On behalf of Biovail Corporation (manufacturer of ULTRAM® ER), PriCara®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of ULTRAM® ER. For more information,
click here.
Acetaminophen: A drug used to reduce pain and fever.
Acute Pain: Acute pain is the normal, predicted psychological response to a noxious chemical, thermal or mechanical stimulus and typically is associated with invasive procedures, trauma and disease. It is generally time-limited.
Addiction: Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiological disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include the following: impaired control over drug use, craving, compulsive use, and continued use despite harm. Physical dependence and tolerance are normal physiological consequences of extended opioid therapy for pain and are not the same as addiction.
Analgesic: A compound that relieves pain by altering perception of stimuli without producing loss of sensation or loss of consciousness.
Anti-inflammatory: A compound, such as aspirin, that reduces inflammation.
Arthritis: Inflammation of the joint.
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Biofeedback: A training technique that allows a person to gain some voluntary control over involuntary body functions, such as muscle tension that can cause pain.Cartilage: A connective tissue characterized by its firm consistency, found primarily in the joints.
Central Nervous System (CNS): The system that is made up of the brain and the spinal cord.
Chronic Pain: Chronic pain is a state in which pain persists beyond the usual course of an acute disease or healing of an injury, or that may or may not be associated with an acute or chronic pathologic process that continuous or intermittent pain over months or years.
Connective Tissue: The tissue that forms the supporting framework of the body.
COX-2 Inhibitor: Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. A type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve the pain and inflammation.
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Dependence: Addiction to a drug.Fibromyalgia: A chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, tenderness and stiffness of muscles and associated connective tissue structures, and is typically accompanied by fatigue, headache and sleep disturbances.
Flare-up: A sudden increase in pain.
Inflammation: The body’s natural chemical reaction in response to an injury or abnormal stimulation caused by an injury, irritation or infection; usually characterized by heat, swelling, redness and pain.
Interstitial cystitis (IC): A chronic condition characterized by painful inflammation of the lining of the bladder wall.
Joint: In the body, where two or more bones join, such as the elbow or knee.
Ligament: A band or sheet of fibrous tissue connecting two or more bones, cartilages, or other structures.
Massage: A method of manipulation of the body by rubbing, pinching, kneading, tapping, etc.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI): A class of medications that are used for depression.
Myofascial Pain: A chronic form of muscle pain, centering around sensitive areas called trigger points.
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Neuropathic Pain: Chronic, shock-like pain that occurs once there is damage to the nervous system (the nerves, spinal cord or brain).NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug): A drug that has analgesic, anti-inflammatory actions. NSAIDs are used to treat acute and chronic pain, including the pain of injuries and arthritis; to reduce inflammation; and to prevent complications in serious illness.
Opiate: A drug containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and alleviate pain.
Opioid: Natural and semi-synthetic derivatives opium poppy, as well as synthetic components not derived from opium.
Orthopedics: The branch of medical science that deals with prevention or correction of disorders involving the skeleton, joints, muscles and other supporting structures, such as ligaments and cartilage.
Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis marked by progressive cartilage deterioration in joints.
Osteoporosis: A condition that causes weak, porous bones.
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Pain: An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.Physical Dependence: Physical dependence is a state of adaptation that is manifested by drug class-specific signs and symptoms that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or administration of an antagonist. Physical dependency, by itself, does not equate with addiction.
Physical Therapy: The health profession concerned with promotion of health, prevention of physical disabilities, evaluation and rehabilitation of people disabled by pain, disease or injury, and treatment by physical therapeutic measures.
Pseudoaddiction: The iatrogenic syndrome resulting from the misinterpretation of relief seeking behaviors as though they are drug-seeking behaviors that are commonly seen with addiction. The relief seeking behaviors resolve upon institution of effective analgesic therapy.
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Relaxation Technique: A method used to reduce tension in the muscles.Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI): A class of medications that are used for depression.
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI): A class of medications that are used for depression.
Substance Abuse: Substance abuse is the use of any substance(s) for non-therapeutic purposes or use of medication for purposes other than those for which it is prescribed.
Tendon: A band of tough, inelastic fibrous tissue connecting a muscle with its bony attachment.
Tolerance: Tolerance is a psychologic state resulting from regular use of a drug in which an increased dosage is needed to produce a specific effect, or a reduced effect is observed with a constant dose over time. Tolerance may or may not be evident during opioid treatment and does not equate with addiction.
Tramadol: The medicine in ULTRAM® ER. A synthetic opioid analgesic administered orally to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS): The application of mild electrical stimulation to skin electrodes placed over a painful area. It alleviates pain by interfering with transmission of painful stimuli.
Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA): A class of medications that are used for depression.
Vertebrae: Segments of the spinal column; in humans, there are usually 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral (fused into one bone, the sacrum), and 4 coccygeal (fused into one bone, the coccyx).
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