Zaldiar is a drug that is composed of two analgesic active ingredients but with different mechanisms of action. Keep reading to discover the uses and side effects of Zaldiar.
Reviewed and approved by the pharmacist María Vijande.
In the article below, we want to tell you all about the uses and side effects of Zaldiar.
Zaldiar is the brand name of a drug containing two active ingredients: tramadol and acetaminophen. These two substances have analgesic effects, so doctors prescribe Zaldiar mainly for the treatment of pain or, in other words, as a painkiller.
Specifically, it’s useful in the symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe pain, whenever the physician believes that the combination of tramadol and paracetamol is necessary. The dose of acetaminophen is 325 milligrams and the dose of tramadol is 37.5 milligrams.
Patients over the age of 12 can take this drug. And, as for the dosage, the physician will adjust it according to the patient’s characteristics. However, it should never exceed 8 tablets per day with an interval between doses of 6 hours.
Also, it can produce physical and psychological dependence and tolerance. Therefore, following the guidelines that the physician establishes is essential.
What is paracetamol?
Paracetamol–or acetaminophen–is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that belongs to the NSAID family, although it doesn’t have the characteristic anti-inflammatory effects of this pharmacological group.
Due to these properties, doctors prescribe it for the treatment of mild and moderate pain and to treat febrile states. Patients usually take it orally, although it’s available for rectal and intravenous administration as well.
To achieve these effects, experts believe that paracetamol inhibits a variant of the COX enzyme found only in the brain: COX-3. It’s for this reason that it has no anti-inflammatory effects. However, experts are not certain as to the mechanism of action of this drug.
COX enzymes are responsible for the synthesis of thromboxanes and prostaglandins, substances responsible for fever and pain. Therefore, due to their inhibition, these pathological processes will improve.
What about tramadol?
Tramadol is another analgesic drug but it belongs to the opioid analgesic family. Therefore, it doesn’t reduce pain but affects the perception of this symptom.
This is true both at the site of the lesion and in the central and peripheral nervous system. To achieve this effect, tramadol affects the transmission and intensity of the pain signal.
The administration of this drug is also oral. The WHO analgesic ladder places it in the second step, while paracetamol is on the first step. Healthcare professionals use this ladder widely as a guide for pain management.
Find out more: Tramadol: What Is it and What’s it Used For?
The side effects of Zaldiar
Nausea can also appear as a consequence of an intestinal infection or heavy digestions.
Like all drugs on the market, Zaldiar can cause several adverse effects. We understand adverse effects as all those undesirable and unintentional events that occur and can be expected in the treatment with a drug.
In this sense, among the adverse side effects of Zaldiar that occur most frequently and that have been collected in clinical trials, we can mention:
Flatulence
Nausea and vomiting
Dry mouth
Headache
Gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation or diarrhea
Also, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, Zaldiar can cause dependence and tolerance due to the effects of tramadol, since it’s an opioid drug. These effects can develop at the doses that the physician prescribes.
It’s for this reason that patients who take this analgesic drug require regular monitoring to avoid a loss of pharmacological efficacy. Also, people who’ve already abused drugs or who’ve suffered from another dependency should be particularly cautious.
On the other hand, to avoid health complications, when the patient has to stop taking Zaldiar, they should do so progressively. This is because an abrupt interruption of this type of drug can trigger withdrawal syndrome.
Zaldiar is a drug that’s composed of two analgesic active ingredients but with different mechanisms of action. One is acetaminophen (paracetamol), which in principle inhibits a COX enzyme, and the other is tramadol, a drug of the opioid analgesic family.
Because of the positive effects of Zaldiar, it’s widely used to combat episodes of pain. However, this drug shouldn’t be abused, as it can cause dependence and tolerance, so doses should be reviewed periodically.
You can ask your doctor any questions you may have about this drug, as well as tell them about any new symptoms you may have since you started treatment with it.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
Altun, D., Çınar, Ö., Özker, E., & Türköz, A. (2017). The effect of tramadol plus paracetamol on consumption of morphine after coronary artery bypass grafting. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, 36:189-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2016.10.030
Dhillon, S. (2010). Tramadol/paracetamol fixed-dose combination: A review of its use in the management of moderate to severe pain. Clinical Drug Investigation, 30(10), 711-38. https://doi.org/10.2165/11205830-000000000-00000
