What Does Tramadol Look Like? | Pill Images, Colors, Imprints, & Shapes
Medically Reviewed By: Manish Mishra, MBBS
Written by: Fikret Terzic MD, MS
Tramadol looks like a round or oblong pill that is white, orange, yellow, or red in color. Both brand name and generic formulations of tramadol can have these characteristics.
Tramadol is a prescription opioid analgesic that can provide pain relief for forms of chronic pain and severe pain. It was previously available as Ultram and Ultram ER, and is currently available in generic and brand name formulations such as Conzip and Qdolo.
As of 2019, tramadol is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance with a moderate potential for drug abuse.
Tramadol is not available as an over-the-counter pain medication, and serious side effects of tramadol abuse may include opioid overdose, drug addiction, opiate withdrawal symptoms, and serotonin syndrome.
Tramadol can look like a round or elliptical pill with a solid white, off-white, orange, yellow, or red color. The appearance of tramadol pills may vary depending on the manufacturer and specific product purchased.
How To Identify Tramadol Pills
Tramadol is available as an immediate-release or extended-release prescription opioid painkiller in generic and brand name formulations. Tramadol products may also contain acetaminophen. Tramadol products may vary in size, shape, color, and imprinting.
Color
Tramadol pills and tablets can be white, off-white, orange, yellow, or red in color.
Imprint
Possible imprints for tramadol hydrochloride products may include:
G and TL 50
R 714
I 03
537
APO 37.5 – 325
93 and 58
334
E and 311
These imprints may indicate the distributor, manufacturer, active ingredients, and other drug information. Tramadol pills, regardless of appearance, work by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system.
Shape
Generic tramadol HCL and Conzip may be more likely to have a white, round appearance. Tramadol and acetaminophen combination products such as Ultracet may be more likely to have an elliptical or oblong shape with a solid yellow, orange, or red color.
Risks Of Illicit Tramadol Pills
Legitimate prescription drugs, opioid drugs, and pain relievers have regulations on their appearance.
If you engage in unapproved use of tramadol through buying tramadol pills from an illegal source, taking tramadol without a prescription, or taking high doses of the drug, the ingredients present may not be regulated by health organizations.
Tramadol pills sold on the street may contain fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. Instead of taking a desired dose of tramadol, you may be ingesting a life-threatening dose of fentanyl.
Abusing opioid medications can increase your risk of common side effects and serious health problems, including dry mouth, drowsiness, constipation, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, and opioid addiction.
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- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Tramadol Information https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/tramadol-information
- National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus — Tramadol: MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a695011.html
- National Library of Medicine: StatPearls — Tramadol https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537060/