Tramadol

[ColdCottage]

I keep getting different brands of Tramadol from my GP. Has anyone found the different brands are more a less effective? They all have the same dose but I've read elsewhere they have slightly different make ups.

Also do you know why the same pharmacy would stock 5 different brands?

Generic drugs do vary in their effectiveness. I have the same problem with some kinds of generic citalopram.

The doctor and pharmacist will tell you that all generic drugs are the exactly the same...... and they should be. But my experience is that every now and then there is a noticeable difference between them.

I always go to the same pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for the same brand I had last time. Could you do the same? Or ask the GP to specify the named brand on the prescription?

That's a good idea. Not sure which one is the best. All sites I've read are in the USA.

Tramadol is a tricky one as there is never a consistent supply from one supplier so you can ask, but it may not always be possible to get you the same brand. More so since it became a schedule 2 drug in June.

What does that mean lonecat? Thank you.

In June this year Tramadol changed it's classification to schedule 2 controlled drug so GP's can't submit prescriptions electronically, there have to be additional controls in pharmacies for the management of it.
To get tramadol into a pharmacy a written prescription has to be received in hard copy by a wholesaler and so on up the chain. This delays tramadol orders so you often have to take what you can take.

It became a schedule 3 drug. See here for an explanation.

Sorry wrong number still requires written hard copy requisition orders.