Popular Painkiller Offers Little Relief, Raises Serious Health Risks, Study Finds

Popular painkiller offers little relief, raises serious health risks, study finds

A widely prescribed opioid painkiller showed limited effectiveness and increased risk of negative effects in a new analysis published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

Study questions popular painkiller's safety and effectiveness

A commonly prescribed opioid painkiller long viewed as a safer option for chronic pain may offer only limited benefit while increasing the risk of serious health problems, according to a new analysis published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. The study focused on tramadol, a widely used prescription opioid often chosen because it is perceived as less addictive and milder than other opioid drugs. Researchers analysed data from 19 randomised clinic…