New Twist in Pain Management Drugs: Link Discovered Between Tramadol and Hypoglycemia

As if the all the known risks of pain medications aren't already enough, a new problem has surfaced recently.

Tramadol, a prescription painkiller that has grown in popularity in the last decade or so, has been linked to an increased risk of hypoglycemia, and in some cases, the ending was fatal. According to the study regarding this issue, persons taking tramadol face a threefold risk for hospitalization due to hypoglycemia.

The authors cannot clearly pinpoint a cause and effect relationship has not been established. Some of the persons who experienced this problem were diabetic while others were not; clearly diabetics should be extra vigilant since hypoglycemia is a constant concern for those affected. You can read some information about this recent finding here.

For me, this is just one more reason why pain management should be multi modal, and that relying on prescription drugs alone is not a good idea. I hope you agree!

Source: WebMD; Wikimedia

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