[Tramadol (Tramal) in the treatment of rheumatic diseases-- comparative study]

In order to evaluate the efficacy of centrally acting analgesics. In treating rheumatic diseases, tramadol hydrochloride (Tramal Grunental) has been administered to a group of 68 patients (36 women and 32 men), who received 100 mg twice a day during a 10-day treatment. The testing comprised 14 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 20 patients (7 women and 13 men) with degenerative (OA) hip and knee diseases and 34 patients (15 women and 19 men) affected by the vertebrogen painful syndrome of lumbar spine. The control group comprised 12 patients (9 women and 3 men) with rheumatoid arthritis using non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs only, 22 patients (12 women and 10 men) with the OA of the hip and knee, using paracetamol only, and 30 patients (15 women and 15 men) affected by the vertebrogen painful syndrome of lumbar spine, also using paracetamol only. The visual analogue scale has been used in following the pain relief assessments during the therapy. It has thus been observed that the intensity of pain has not been significantly relieved with the acute rheumatic diseases (p > 0.05) in the control group either; that the significant pain relief has occurred with the degenerative (OA) rheumatic diseases (p < 0.05) but not in the control group; while the best analgetic effect of tramadol has been proved on the patients affected by the vertebrogen painful syndrome of lumbar spine (p < 0.01) but was not significant in the control group. During the therapeutic treatment 13 patients (19%), mostly the elderly, experienced side effects, manifested as nausea and the dry mouth.