Ultram vs Tramadol?

People often run across both Ultram and Tramadol in the same pharmacies and many of them think that these drugs are somehow different and compete against each other. Some drug sellers don't do the situation any favor, promoting these two drugs as different painkillers with different properties. However if you take a minute to check any drug information site you will discover that Ultram and Tramadol are virtually the same medication, Tramadol being the generic form of Ultram. So is there a real difference between the two or it's the same substance under different labels?

Initially the drug Tramadol hydrochloride was developed by the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH was marketed under the name Tramadol. However, in years after the development of the drug the company has cross-licensed the drug to many pharmaceutical companies all over the world for marketing purposes. And now there are dozens of differently branded drugs all over the world using the same active ingredients. Ultram is the brand name this drug is sold in the US. Tramadol is also sold in the US and a list of European countries. Both drugs feature the same active ingredients, mechanism of action, dosage and potential side effects. The differences are minor and concern only the additional components and the actual packaging.

In many cases generic Tramadol can be produced in third world countries, which may cause some concern among people who believe that producers from Vietnam or Thailand use low quality ingredients. However, knowing that nearly all raw materials for medicine purposes come from a set of Chinese plants, you can rest assured that the ingredients used in both brand Ultram and generic Tramadol are virtually of the same quality. So choosing between Ultram and Tramadol is often a choice of the package you like more.