What is acetaminophen-traMADOL?
Tramadol is a narcotic-like pain reliever.
Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of tramadol.
The combination of acetaminophen and tramadol is used to treat moderate to severe pain.
Acetaminophen and tramadol may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
You should not take this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen and tramadol, if you are intoxicated (drunk), or if you have recently used any of the following drugs:
- alcohol;
- narcotic pain medicine;
- sedatives or tranquilizers (such as Valium);
- medicine for depression or anxiety;
- medicine for mental illness (such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia); or
- street drugs.
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
Seizures have occurred in some people taking acetaminophen and tramadol. Your risk of a seizure may be higher if you have any of these conditions:
- a history of drug or alcohol addiction;
- a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
- a history of head injury;
- a metabolic disorder;
- an infection of your brain or spinal cord, such as meningitis or encephalitis;
- if you are also taking an antidepressant, mood stabilizer, or another narcotic pain medicine; or
- if you have taken an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days.
Talk with your doctor about your individual risk of having a seizure.
Before taking acetaminophen and tramadol, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
- kidney disease;
- liver disease;
- asthma or other breathing disorder;
- a stomach disorder; or
- a history of depression, mental illness, or suicide attempt.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether the combination of acetaminophen and tramadol is harmful to an unborn baby. Tramadol alone may have caused serious or fatal side effects in newborns of mothers who used the medication during pregnancy or labor. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment with acetaminophen and tramadol.
Acetaminophen and tramadol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking acetaminophen and tramadol. Alcohol may cause a dangerous decrease in your breathing when used together with acetaminophen and tramadol.
Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by tramadol. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines.
Acetaminophen and tramadol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Do not use any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as "APAP”) is contained in many combination medicines. If you use certain products together you may accidentally use too much acetaminophen. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen or APAP.
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Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An acetaminophen and tramadol overdose can be fatal.
Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, extreme weakness, cold or clammy skin, stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes, feeling light-headed, fainting, or coma.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using acetaminophen and tramadol and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- seizure (convulsions);
- a red, blistering, peeling skin rash; or
- shallow breathing, weak pulse.
Less serious side effects may include:
- dizziness, drowsiness, weakness;
- nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite;
- blurred vision;
- flushing (redness, warmth, or tingly feeling); or
- sleep problems (insomnia).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Interactions
Before taking acetaminophen and tramadol, tell your doctor if you also use:
- carbamazepine (Tegretol);
- warfarin (Coumadin);
- digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
- ketoconazole (Nizoral);
- erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab);
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
- St. John's wort;
- quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Cardioquin, Quinora); or
- an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor); paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with acetaminophen and tramadol. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
Other Names
Ultracet, acetaminophen-tramadol, tramadol-acetaminophen, acetaminophen-traMADOL, and traMADOL-acetaminophen
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04