ETL asked
I was away on vacation for 10 days and live in Tampa, Florida. My wife turned off the AC. I had Tramadol stored in a bedroom closet and the internal temperature was between 83 and 86 degrees for those 10 days. Is the medication still both safe and effective to take?
Answer
Tramadol tablets should still be safe and effective after being stored for 10 days in temperatures ranging from 83 – 86° F as long as they were kept in the container they came in and were not exposed to other factors, such as excess humidity.
Per the tramadol package insert, it should be stored at 77° F and protected from moisture and light. It is allowed however, to be kept between 59° F and 86° F and will still be safe and effective. As long as the tablets were kept in the sealed bottle and were not exposed to excess moisture or light, allowing them to be stored at a higher temperature is okay.
Tramadol is a pain reliever that is stronger than ibuprofen or Tylenol but not as strong as drugs like morphine or oxycodone. If you notice that the Tramadol is not as effective in treating your pain and feel that the drug has been compromised in its storage in high temperatures for 10 days, regardless of the information from the package insert, contact your doctor and explain the situation.
Prescribers have the ability to re-prescribe medication if their chemical stability has been compromised and you feel it is not effective anymore.
However, as discussed above, unless the tablets were exposed to moisture, light, or heat above 86° F, they should still be safe and effective.
