What is Ultram?

Ultram is a brand name for Tramadol hydrochloride, a synthetic opiate (a chemical derived from opium) painkiller.¹ It IS a narcotic, even though it does not require the special narcotic “triplicate” form.

Ultram is distributed by PriCara in the United States. ²

What Does Ultram Do? Does it work?

Studies have reported that Tramadol (Ultram) was as effective as similar drugs in treating pain. ³

What should I ask my doctor about before I decide to take Ultram?

Patients taking Ultram have experienced seizures, especially when taking Ultram in combination with some other drugs.⁴

Ultram should not be prescribed to patients who are at risk of suicide and may increase the risk of depression and suicide in some patients.⁵

It is possible to suffer a fatal overdose in taking more than the recommended dose of Ultram.⁶

Ultram may contribute to or cause respiratory depression and care should be taken in prescribing it to patients at risk for this.⁷

Ultram can cause a potentially fatal condition called serotonin syndrome, especially when taken with some other drugs.⁸ Serotonin syndrome can occur when too much serotonin is blocked by medication and builds up in the body. It can happen within hours of starting a new medication. Serotonin syndrome can cause seizures, irregular heart beat, high fevers, unconsciousness and death. Other symptoms can include agitation or restlessness, confusion, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure, heavy sweating, twitching or loss of muscle control, headaches, shivering and diarrhea.⁹

Patients taking Ultram may develop dependence and experience withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing¹⁰ it. Like other opiate (narcotic) painkillers, Ultram is addictive and withdrawing from it can be difficult, uncomfortable and even dangerous. Between 1995 and 2000, 422 cases of withdrawal were reported by physicians, or nearly 100 a year, and this was a third of all adverse events reported on Ultram. In addition to classic opiate withdrawal symptoms (agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, nausea and cramping, etc), Ultram withdrawal can include some unusual symptoms: intense anxiety and panic attacks, confusion, delusional behavior, numbness, parathesias, or tingling in the extremities, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and hallucinations. ¹¹

What if I’m already taking Ultram?

Never stop taking any prescription medication without talking to your doctor first. Ultram may cause development of dependence and withdrawal symptoms in patients who stop taking it.
If you are already taking Ultram and are concerned about side effects or experience any adverse reaction, talk to your doctor.

Learn everything that you can about Ultram before you start taking it.

Back to Articles

¹ PubMedHealth, “Tramadol” (15 October 2011), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000960/
² Food and Drug Administration, Labelling information ULTRAM ER (revised September 2006, retrieved 22 October 2012)
³ Drugs, Bono AV and Cuffari S, “Effectiveness and tolerance of tramadol in cancer pain. A comparative study with respect to buprenorphine”(1997), http://www.opioids.com/tramadol/trambup.html; Am J Ther, Barkin RL, “Extended-release Tramadol (ULTRAM ER): a pharmacotherapeutic, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic focus on effectiveness and safety in patients with chronic/persistent pain” (March-April 2008)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18356636
⁴ Food and Drug Administration, Labelling information ULTRAM ER (revised September 2006, retrieved 22 October 2012), http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021692s005s007lbl.pdf
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Mayo Clinic, “Serotonin Syndrome” (retrieved 22 October 2012), http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/serotonin-syndrome/DS00860/DSECTION=causes
¹⁰ Food and Drug Administration, Labeling information ULTRAM ER (revised September 2006, retrieved 22 October 2012), http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/021692s005s007lbl.pdf
¹¹ Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Senay E. et al., “Physical dependence on Ultram (tramadol hydrochloride): both opioid-like and atypical withdrawal symptoms occur” (2003), http://paincenter.wustl.edu/c/basicresearch/documents/cicerodrug20033.pdf