Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Tramadol (Ultram, Tramal)

Tramadol (Ultram, Tramal, others below) is a centrally-acting analgesic, used for treating moderate to moderately severe pain. The drug has a wide range of applications, including treatment for restless leg syndrome, acid reflux, and fibromyalgia.

Tramadol was developed by the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH in the late 1970s.

Tramadol possesses weak agonist actions at the μ-opioid receptor, releases serotonin, and inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine.

Tramadol is a synthetic analog of the phenanthrene alkaloid codeine and, as such, is an opioid and also a prodrug (codeine is metabolized to morphine, tramadol is converted to M-1 aka O-desmethyltramadol). Opioids are chemical compounds which act upon one or more of the human opiate receptors. The euphoria, addictive nature and respiratory depression are mainly caused by the Mu(μ) 1 and 2 receptor. The opioid agonistic effect of tramadol and its major metabolite(s) are almost exclusively mediated by the substance's action at the μ-opioid receptor. This characteristic distinguishes tramadol from many other substances (including morphine) of the opioid drug class, which generally do not possess tramadol's degree of subtype selectivity.

from wikipedia.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Tramadol (Ultram)

Tramadol (INN) (pronounced /ˈtræmədɒl/) (Tramal, Ultram, Mabron, Ralivia, Ryzolt, Tradonal, Tramacet, Tridural,Medtrap injs 1ml/2ml and tabs Ultracet, Zamadol, Zydol, Zytram) is a centrally acting analgesic, used for treating moderate to severe pain.

Tramadol was developed by the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH in the late 1970s.

Tramadol possesses agonist actions at the μ-opioid receptor and affects reuptake at the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. Tramadol is a compound with mild and delayed μ-agonist activity.

Tramadol is a synthetic stripped-down piperidine analog of Codeine and, as such, is an opioid. Opioids are chemical compounds which agonise one or more of the human opiate receptors, regardless of the receptor class or sub-type. The opioid agonistic effect of tramadol and its major metabolite(s) almost exclusively effects the μ-opioid receptor. This characteristic is notable, because even morphine is not exclusive to the μ-receptor, although it manifests the preponderance of its opioid agonistic effects here.