Abuse potential and pharmacological comparison of tramadol and morphine

https://doi.org/10.1016/0376-8716(91)90081-9Get rights and content

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the abuse potential of the opioid analgesic tramadol. Tramadol (75, 150 and 300 mg), morphine (15 and 30 mg) and placebo were tested intramuscularly in volunteer non-dependent opiate abusers. Subjective, behavioral and miotic changes were assessed prior to dosing and intermittently for 12 h after drug administration. Morphine produced typical subjective effects, opiate identifications and miosis. Tramadol 75 and 150 mg were not different from placebo. Although tramadol 300 mg was identified as an opiate, it produced no other morphine-like effects. These findings suggest that tramadol has a low abuse potential by the parenteral route.

References (20)

  • D.R. Jasinski et al.

    Evaluation of mixtures of morphine and d-amphetamine for subjective and physiological effects

    Drug Alcohol Depend.

    (1986)
  • H.P. Andrews et al.

    Graphical display of means

    Am. Statistician

    (1980)
  • I. Arend et al.

    Tramadol and pentazocine-a clinical double- blind cross-over comparison

    Arzneim.-Forsch./Drug Res.

    (1978)
  • W.G. Cochran et al.

    Experimental Designs

    (1957)
  • B. Driessen et al.

    Effects of tramadol on noradrenaline release from rat brain cortex slices

    Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol.

    (1989)
  • D.J. Finney

    Statistical Method in Biological Assay

    (1964)
  • L. Flohe et al.

    Clinical study on the dependence development in long-term administration of tramadol

    Arzneim.-Forsch./ Drug Res.

    (1978)
  • E. Friderichs et al.

    Pharmacological investigations on analgesia and the development of dependence and tolerance with tramadol, a strongly acting analgesic

    Arzneim.- Forsch./Drug Res.

    (1978)
  • H.-H. Hennies et al.

    Receptor binding, analgesic and antitussive potency of tramadol and other selected opioids

    Arzneim.-Forsch./Drug Res.

    (1988)
  • H.P. Huber

    Study of the psychological effects of a new analgesic of the cyclohexanol series. A contribution to the clarification of the psychological dependence potential of tramadol

    Arzneim.-Forsch./Drug Res.

    (1978)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (234)

  • Tramadol as an analgesic

    2021, Treatments, Mechanisms, and Adverse Reactions of Anesthetics and Analgesics
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text