Medical Advice

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System? Complete Guide to Detection Times

Posted by author-avatar
how long does tramadol stay in your system

Tramadol is a strong pain medication that helps when someone hurts a lot. So, many people ask How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System? As a result, this is a very important question to know because every medication takes some time to work in our system and takes some time to leave our system. The stay time can vary from person to person. Knowing these timings will help us take the medications safely and understand how the medications affect us. In this blog, we will talk about Tramadol in easy and simple words. Furthermore, we will also understand how long tramadol stays in our system and what affects its stay longer in the system.

How Long Does Tramadol Stay in Your System? Blood, Urine, Saliva, and Hair

What is Tramadol?

Tramadol is a medication that belongs to the group of opioids. It is used to treat moderate to severe pain signals. Tramadol works by binding to the opioid receiver in the brain. It can change the functioning of the brain and nervous system to respond to any sort of pain. This drug is given in cases where other medications were not very effective. Tramadol falls under the category of Schedule IV drug class, and excessive use of this drug can cause physical dependency and addiction. There are certain conditions in an individual that make them unsuitable for Tramadol. They are:

  • Allergy
  • Head injury
  • Seizures
  • Difficult to breathe
  • Kidney problem
  • Alcohol addiction
  • Liver issue
  • Fits

Half-life of Tramadol

Half-life is the time which the body takes to completely eliminate the drug from the system. The elimination process of Tramadol begins in the liver. Tramadol has a half-life of 5-6 hours, but its primary and active metabolite has a stronger half-life of 8 hours. The elimination of a drug depends on how fast the drug is digested and distributed in the blood. The traces of the drug can be found even after 8 hours in the system. Because the stay of the drug is not dependent on the half-life of the drug, it is dependent on the health factors of individuals taking the drug.

Side effects

Even if Tramadol is effective in treating pain, it can still cause both long-term and short-term after effects. Generally, the serious side effects occur when the medication is used continuously for more days than asked or when overdosed. Let’s see what those side effects are;

Side Effects of Tramadol

  • Hives
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness

Tramadol Serious Side Effects

  • Seizures
  • Slow breathes
  • Serotonin issues
  • Overdose
  • Suicidal thinking
  • Twitching
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Weakness in the Muscle

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System?

Tramadol takes at least 2 days to get completely out of the system, but that does not mean its traces cannot be found in the system after those two days. This medication has a half-life of 6-8 hours, which means its level gets reduced by half in the blood after 6-8 hours after taking the medication. The traces of Tramadol can be found in various drug tests. Let’s understand them one by one easily.

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System: Urine Test

A urine test is a very common test or process to find out the traces of the drug in the system. Because the elimination of the drug is also done through urination. The stay of Tramadol in the urine of the user is for 2 to 4 days, which means almost 96 hours.

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System: Blood Test

A blood test is also a common drug test, but it is not the most effective and accurate test because Tramadol only lasts in the blood for 48 hours. So, this test is not so reliable, but it is helpful to find the recent use of the drug.

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System: Hair Test

A hair test is very effective for long-term drug use detection. Because the remains of the drug can be found i the hair follicles for a very long time if the drug is used constantly, almost every day. In the case of Tramadol, the traces of the drug can be found in the hair for the highest time period, that is, 90 days.

How Long Does Tramadol Stay In Your System: Saliva Test

A saliva test is a very common and easy drug test for instant results. The remains of Tramadol can be found in the saliva for almost 48 our after the intake of the drug. Certainly the saliva test is so easy that it can be done on the side of a road or in a workplace.

Factors Responsible For Holding Tramadol Longer In The Body

The staying time period can vary from one person to another because of various health factors. The staying is fully dependent on the individual because some people might need a very short time to completely eliminate the drug from their system, but on the other hand, some people might require a lot of time to digest and eliminate the drug from their system. In addition to that, when the drug is taken in a higher dose, it tends to stay in the system for a longer time than usual time. There are several factors that make the stay of Tramadol longer in the system. They are as follows;

  • Age
  • Dosage
  • Dosing Frequency
  • Route of Administration
  • Metabolism
  • Liver Function
  • Hydration
  • Body weight
  • Genetics
  • Kidney Function
  • Urinary pH
  • Drug Interactions

How To Detox The Body From Tramadol?

Detoxification of Tramadol cannot be done overnight. It requires a lot of effort and care to completely remove the elements of Tramadol from the system. A medical detox program is the safest way to remove Tramadol from your system. Simmilarly, there are also some other natural ways that will help the detoxification process happen quickly and easily.

  • Careful and gradual reduction of Tramadol
  • Take therapy to stop using tramadol
  • Do not drink plenty of water
  • Never take alcohol or other opioid drugs while being on the detoxification process
  • Keep your body active and healthy for an easy elimination process of drugs

Withdrawal Effects

However, when an individual stops taking Tramadol suddenly, then he/she may face withdrawal effects. As we know, tramadol is an opioid; it makes the body habituated to the drug even when used for a short period of time. Withdrawal effects can range from mild to severe.

  • Anxiety
  • Cravings
  • Nausea
  • Agitation
  • Confusion
  • Muscle pain
  • Insomnia
  • Diarrhea
  • Nightmares
  • Stomach pain

Alternatives

Furthermore, sometimes people can not adjust to the originally prescribed drug because of several factors. In those cases, there comes the alternative medication option for the same disease. Some alternatives are as effective as Tramadol for treating pain. Let’s see what those effective alternatives are.

Bottom Line

Finally, at the end of the blog, we can conclude that Tramadol, being an Opioid, is usually recommended by doctors for effective pain relief. This drug remains in parts of the body for a very long time and does not get removed easily due to various underlying factors. Both overuse and underuse of this drug are harmful to health. Therefore, always take the prescribed dose as the doctor has asked.

Related Posts: