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"What is&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron used for?  Relieving moderate to severe pain.  How does&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron work? Mabron prolonged-release tablets contain the active ingredient tramadol hydrochloride, which is a type of medicine called an opioid painkiller. Opioids are strong painkillers that work by mimicking the action of naturally occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors.  Tramadol mimicks the action of our natural endorphins by combining with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocks the transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. Therefore, even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt.  Tramadol also works by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord. Neurotransmitters are chemical compounds that act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells. Tramadol enhances the effect of the neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline, and this action also helps relieve pain.  Tramadol is used in the management of moderate to severe pain. Mabron tablets are prolonged-release tablets. They are designed to release the tramadol slowly and continuously over 12 hours to help provide steady blood levels of the medicine throughout the day and prolonged pain relief. The tablets must be swallowed whole to avoid damaging the prolonged-release action.  How do I take&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron?  Mabron prolonged-release tablets should be taken twice a day, morning and evening, preferably 12 hours apart. The dose prescribed will depend on your individual circumstances and level of pain. Always follow the instructions given by your doctor. These will also be printed on the dispensing label that your pharmacist has put on the packet of medicine. Do not exceed the dose prescribed by your doctor. Mabron tablets must be swallowed whole with a drink and not broken, crushed or chewed. They can be taken either with or without food. If you forget to take a dose at your usual time, just leave out the missed dose and take your next dose as usual when it is due. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. If you miss a dose and this makes your pain come back you should get advice from your pharmacist.  Important information about&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron\u200B  This medicine may cause drowsiness and dizziness and can affect your ability to concentrate. This could affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure you can do so safely.  You should avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine as this will increase the chance of you feeling drowsy or dizzy.  From March 2015 a new &amp;#039;drug driving&amp;#039; law comes into force, which makes it an offence to drive with certain drugs or prescription medicines above specified limits in your body. Tramadol is in the same class of medicines as some of the medicines on the list, which means it may be an offence to drive while you are taking this medicine. The new law will allow police to use roadside drug tests to check for the presence of the prohibited drugs in a driver&amp;#039;s saliva. There are very low limits for illegal drugs, but higher limits for prescribed medicines. This means most people taking tramadol as prescribed will not be breaking the law, provided they are not driving dangerously. If you test positive for one of the medicines there is a medical defence if you are taking it as prescribed, as long as your driving is not impaired. If you are taking a high dose of tramadol it may therefore be sensible to carry your prescription with you if you feel you are safe to drive, in case you are asked to take a test by the police. You should not drive if you think this medicine affects your ability to drive safely, for example if it makes you feel sleepy, dizzy, unable to concentrate or make decisions, or if you have blurred or double vision. If you are driving dangerously while taking this medicine you will be breaking the law. If this medicine is taken for prolonged periods of time, the body can become tolerant to it and it may become less effective at relieving pain. This means that over time, higher doses may be needed to control pain. With prolonged use the body may also become dependent on the medicine. Withdrawal symptoms may rarely occur if the medicine is then stopped suddenly. If you have been taking this medicine for a long time it may sometimes be necessary to reduce treatment gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as feeling agitated, anxious, nervous or shaky, or having difficulty sleeping. Follow the instructions given by your doctor. Tramadol is a controlled drug. If you are planning to travel abroad with it you should check its legal status in the countries you are travelling through and to. There are legal limits on how much of this medicine you can take abroad with you. If you need to take more than this limit you will have to apply to the Home Office for a licence before you travel. Even if you don&amp;#039;t need a licence, if you are taking this medicine abroad it is always a good idea to carry a letter from your doctor that confirms your need for the medicine. You should always carry the medicine in correctly labelled packaging, as dispensed by the pharmacy.  Mabron should not be used in  Children under 12 years of age. People under the influence of (intoxicated with) alcohol, sleeping tablets, tranquilisers, psychotropic drugs (those affecting mood or emotions) or other opioid painkillers, eg morphine, codeine. People who have taken a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) in the last 14 days. Uncontrolled epilepsy.  This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Mabron should be used with caution in  Elderly people. People with decreased kidney or liver function. People with a head injury or increased pressure in the brain (raised intracranial pressure). People with reduced levels of conciousness. People with reduced blood flow to the vital internal organs (shock). People with slow, shallow breathing (respiratory depression), or other lung conditions or breathing difficulties, for example asthma. People with a history of drug dependence or abuse. People with a history or risk of having convulsions (fits or seizures), eg epilepsy.  Pregnancy and breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.  The safety of this medicine for use during pregnancy has not been established. The manufacturer states that it should not be used during pregnancy because it may have harmful effects on the developing baby. It could also cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn baby if used regularly during pregnancy. Seek further medical advice from your doctor. This medicine passes into breast milk in small amounts that are unlikely to be harmful to a nursing infant. The manufacturer states that this medicine is not recommended for women who are breastfeeding. However, they also state that it is not necessary to interrupt breastfeeding after a single dose. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.  Possible side effects of&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect. Very common (affect more than 1 in 10 people)  Feeling sick. Dizziness.  Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)  Sleepiness. Fatigue. Headache. Vomiting. Constipation. Dry mouth. Sweating.  Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)  Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations). Increased heart rate (tachycardia). A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension). Diarrhoea. Feeling bloated or pressure in the stomach. Skin reactions such as rash and itching.  Rare (affect between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10,000 people)  Blurred vision. Seeing or hearing things that are not really there (hallucinations). Confusion. Anxiety. Sleep disturbances. Nightmares. Changes in mood. Increased blood pressure. Decreased heart rate (bradycardia). Pins and needles sensations. Tremor or twitching. Convulsions. Slow, shallow breathing (respiratory depression). Muscle weakness. Difficulty passing urine.  The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine&amp;#039;s manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist. If you think you have experienced a side effect from a medicine or vaccine you should check the patient information leaflet. This lists the known side effects and what to do if you get them. You can also get advice from your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. If they think it&amp;#039;s necessary they&amp;#039;ll report it for you. You can also report side effects yourself using the yellow card website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. How can&amp;amp;nbsp;Mabron affect other medicines? It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.  This medicine should not be taken by people who are taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), for example the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid or moclobemide, or by people who have taken one of these medicines in the last 14 days. There may be an increased risk of side effects such as drowsiness and sedation if this medicine is used with other medicines that have a sedative effect on the central nervous system. These include the following:  antipsychotics, eg haloperidol  barbiturates, eg phenobarbital, amobarbital benzodiazepines, eg diazepam, temazepam muscle relaxants, eg baclofen other opioids, eg codeine, tramadol sedating antihistamines, eg chlorphenamine, hydroxyzine sleeping tablets, eg zopiclone tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.   There may be an increased risk of convulsions or seizures if tramadol is taken with the following medicines:  antipsychotic medicines, eg haloperidol bupropion mefloquine MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine, tranylcypromine or isocarboxazid SSRI antidepressants, eg fluoxetine tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.  There may be an increased risk of a rare but potentially serious side effect known as the &amp;#039;serotonin syndrome&amp;#039; if tramadol is used in combination with medicines that increase the levels or activity of serotonin in the nervous system. These include the following:  dapoxetine for premature ejaculation MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine, tranylcypromine or isocarboxazid mirtazapine selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) such as citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine or sertraline serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as venlafaxine or duloxetine tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline triptans for migraine such as sumatriptan the herbal remedy St John&amp;#039;s wort (Hypericum perforatum).  If you are taking any of these medicines you should let your doctor know if you experience symptoms such as confusion, agitation, tremor, muscle twitching, shivering, sweating, racing heartbeat or diarrhoea after taking Mabron. The following medicines may make tramadol less effective at relieving pain:  carbamazepine ondansetron.  Tramadol may enhance the anti-blood-clotting effect of coumarin anticoagulant medicines such as warfarin. If you are taking warfarin your blood clotting time (INR) should be monitored when you start and stop treatment with tramadol. Other medicines containing the same active ingredient  Marol prolonged-release tablets. Maxitram SR prolonged-release capsules. Tilodol SR prolonged-release tablets.  Tradorec XL once daily prolonged-release tablets. Tramquel SR prolonged-release capsules. Tramulief SR prolonged-release tablets. Zamadol capsules, melt tablets and injection. Zamadol SR prolonged-release capsules. Zamadol 24hr prolonged-release tablets. Zeridame SR prolonged-release tablets. Zydol capsules, soluble tablets and injection. Zydol SR prolonged-release tablets. Zydol XL prolonged-release tablets.  Tramadol capsules, orodispersible tablets, oral drops and injection are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine. Tramacet contains tramadol in combination with paracetamol. Further reading For background information about our medicine factsheets, including the references used to produce them, click here. Last updated 24.02.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/aches-and-pains/a8526/mabron-tramadol/>