Tramadol Abuse in a Binge Pattern in a Young Depressed Woman

Background: Tramadol is a central analgesic with a unique pharmacological profile in that it is an opioid agonist and an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. We describe a case of abuse of tramadol in a binge pattern in a young woman who had initially received the prescription of tram...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:European addiction research 2014-01, Vol.20 (2), p.82-86
Main Authors: Ferrari, Anna, Tiraferri, Ilaria, Palazzoli, Federica, Licata, Manuela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analgesics, Opioid - adverse effects
Antidepressants
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - drug therapy
Depression - psychology
Female
Humans
Mental depression
Opioid-Related Disorders - diagnosis
Opioid-Related Disorders - psychology
Risk assessment
Serotonin
Short Communication
Stimulants
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - diagnosis
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - psychology
Tramadol - adverse effects
Women
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Tramadol is a central analgesic with a unique pharmacological profile in that it is an opioid agonist and an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. We describe a case of abuse of tramadol in a binge pattern in a young woman who had initially received the prescription of tramadol as an analgesic as needed. Case Description: The patient had no history of drug or alcohol abuse, but suffered from depression. Over time, she had increased the doses up to 30 ml of tramadol 100 mg/ml oral solution a week. She took the drug in consecutive ‘pinches', from afternoon to evening. Tramadol improved her mood, gave her euphoria, but also caused constipation and urinary retention. Detoxification was carried out by partial replacement with tramadol 100 mg extended release and gradual reduction of the number of pinches. The patient found it hard to follow the program because of withdrawal symptoms of an opioid type and especially because of the worsening of depression. Conclusion: The action of tramadol on the monoaminergic system is believed to be a factor that limits abuse liability and gives advantageous antidepressant-like properties, but it also involves the risk of inducing abuse of the analgesic to improve mood as if it were a stimulant.
ISSN:1022-6877
1421-9891
DOI:10.1159/000353971