How does tramadol work?

Question

How does tramadol work?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

I used to take it a few years back.. It worked well but the headaches were the worst...

Answer 2

it is a very strong painkiller on prescription

Answer 3

It works by blocking signals from nerve endings in particular sending messages to the brain.My partner has Tramadol for a condition that causes spasms of the nerve endings in his face(neuralgia)

Answer 4

It affects chemicals and receptors in the body that are associated with pain.

http://www.rsdalert.co.uk/drugs/Tramadol...

Answer 5

Generic Ultram....anti-inflammatory, pain reliever.  Can upset the stomach.  Needs to be taken with food.

Answer 6

The mode of action of tramadol has yet to be fully understood, but it is believed to work through modulation of the GABAergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems, in addition to its mild agonism of the μ-opioid receptor. 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 1/6th 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).

The serotonergic modulating properties of tramadol mean that it has the potential to interact with other serotonergic agents. There is an increased risk of serotonin syndrome when tramadol is taken in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. SSRIs) or with use of a light box, since these agents not only potentiate the effect of 5-HT but also inhibit tramadol metabolism. Tramadol is also thought to have some NMDA-type antagonist effects which has given it a potential application in neuropathic pain states.

So Bascially, it stop the pain signal travel up (along the neuronsP from the area affected to the brain.