How long does tramadol stay in your system?

How long tramadol stays in your system depends on several factors including how the drug is ingested, how often it is used, and the metabolism and weight of the individual. 

In this article, we look at how long tramadol stays in your system, including how long it remains detectable in drug tests. We also look at some of the side effects and risks of tramadol use.

What is tramadol?

Tramadol – also known as Chill Pills, Trammies or Ultras – belongs to a group of drugs called opioid analgesics, and is a powerful painkiller used in medical settings to treat moderate to severe pain. It can also be prescribed to treat long-term pain, where other painkillers are no longer effective.

While not as powerful as other opioids, like heroin, its effects are similar and both substances are addictive.

Taking tramadol can make you feel calm, happy, and relaxed, and relieve symptoms of pain. However, it can also make you feel tired and lethargic, moody, irritable, and confused.

When legally prescribed, a physician or other medical practitioner will carefully manage the prescription, to minimize the risks of long-term addiction.

What happens in the body when you take drugs?

When a person consumes drugs, they are broken down by the liver, and a proportion of the drug and its metabolites are released into the bloodstream.

Some of the drug and its metabolites can then be detected in the body in different ways including via sweat, urine, saliva, hair and nails.

In the case of hair and nails, a proportion of the drug and its metabolites travel to the blood vessels in the hair follicles and nail bed.

Substances then become trapped in the hair shaft (cortex) and the keratin fibers of the nails, remaining in hair and nails as they grow, and making it possible to determine whether someone has consumed drugs, using hair and/or nail testing.

What does tramadol do to you?

Tramadol is a prescription pain relief medication that works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, reducing the perception of pain and sometimes causing feelings of relaxation or mild euphoria.

Is tramadol the same as Tylenol with codeine?

No, tramadol and Tylenol with codeine are not the same. The main difference between the two is their composition: tramadol is a single-drug opioid painkiller, while Tylenol with codeine is a combination of codeine (an opioid) and acetaminophen. The most well-known brand of acetaminophen is Tylenol.

Because codeine is less potent than tramadol, Tylenol with codeine is typically used for mild to moderate pain and is often prescribed for short-term relief (e.g. for injuries or following dental procedures).

Tramadol is often prescribed for moderate or severe chronic pain and carries a higher risk of addiction and dependency.

How long does tramadol stay in your system?

How long tramadol remains in the system can depend on several factors including how the drug is ingested, how often it is used, the dosage, and the metabolism and weight of the individual.

The drug testing detection windows for tramadol are as follows: 

• Urine – up to 4 days
• Hair – up to 12 months (depending on the length of hair available)
• Nails – up to 12 months (up to 6 months for fingernails and up to 12 months for toenails)

What factors affect how long tramadol stays in your system?

Factors that affect how long tramadol stays in your system include:

• Quantities taken
• Frequency of use
• Metabolism and weight
• Formulation of the drug (e.g. slow-release tramadol pills/tablets remain in your system for longer)

Is tramadol addictive?

Tramadol can be addictive, although it is often perceived as less addictive than stronger opioids like morphine and oxycodone.

Tramadol binds to opioid receptors in the brain, providing pain relief and feelings of euphoria, which can lead to addiction in some people who use it.

Repeated use can also cause the body to develop a tolerance, meaning that higher doses are required to achieve the same effect. Physical dependence can also occur, leading to withdrawal symptoms when tramadol use is reduced or stopped.

What are the long-term effects of tramadol use?

The long-term physical effects of tramadol misuse/abuse can include:

• Physical dependence, tolerance and addiction
• Constipation
• Liver and kidney damage
• Cardiovascular problems
• Weakened immune system
• Hormonal imbalances
• Increased risk of depression or anxiety

People who misuse tramadol over a long period of time may also experience withdrawal symptoms when they reduce their intake or stop using it.

Does tramadol show up on a drug test?

Yes, tramadol can show up in drug tests including urine, hair and nail drug tests. 

Urine drug tests provide a narrow window of detection, meaning that they can only tell us whether an individual has been using drugs in the few days prior to the samples being collected. A urine drug test provides a window of detection up to (approximately) four days after tramadol was first used.

This makes urine drug tests ideal for circumstances where an individual is suspected to be under the influence of drugs in the ‘here and now’, or for day-to-day monitoring of drug use.

Hair drug tests and nail drug tests provide us with a wide window of detection (up to 12 months) for drug use. This is due to the way in which drugs are retained in the hair and nails, long after substances were first consumed.

Peace of mind, home hair drug tests can provide an overview of drug use up to 12 months. Nail drug tests are ideal where hair testing is not possible, providing an overview of historic drug use up to six months (fingernails) or up to 12 months (toenails).

How long does it take for tramadol to show up on a drug test?

Even after the effects of the drug have worn off, tramadol use can still be detected by a drug test, depending on the type of test you take.

The drug testing detection windows for tramadol are as follows:

• Urine – up to approximately 4 days
• Hair – up to 12 months (depending on the length of hair available)
• Nails – up to 12 months (up to 6 months for fingernails and up to 12 months for toenails)

Urine drug testing is known as a ‘narrow-window’ form of testing and can be used to detect drug use from 30 minutes after consumption, up to approximately four days.

The rate at which hair and nails grow means that both hair drug testing and nail drug testing can provide a ‘wide-window’ of detection for drugs and their metabolites (up to 12 months).