Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OXAYDO versus ULTRAM.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OXAYDO versus ULTRAM.
OXAYDO vs ULTRAM
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Oxycodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for mu-opioid receptors, although it can bind to kappa-opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of oxycodone is analgesia. Like all full opioid agonists, there is no ceiling effect to analgesia for oxycodone.
Tramadol is a centrally acting synthetic opioid analgesic that binds to μ-opioid receptors and inhibits norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake.
Oral, 5-10 mg every 4-6 hours as needed for pain; maximum 60 mg per day.
50-100 mg orally every 4-6 hours as needed for pain; maximum 400 mg/day (for extended-release: 100 mg once daily, titrated up to 300 mg once daily).
None Documented
None Documented
Terminal elimination half-life is 3.5-5.5 hours for immediate-release oxycodone; clinically dose every 4-6 hours for sustained analgesia.
Tramadol: ~6 hours; M1 metabolite (O-desmethyltramadol): ~7 hours; prolonged in renal/hepatic impairment
Primarily renal as unchanged drug and metabolites; ~90% excreted in urine (approx 10% unchanged oxycodone, rest as noroxycodone and oxymorphone conjugates) and <10% in feces via biliary elimination.
Renal: ~90% (tramadol and metabolites; conjugated metabolites are major), Fecal: ~10%
Category C
Category C
Opioid Analgesic
Opioid Analgesic