Don't Think of Tramadol as a "Safer" Opioid

Questions are coming up about the safety and efficacy of tramadol...since Health Canada proposes to reschedule it as a controlled substance.

Tramadol is often considered safer than strong opioids (oxycodone, etc)...since it's a weak opioid agonist and not controlled yet.

But tramadol has the same warnings about dependence, abuse, and misuse as other opioids. Plus tramadol poses other risks...such as seizures, serotonin syndrome, and hyponatremia.