Can Tramadol Show Up On A Drug Test?

Hi there and thanks for reaching out to us! Tramadol can certainly show up on a drug test if it is specifically being looked for but it is not typically part of your standard urine drug screening.

Drugs Tested For On Common Urine Screenings

When I say a standard urine drug screening, I am referring to the typical 5-drug or 7-drug panel tests most widely used by employers and the federal government.

Many organizations and groups, both private and governmental (such as the Department of Transportation) follow SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) guidelines for drugs of abuse testing. SAMHSA drug testing looks for 7 types of drugs:

• Amphetamines
• Cocaine Metabolites
• Marijuana
• Opiates
• Phencyclidine (PCP)
• Hydrocodone/Hydromorphone
• Oxycodone/Oxymorphone

The last two drug categories on the above list (hydrocodone/hydromorphone and oxycodone/oxymorphone) were added to the SAMHSA drug panel in 2017.

Tramadol is not part of these most commonly utilized drug panels.

What About Tramadol?

As mentioned, tramadol is not typically included as a drug that is looked for on standard urine drug tests.

This is because the type of test used for urine drug screenings, known as an immunoassay test, does not do well when it comes to identifying semi-synthetic and synthetic opioids. Historically, immunoassay tests would identify natural opiates, like morphine and codeine (and drugs that produce those as metabolites).

New types of immunoassay tests are now available that better identify semi-synthetic opioids, like hydrocodone and oxycodone, which is why they are included in the SAMHSA drug panel as of 2017. However, that drug panel still does not include synthetic opioids, like tramadol. Fentanyl is another example of a synthetic opioid that is not typically tested for on your standard urine drug screen.

Now, there are certainly specific tests available to identify tramadol in a sample, but it would have to be specifically ordered.

Final Words

Thanks again for your question, and I hope this answer helped!

The quick summary here is that yes, tramadol can be tested for, and those tests are available, but it is not part of your common urine drug screen.

What Is Tramadol?

Tramadol is used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain. The extended-release tablets and capsules are only used by people who are expected to need medication to relieve pain around-the-clock.

Tramadol is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.