What is tramadol?
Tramadol is an analgesic opioid used to treat pain. tramadol is only available on prescription and should not be taken by anyone except the named person on the prescription. Typically, tramadol is prescribed for moderate to moderately severe pain and in cases where opiate medication is not suitable. For example, in cases where someone may be allergic to opiates but not opioids.
Are opioids and opiates the same thing?
No, opiates are derived from the opium poppy, whereas opioids are synthetic compounds created to mimic opiates. They do the same thing, but they are different.
Are there any medications that might produce a false positive screen/on-site test for tramadol?
Yes. As we move into the summer months and pollen begins to rise, more people being to take antihistamines to combat hay fever. The antihistamine, Fexofenadine, has a profound false-positive effect on results. This has been found on onsite non-negative tests and back to lab screening results for tramadol.
How do I know if the tramadol result is due to tramadol, rather than another medication?
This is why it’s important to send on-site non-negative tests back to the laboratory for confirmation testing, and why we perform confirmation testing on any back-to-lab screening samples.
Screening tests give a generic overview of what drugs are in the sample, while confirmation testing provides specifics. For example, there are over 500 opioids and many of them may cause a non-negative on-site test or back-to-lab screen, but how do you know which of those may be present? Confirmation testing!
In confirmation testing, if a sample contains tramadol, we will see a peak for tramadol. But if a sample contains venlafaxine or fexofenadine, then we won’t see a peak for tramadol. So you can rest assured that we are able to distinguish between false positives and true positives.
I have heard that tramadol is very strong, should I be concerned about my employee who is prescribed it?
Not necessarily. As tramadol is prescription only, the individual will need to have been assessed by a physician to receive the prescription. If you have concerns over an individuals’ ability to perform safety critical work, you can request an MRO review, or you could conduct an occupational health review through your company.
If you would like to discuss adding MRO reviews to your account, please get in touch with our customer service team or your account manager.
To find out more about how SLS Laboratory Services can support you with a Drug and Alcohol Policy and testing solutions, you can call us on 01873 856688.
Author: Michelle Csete – Senior Reporting Scientist.