Posted by notfred on November 6, 2006, at 21:17:58
In reply to Ultram/Tramadol as an AD?, posted by med_empowered on November 5, 2006, at 3:38:11
It is unique & might be a treatment for some.
Mind taking other AD's with it:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol
There is an increased risk of serotonin syndrome when tramadol is taken in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. SSRIs), since these agents not only potentiate the effect of 5-HT but also inhibit tramadol's metabolism.
The mode of action of tramadol has yet to be fully elucidated, but it is believed to work through modulation of the GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. The contribution of non-opioid activity is demonstrated by the analgesic effects of tramadol not being fully antagonised by the μ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone.
Tramadol is marketed as a racemic mixture with a weak affinity for the μ-opioid receptor (approximately 1/6000th that of morphine). The (+)-enantiomer is approximately four times more potent than the (-)-enantiomer in terms of μ-opioid receptor affinity and 5-HT reuptake, whereas the (-)-enantiomer is responsible for noradrenaline reuptake effects (Shipton, 2000). These actions appear to produce a synergistic analgesic effect, with (+)-tramadol exhibiting 10-fold higher analgesic activity than (-)-tramadol (Goeringer et al., 1997).
It is suggested that tramadol could be effective for alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety because of its action on GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. However, use of the drug for treatment of such disorders by a health professional is unlikely.Tramadol may also be used to treat hypertension when other treatments have failed.
poster:notfred
thread:700516
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061104/msgs/701078.html