Tramadol

Category: pharmacological

Aliases: Ultram, ConZip

Pharmacological Mechanism

Weak µ-opioid agonist via CYP2D6-mediated conversion to O-desmethyltramadol (active metabolite with 200× µ-affinity vs parent). Parent compound is a serotonin + norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor — serotonergic load creates seizure + serotonin-syndrome risk. CYP2D6 polymorphism drives analgesia + respiratory depression variability.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 5.5h, IV: 5.5h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 66.7 mg (Range: 50–100 mg)
• IV: Typical 66.7 mg (Range: 50–100 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous
• respiratory
• digestive

Pathways It Modulates

• Opioid receptor signaling (activator) — μ-opioid (weak) + SNRI

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 33741
• Formula: C16H25NO2
• Molecular weight: 263.38 g/mol
• InChIKey: TVYLLZQTGLZFBW-ZBFHGGJFSA-N
• SMILES: CN(C)C[C@H]1CCCC[C@@]1(C2=CC(=CC=C2)OC)O

References

• PMID 15509185