the kind of pill that it is. Some of the known forms of the drug include:
The drug can also be administered under a different name. The most popular brand name for tramadol are Ultram and Ultracet. Other brand names include ConZip, Ryzolt and Rybix ODT. The names of the drug may vary, but regardless of their name they are all designed for the same purpose.
To avoid suspicion, many drug dealers refer to tramadol with nicknames such as ultras, chill pills and OxyContin Lite. These names are only used to describe the drug when they are being sold and distributed illegally and they are not actual brand names for tramadol.
Just like with other narcotics, the real danger is in tramadol’s habit-forming potential. When a person takes a tramadol pill, their brain is partially relieved of its capacity to register pain. Instead, “feel good” chemicals like serotonin flood the brain, evoking pleasant feelings. Also, the drug provides instant pain relief, which is its main draw to many people.. As people rely on the drug to alleviate their pain, a tolerance can build requiring people to take higher doses to experience the same amount of relief.
Over time, the brain becomes dependent on receiving these chemicals and even carves out new pathways on which the neurotransmitters can travel. This sudden deprivation of chemicals makes the brain suffer tremendously, which is why it is so difficult to stop using tramadol. but so easy for people to develop an addiction. The length of time it takes to develop tramadol addiction varies from person to person. This variation is dependent upon:
Some people become mentally addicted to tramadol the first time they use it, while others may take several months, or even years, before an addiction to the drug develops.
A way to tell when an addiction exists is when the person using the drug takes it without caring for the negative side effects and how they impact their well-being. If too much of the drug is taken, an overdose may occur. The symptoms of an overdose can be very severe, and can even result in death. Symptoms of a tramadol overdose may include:
Tramadol overdose treatment efforts usually begin by helping a patient breathe. Doctors may need to open up a patient’s blocked airway, then provide additional breathing assistance if necessary, such as controlled ventilation and oxygen administration. If lung edema occurs, doctors may administer medications to constrict blood vessels. Cardiac arrest may also occur following a tramadol overdose. In this case, doctors may require a defibrillator to revive the patient.
Naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication,may help in some cases, but cannot always prevent tramadol overdose death. Naloxone is regarded as an opioid antidote, meaning it will stop the symptoms of an overdose immediately. However, the withdrawal symptoms that are experienced during detox present themselves right away. One positive aspect of Naloxone use is that unless a form of opioids are in a person’s system, the drug will not generate negative reactions. Naloxone is not a medication that one can gain an addiction to or get high from.
