Recently I sustained an injury to a muscle and was in a lot of pain. I saw the doctor a couple of days ago and she prescribed Tramadol HCL 50 mg-- up to 3 times per day as needed-- I was given a month's supply.
I got the briefing from the pharmacist and I read the Cautionary Notes from the pharmacy that include these headers: Common uses; How to use this medication; Possible side effects; Additional information; and General information.
Tramadol appeared to be a straight-up pain med, similar to an opioid.
So I took one.
After a couple of hours . . . H E L L O . . . Yes the pain subsided a little, but there was something else-- something broader, heavier, and oddly familiar. I staggered to the computer . . . Google . . . Tramadol HCL 50mg Wikipedia . . .
SURE ENOUGH!! There it was: The drug includes a special bonus effect-- Tramadol inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine-- it's a bloody SNRI.
Tramadol (marketed as Ultram, and as generics) is an opiate pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.[1] When taken as an immediate-release oral formulation, the onset of pain relief usually occurs within about an hour.[5] It has two different mechanisms. First, it binds to the μ-opioid receptor. Second, it inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. wiki
I emailed my physician and expressed my disappointment, having struggled for more than 2 years to withdraw from the SNRI Duloxetine. Then I took the remainder of the drug back to the pharmacist for disposal, with the request that they include the SNRI information in their Cautionary Notes.
I've said it before: We have to be our own medical advocates!!