Doctors often worry about their chronic pain patients becoming addicted to narcotics. That may explain the popularity of a pain reliever perceived as non-addictive.
Tramadol is categorized as a weak opioid analgesic that can be taken without fear of dependency. That is why it prescribed so widely.
Tramadol may not be quite as safe as physicians think, however. The question of dependence may be more complicated than some initially realized, as many users report terrible withdrawal symptoms.
Hypoglycemia and Hospitalization
A new report in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that tramadol is associated with serious hypoglycemia, blood sugar so low that the patient needs to be hospitalized. This is a rare complication but it can be extremely serious or even fatal.
The researchers found this side effect was about three times more common among people taking tramadol than among those on codeine. The elderly and those with diabetes are at particular risk, and doctors may need to monitor them more closely for the first several months after starting them on tramadol.
