Even taxi drivers are
aware of this craze for what is euphemistically called "Cough Syrup"
amongst the initiates. It is a high like never before, as an insider describes the
feeling from using the concoction containing the opiate.
GRAPHITTI
NEWS report continues:
The
only thing is that they would not reveal the full content of the mixture. Our Health
Correspondent who is a qualified Pharmacist could only guess from his training
what else thy may include in the concoction. However, the reporter is certain that Tramadol is not the only drug they are using, they know the names of several
others.
Tramadol
use is exploding all over the place. It is hugely popular. While some regular users
prefer swallowing the ‘pills,’ others rather would drop them inside alcoholic
drinks, and even the fizzy drink, La
Casera.
The
die-hard users bypass all of this and snort the drug!
Some
people abuse pain medications such as Tramadol by snorting the crushed tablets.
This may be done by those seeking a rapid initial burst of euphoria by
bypassing the steady release of medication that would otherwise follow its
intended oral administration.
GRAPHITTI
NEWS findings indicate that abuse of the drug in this manner can result in a
relatively rapid delivery of this drug to the brain, but can also cause
serious side effects.
Why is tramadol abused?
The
findings reinforces the findings of The
Nation which carried the story "The Use and Abuse of Tramadol" on
March 2016.
Apart
from its pain relieving effects, Tramadol has been discovered to give a feeling
of euphoric high when taken in large quantity. When opiods like Tramadol are
mixed with alcohol, it increases the effects of the alcohol.
Toyosi
Ogunjobi, a 19-year-old public secondary school student in Lagos, who is into
the abuse of the drug told The Nation that he mixes Tramadol with alcohol when
he wants to engage in manual labour. He claims it allows him to work harder and
longer but that if he takes the mixture without working, it weakens him.
Gabriel
Oladoye, a 21 year-old undergraduate of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
also admits to abusing Tramadol. To him, Tramadol serves as an aphrodisiac. He
says he normally takes the drug few minutes before sex and it enables him last
longer and perform better in bed.
Bode,
a 27 year-old liquor seller says mixing Tramadol with 'Bullet' alcohol drink
helps him last longer during intercourse, since he normally suffers from
premature ejaculation. He shared an experience in which he engaged in
intercourse all night with a commercial sex worker after taking Tramadol with 'Bullet'. He said they had marathon sex all night, but confessed that he had to
visit the clinic during the day, when he began experiencing pains on his
manhood.
The
doctor, after checking him up for infections, warned him to desist from such
medications and marathon sex, as he was lucky not to have ruptured his tissues.
In
a medication guide listed on Drugs.com, there contains a strict warning about
Tramadol as follows:
“You should not take Tramadol if you have used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or narcotic medications within the past few hours.”
“Tramadol can slow or
stop your breathing, especially when you start using this medicine or whenever
your dose is changed. Never take Tramadol in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Do not crush, break, or open an extended-release pill.
“Seizures (convulsions) have occurred in some people taking this medicine. Tramadol may be more likely to cause a seizure if you have a history of seizures or head injury, a metabolic disorder or if you are taking certain medicines such as antidepressants, muscle relaxers, narcotic, or medicine for nausea and vomiting.”
Now
Tramadol is not supposed to be available OTC (Over the Counter). The question
therefore arises, how are youths getting such a powerful prescription drug so
readily?
Pharmacists
are fingered, that is, rogue Pharmacists.
This
drug is meant to be scarce in pharmacies, because it is usually required on
special cases. But the reverse is the case these days, as pharmacists who are supposed
to educate the ignorant youths are now the secret suppliers.
Drug
abuse, any drug all, is not desirable, especially among the youths—the
leaders of tomorrow.
In a candid viewpoint, Dr. Martin Agwogie, a Drug Demand
Reduction expert with NDLEA, wrote "Drug Abuse and Nigerian Youth" in Vanguard of June 23, 2016:
The use
of mind altering substances of natural origin has been known since the
prehistoric times. For centuries, man has tried to either complement some pleasant
features of life or escape from the unpleasantness of life, whether real or
imaginary, by using fermented liquor and different plant products.
For
example, drinking of palm wine and locally brewed alcohol such as “ogogoro”,
“burukutu” as well as chewing of different stimulating plants and their
products in Nigeria have been known for ages. Reports have it that the use of
these substances was more of occasional and in moderation with few exceptions.
This
was the trend of substance use in Nigeria until after the Second World War in
the 40s when cannabis (hemp) was introduced through the war veterans who
brought back the cannabis seed from India. The 70s and 80s witnessed the
introduction of other drugs like cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and pharmaceutical
opioids (codeine, morphine etc).
This
trend changed dramatically in the 90s to include the abuse of non-conventional
drugs such as volatile solvents or inhalants (gasoline, correction fluid,
rubber solution, aerosol, nail polish removal, kerosene, petrol, and bytul
nitrate). These volatile solvents produce psychoactive vapour which when
inhaled goes straight from the nose to the brain, heart and lungs with instant
intoxication and diverse consequences.
Today,
ingenuity has been introduced into drug abuse with complex mixtures,
experimentations and new discoveries. This has resorted to the abuse of lizard
dung (especially the whitish part), pit toilet/soak away fumes (bio generic
gas), “goskolo” a concoction of unimaginable substances, robin blue powder cocktail,
“gadagi” (a substance resembling tea leaves), pharmaceutical products
(Tramadol, Rohypnol) and many more. Codeine containing cough syrup mixed with
soft drinks is gradually taking over alcohol in youth parties.
Due
to new technologies which have improved the mass production of some of these
drugs, many of them have become very cheap and therefore affordable. Unfortunately,
the presence of new substances of abuse are usually not detected until someone
suffering from the consequences visits the hospital for treatment or law
enforcement personnel intercept or seize a supply of suspected substances.
Substance
abuse in Nigeria and the new trend is becoming a significant medical,
psychological, social and economic problem facing the nation. More worrisome is
the increasing number of secondary school and tertiary institution students who
are getting involved in drug abuse. These are the future leaders of Nigeria.
What will the future of the nation be if it’s supposedly future leaders are
drug addicts?
Five
major predisposing factors to drug abuse among students are peer pressure,
curiosity, ignorance, academic induced frustration and lack of parental care.
Adolescence and young adult are characterized by new identities/peer selection,
adventurism, curiosity, excitement and role confusion. Where students are not
well guided, either by the home or school, they choose wrong peers which will
lead to experimenting with drugs.
Also,
the storm and stress of life such as academic workload, learning to be
independent from parents put them under pressure to find solace in drugs. In
some cases, they take drugs to have momentary relief and out of ignorance of
the consequences. Some have been initiated by peers without knowing what they
took. They would probably notice that they felt differently and would want to
have a similar feel. Before they realize what they are taking, they would have
been addicted to a particular substance of abuse. That is why some cannot tell
you exactly the name of the substance they took until they go for drug test.
In
some cases, they mention a substance of abuse whose effect is a contrast
to their behaviour. The consequences of drug abuse by students include extreme
violence, gang rape, drug induced suicide, paranoia, poor academic performance,
larceny (to feed the habit), school dropout, poor health condition,
indebtedness and waste of resources (money and material). Drug abuse is also
associated with anti-social vices among students such as cultism, thuggery,
racketeering, and armed robbery. This means that the problem of drug abuse
among students is the problem of everyone – the parents, the school, other students
and the general public.
Addressing
drug problem among youths in institutions of learning therefore, requires
collective efforts. Some institutions have put in place policies against drug
abuse by students. Most of these policies are however penal such as suspension
and in some cases rustication from school for students who test positive to
substances of abuse. Some Institutions refer offending students for drug
treatment and rehabilitation as a condition for re-admission into the school.
As commendable as these policies may be, they need to be implemented with
extreme caution. Otherwise, penal measures will become counterproductive with a
good number of the students frustrated, not return back to school and would
become additional burden to both the family and become security threat to the
society.
Beyond
referral for rehabilitation, counseling units in institutions of learning
should be resuscitated with capacity to provide drug counseling, referral for
more complex cases and follow up services after discharge from treatment and
rehabilitation centers. Drug education, including drug refusal skills, should
be incorporated into students’ orientation programmes. Alumni Associations
should incorporate drug education and parenting skills in their programmes to
help parents, institutions of learning and the government to collectively
address the emerging threat to the future leaders of tomorrow.
Parents
should be more involved in the educational progress of their children through
effective collaboration with the school. In addition, parents/guardians should
regularly monitor the activities of their children/wards at home in terms of
the kinds of friends they keep, their late night activities as well as their
consumption of the Internet as much as humanly possible. Schools should
urgently establish a tripartite communication between parents, schools and
students more for the overall welfare of the students, rather than for the
business interests of the schools.
What Is Tramadol?
Sold
under a variety of commercial names – including Kingadol, ConZip, Ultram
and Ultram ER – this analgesic medication is prescribed to manage moderate to
moderately severe pain.
Tramadol is a narcotic-like pain reliever. It is used to treat moderate to severe pain.
The extended-release form of Tramadol is for around-the-clock treatment of
pain.
Tramadol
is a synthetic opioid agonist that interacts with certain opioid receptors
within the brain – modifying sensations of physical pain and discomfort.
It is often prescribed for people with nerve damage, arthritis or other painful
chronic conditions.
Tramadol
is sold in immediate-release and extended-release tablets, and it is meant to
be taken orally. The extended-release version is intended to control symptoms
for a longer period of time and is prescribed to adults who need
around-the-clock pain control.
When Tramadol is abused for recreational purposes, it can create a
near-immediate sense of pleasure and happiness that’s often been compared to a
morphine high. But this man-made opiate agonist can be addictive, and snorting
the drug increases the risk of dependence.
What Happens When You
Snort Tramadol?
When Tramadol is taken orally as prescribed by a doctor, the drug is a generally
safe alternative to other pain medications. Tramadol has more powerful
painkiller properties than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications,
and it was designed with the intention of providing a less addictive
alternative to the stronger opiate analgesics.
Crushing
the medication, however, is unsafe. People who misuse Tramadol may crush
multiple tablets in order to snort the drug and get a euphoric high. While
some side effects of snorting Tramadol may be shorter-term and less
harmful than others, other side effects – such as seizures and overdose – can
be much more risky and even lethal.
How Tramadol Enters Your
System
When Tramadol is ingested orally, it is first processed through the liver before its
effects are felt throughout your body. When Tramadol is snorted, however, the
drug dodges this intended “first-pass” process of liver metabolism. Instead,
the mucus membrane of your nasal passage absorbs the drug and delivers it
across the blood-brain barrier directly to your brain.
How Tramadol
Works in the Brain
Tramadol
is a synthetic opioid – meaning that its chemical makeup has
been man-made, rather than having been developed directly from opium
poppy plant derivatives. Nonetheless, it works in the brain very similarly
to natural opiates, as it attaches to opioid receptors and alters
signaling throughout the body’s pain pathways. As a result, you perceive less
pain in your body when there is Tramadol in your system.
Tramadol
is a somewhat unusual opioid analgesic in that it also increases the
availability of norepinephine and serotonin in your brain. The drug’s actions
on these neurotransmitters may serve to bolster its pain relieving
capabilities, but is thought to also provide a mild antidepressant effect – elevating
good feelings throughout the body.
How Quickly You Feel
Tramadol’s Effects
Orally
administered Tramadol pills (immediate release) are processed through the
liver, and drug levels peak in the body in about 2 hours. Since snorting Tramadol skips this liver metabolism process – delivering the drug directly to
the neural circulation – the effects of Tramadol are experienced
even faster than 2 hours.
What Are the Side Effects
of Snorting Tramadol?
When Tramadol powder is snorted, the medication can cause severe irritation of the
mucous lining of the nose. Some users report a painful burning sensation. In
addition to causing discomfort and pain, snorting Tramadol increases the risk
of taking too much of this medication.
Snorting Tramadol can have serious consequences, such as: Agitation, Panic, Shaking
and tremors, Nausea
and vomiting, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Weakness, Overdose and Seizures.
When
you snort Tramadol while you’re drinking or taking other drugs that suppress
breathing and heart rate (such as opiate pain relievers methadone or heroin),
the risk of central nervous system depression increases — as does the risk of
accidental death.
Tramadol and Serotonin
Syndrome
A
2010 study of Tramadol overdose published in Clinical Toxicology indicates
that 1.2 percent of all poisoning episodes in 2006 to 2007 were related to Tramadol. Taking too much of this drug can result in what’s known as
serotonin syndrome – a severe drug reaction that can occur when you take
medications that alter the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter
serotonin. Dangerous side effects of serotonin syndrome may include: Seizures, Accelerated
heart rate, Elevated
blood pressure, Elevated
body temperature, Delusions
and hallucinations and Loss
of motor coordination.
If you feel that your Tramadol abuse has taken over your life, you may have a physical or psychological dependence on this drug.
Getting help for Tramadol addiction may require intensive, professional substance abuse treatment – potentially one that specifically promotes recovery from Tramadol addiction or other form of prescription drug abuse.
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