Should i break tramadol in half

You may have breathing problems or withdrawal symptoms if you start or stop taking certain other medicines. Tell your doctor if you also use an antibiotic, antifungal medication, heart or blood pressure medication, seizure medication, or medicine to treat HIV or hepatitis C. Opioid medication can interact with many other drugs and cause dangerous side effects or death. Be sure your doctor knows if you also use:.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect tramadol. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides.

The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.

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Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » tramadol. Top of the page. Ultram slide 24 of 24, Ultram,. Remove the tablet from the blister pack by peeling back the foil, then taking the tablet out. Do not push the tablet through the foil. Do not break, crush, or chew it. Place the tablet in your mouth. It should melt quickly. After the tablet has melted, swallow or take a sip of water. Swallow the extended-release capsule, extended-release tablet, and tablet whole with liquids.

Do not break, crush, chew, snort, or inject it. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. Whether you are looking to take a smaller dose or are unable to swallow an entire pill whole, breaking or cutting pills or tablets in half is a common practice.

Whichever the reason may be, it is important to know which types of medications can be split in half and which medications can become less effective or cause unwanted side effects if split. Each medication is different, and while some may look the same, certain medications have distinct coatings, bulking agents, or other characteristics that allow for them to be effective. These characteristics also determine if they can be cut or split in half. Medications such as Tylenol, Lyrica, and Tramadol are extended release medications, meaning they are formulated to be slowly released into the blood stream.

When these types of medications are split in half, the formula of the medication is altered, causing the medication to not be properly released and potentially causing unwanted side effects.

Common medications that are enteric or protectively coated are Asprin, Advil, Bisacodyl, and Diclofenac. Tramadol is in a class of medications called opiate narcotic analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. Tramadol comes as a tablet, a solution liquid , an extended-release long-acting tablet, and an extended-release long-acting capsule to take by mouth.

The regular tablet and solution are taken usually with or without food every 4 to 6 hours as needed. The extended-release tablet and extended-release capsule should be taken once a day. Take the extended-release tablet and the extended-release capsule at about the same time of day every day.

If you are taking the extended-release capsule, you may take it with or without food. If you are taking the extended-release tablet, you should either always take it with food or always take it without food. Do not take more medication as a single dose or take more doses per day than prescribed by your doctor. Taking more tramadol than prescribed by your doctor or in a way that is not recommended may cause serious side effects or death.

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of tramadol and gradually increase the amount of medication you take, not more often than every 3 days if you are taking the solution, regular tablets or orally disintegrating tablets or every 5 days if you are taking the extended-release tablets or extended-release capsules. If you are taking the solution, use an oral syringe or measuring spoon or cup to measure the correct amount of liquid needed for each dose.

Do not use a regular household spoon to measure your dose. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need help getting or using a measuring device,. Do not stop taking tramadol without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

If you suddenly stop taking tramadol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness; panic; sweating; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; runny nose, sneezing, or cough; pain; hair standing on end; chills; nausea; uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body; diarrhea; or rarely, hallucinations seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

If your doctor has told you to take tramadol regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Tramadol may cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children.

Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program.