You might be familiar with tramadol – a narcotic painkiller that is prescribed by doctors. Tramadol, known by its brand names as Ultracet or Ultram, is typically prescribed for moderate pain – for example, following dental surgery or other types of surgeries and for arthritis pain. The drug is in the same category as other opiate agonists – and as such, it can be highly addictive. While most tramadol users take the pain medication with no incident, a small percentage of users may become addicted to tramadol.
Tramadol addiction could affect anyone. Even those who were prescribed the drug for treatment of pain. With prolonged use, tramadol users need a higher dose of the drug to experience the intended effects. Therefore, even individuals who are using tramadol legitimately, as prescribed by their doctor, can become addicted to the painkiller if they use it for an extended period of time. Recent statistics indicate that within a given year, 1.5 million people start abusing tramadol. Over 60% of individuals who abuse tramadol get the drug from friends or family. An even scarier statistic is that 84% of people who are severe tramadol abusers (such that they ingest the drug in very high doses) experience seizures within 24 hours of first abusing the drug. It goes without saying that tramadol can have very serious effects on your health if taken improperly.