Tramadol and Alcohol
A wide range of medications should never be mixed with alcohol; Tramadol is one of them. Tramadol hydrochloride is a synthetic drug available by prescription only. As an analgesic, it has similar effects on the body as a narcotic and is used to treat moderate to severe pain caused by any one of a number of conditions. The drug is distributed around the world under a variety of brand names, one of the more popular of which is Ultram. Although Tramadol was created nearly 40 years ago, the mechanism of its effectiveness is still not completely understood. What is known about the drug is that it must be metabolized by the body and broken down into its core components, thereby activating them and allowing the medication's full effects to be realized.
Like narcotic drugs, Tramadol binds to opioid receptors. However, unlike narcotics, the drug exhibits a selective affinity for them, meaning that it lacks attraction to certain types of opioid receptors, including the one that is most likely to cause physical addiction. Also unlike narcotics, Tramadol dulls pain through a variety of mechanisms besides opioid receptor-binding. These include its ability to increase the secretion of serotonin an decrease the cellular uptake of norepinephrine, both of which decrease pain and elevate mood, while also depressing central nervous system function.
It is very dangerous to consume alcohol while Tramadol exists in the body. Because the medication depresses the central nervous system, brain function slows, making any task requiring sharp thinking or quick reaction time significantly more difficult. Alcohol alone is a central nervous system depressant, but when it and Tramadol are consumed together, the effects are greatly magnified. The consequences range in severity. On the less severe end of the spectrum, the user might experience dizziness and marked drowsiness; operating heavy equipment or a motor vehicle under these conditions can be life-threatening. More severe direct effects include loss of memory, strange behavior and increased risk of seizure. Users have also reported a lack of coordination, an inability to control respiration rate, and passing out. Consumption of these substances together should be avoided at all costs.