Efficacy of Tramadol for Pain Management in Patients Receiving Strong Cytochrome P450 2D6 Inhibitors.

Study Objective: Tramadol is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 to form an active metabolite that exhibits its analgesic effect. Medications that inhibit this enzyme are used often in practice, yet the clinical impact of this interaction on the analgesic effects of tramadol has yet to be fully described. The objective was to determine whether a clinically relevant decrease in pain control is observed in patients taking scheduled tramadol concomitantly with a strong CYP2D6 inhibitor.