New study casts doubt on effectiveness of popular painkiller
Fresh health warning issued over strong painkiller
- New research indicates that the painkiller tramadol offers only slight alleviation for chronic pain, with its potential side effects possibly outweighing any perceived benefits.
- A study published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, which assessed 19 clinical trials, found tramadol's impact on chronic pain to be small and below what would be considered clinically effective.
- Researchers noted a doubling in the risk of harms associated with tramadol compared with placebo drugs, primarily driven by a higher proportion of heart disease, chest pain, and congestive heart failure.
- Other reported side effects included nausea, dizziness, constipation, and sleepiness.
- Given these trends and findings, experts concluded that the use of tramadol and other opioids should be minimised to the greatest extent possible.