Codeine vs Tramadol: what is the difference?
Codeine is a poppy alkaloid the liver turns into morphine, while tramadol is synthetic and also blocks serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 8 of 22 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Codeine | Tramadol | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 299.4 g/molC18H21NO3 | 263.37 g/molC16H25NO2 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 1 | 1 |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Opioids, Non-opioid painkillers | Opioids |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Prescription medicine | Prescription medicine |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Alcohols, Aromatics, Ethers | Alcohols, Aromatics, Ethers |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, HSDB via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 427 mg/kgpure codeine, rat, oral | 228 mg/kgpure tramadol, rat, oral |
| A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, HSDB via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 5284371 (Codeine) and 33741 (Tramadol).
In more detail
Both are weak opioids that owe much of their effect to being converted by the liver into something stronger, so each is partly a carrier for the molecule it becomes. Codeine is a natural poppy alkaloid, morphine with a methyl group on one oxygen, and the enzyme CYP2D6 strips that group to make morphine. Tramadol is fully synthetic and unrelated in shape, and the same enzyme turns it into a metabolite with far more opioid activity than the parent. In both cases a person's version of that enzyme decides how much drug they are actually getting, which is a real source of variation between people. Tramadol adds serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake blocking that codeine does not have, so the two are not simply different strengths of the same idea.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Codeine and Tramadol?
- Codeine is a poppy alkaloid the liver turns into morphine, while tramadol is synthetic and also blocks serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake.
- Is Codeine bigger than Tramadol?
- Codeine is the heavier molecule, 299.4 g/mol against 263.37 g/mol for Tramadol. Codeine is C18H21NO3 and Tramadol is C16H25NO2.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Codeine or Tramadol?
- Tramadol, at 228 mg/kg (oral, rat), against 427 mg/kg (oral, rat) for Codeine. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.