tramadol

[Quickfeet]

I was wondering if there is any link to high blood pressure and high heart rate with tramadol. With out medication I have high bp and HR. But it has been controlled lately until the last few days. The only change has been the addition of tramadol 3 pills x 50mg per day for my gout (I am taking 6 six pills a day, not much help).

Resting bp 170/110 Hr 110

It could be from all the stress from the pain in my foot.

Also I saw this warning:
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a tramadol dose adjustment or special tests:
kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);

Any idea on what this means? Since I am doing PD, do I take more or less of the drug? I plan to text my nurse in the morning.

[greg10]

According to the following article, Tramadol, the opiate analgesic, is supposed to increase blood pressure but decrease heart rate, without changing blood flow to the kidneys, at least in rat studies.

http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/content/94/3/619.full
Tramadol is an analgesic that inhibits norepinephrine (NE) reuptake.
Tramadol increased MAP (mean arterial pressure) and decreased HR (heart rate) without changing RBF (renal blood flow) in normal rats at clinical doses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

[KICKSTART]

I was offered tramadol as a painkiller , you are taking 6 a day ? i was given 1 and it put me flat on my back , like i'd had 15 pints !    I would expect the fact you have gout is the cause of your raised bp !  I wouldnt double up on the dose you've been given though. If 3 are not working maybe you should try something else ?

[murf]

Have taken tramadol for over 6 years for chronic back pain. I take 1 x 100mg at night and 1 x 200 in the morning. Not everyone can take it. It lays my sister out as is she is comatosed. My GP states that if you can take it, then it is a miracle drug. No effect on my BP and currently on PD.

[Desert Dancer]

I just had cause to research this very subject and here's what I found:

http://opioids.com/tramadol/prescribe.html

From that page:

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
For the treatment of painful conditions Ultram (tramadol hydrochloride) 50 mg to 100 mg can be administered as needed for relief every four to six hours, not to exceed 400 mg per day. For moderate pain Ultram 50 mg may be adequate as the initial dose, and for more severe pain Ultram 100 mg is usually more effective as the initial dose.

Individualization of Dose: Available data do not suggest that a dosage adjustment is necessary in elderly patients 65 to 75 years of age unless they also have renal or hepatic impairment. For elderly patients over 75 years old not more than 300 mg/day in divided doses as above is recommended. In all patients with creatine clearance less than 30 ml/min, it is recommended that the dosing interval of Ultram be increased to 12 hours with a maximum daily dose of 200 mg. Since only 7% of an administered dose is removed by hemodialysis, dialysis patients can receive their regular dose on the day of dialysis. The recommended dose for patients with cirrhosis is 50 mg every 12 hours. Patients receiving chronic carbamazepine doses up to 800 mg daily require up to twice the recommended dose of Ultram.

Hope that's helpful.