Expert: Dr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi - 7/4/2007

Question
I have been taking Effexor( 75 mg) for nearly a year now.  Recently, I also began taking Ultram once a day for about the last two weeks for a back injury.  I have not had a period in nearly 8 weeks and have taken several(7) pregnancy tests which all come back negative. I am working on my doctorate in clinical psychology, which can be extremely stressful, so I thought perhaps that could be the issue. However,my cycle is like clock work...always there each month. Could the Ultram( Tramadol) be to blame?  What do you think is the problem?  Thank you for any advice you can lend.

Answer
Hi Lauren,
I thnk I wrote to you about this. Tramadol is known to affect menstrual cycles and this could be the cause. Stoppage of menstruatio is not a health risk and if at all you need to continue tramadol for relief from pain, go ahead and use it. After stopping tramadol you cycle can be stabilized once more.
Ravi Ghooi