Talk about a dose of disappointment.

A new analysis suggests that millions of Americans with chronic pain are being prescribed an opioid that likely does little to ease their suffering.

To make matters worse, the research indicates the drug significantly increases the risk of serious side effects — including heart disease, the nation’s leading killer. 3

Across the US, 51.6 million adults — roughly 1 in 5 — live with chronic pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For 17.1 million of them, the agony disrupts work, daily activities or both.

Tramadol has been widely used to relieve that pain, with doctors writing 16 million prescriptions for the short-acting opioid in 2023 alone.

Long considered a “ safer alternative ” to stronger opioids, tramadol i

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