The Risk of Chronic Opioid Utilization with Tramadol: A Narrative Review of the Literature.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or meta-analysis methodology
PubMed 41031407 · doi:10.1080/15360288.2025.2562033
What was done
A narrative review evaluating published literature on the impact of tramadol on chronic opioid utilization and/or opioid misuse compared to other opioid therapies.
What was found
Ten published studies reported that tramadol had a comparable or higher risk of chronic opioid utilization and/or opioid misuse compared to other opioids, while six studies reported a significantly lower risk. The abstract reports no pooled numerical effect sizes or participant counts.
Why it matters
Despite its lower federal scheduling compared to other prescription opioids, multiple studies suggest tramadol may carry a comparable or greater risk of long-term use and misuse.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review without formal meta-analysis. The included observational studies are prone to confounding by indication, residual confounding, and unmeasured biases.
Cited by
- supports Tramadol is habit-forming and can lead to physical dependence or addiction with long-term use.