Revadol

Quick links to important sections

Medically reviewed

Laura Arias

Last updated on 22/12/2025

This page provides general, reference-level information compiled from official medical sources. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For decisions about your health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Overview of Revadol

What is Revadol?

Revadol is a pharmacological treatment containing the active substance glucosamine, which belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agents. It is primarily used to manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint condition characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage.

Mechanism of Action

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance found in the human body, particularly in the fluid surrounding joints and within the structure of cartilage. It plays a role in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, which are essential building blocks for maintaining the elasticity and integrity of joint tissues.

When administered, Revadol aims to supply the body with additional glucosamine to support the following processes:

  • Cartilage Maintenance: Contributing to the biological synthesis of compounds required for cartilage repair.
  • Joint Function: Supporting the structural framework of the joints to facilitate smoother movement.

Clinical Application

Revadol is utilized to address specific symptoms associated with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. It is intended for individuals seeking relief from joint discomfort and reduced mobility. Unlike immediate-acting analgesics, the effects of glucosamine are typically gradual, often requiring several weeks of consistent use before a noticeable improvement in joint symptoms occurs.

The use of Revadol focuses on the long-term management of joint health rather than providing rapid relief for acute pain episodes. It serves as a therapeutic option within a broader approach to managing degenerative joint changes.

Regulatory References

  1. NIH Glucosamine Sulfate StatPearls Article

What side effects are possible with Revadol?

Revadol: Possible Side Effects and Safety Information

Official regulatory information emphasizes that the use of Revadol carries serious and potentially fatal risks, which are detailed in a Boxed Warning. These risks primarily involve the Gastrointestinal and Cardiovascular systems, as well as the risk of bleeding.

Serious and Clinically Significant Risks

  • Gastrointestinal Risk: The medicine can cause serious gastrointestinal adverse events, including ulceration, bleeding, and perforation of the stomach or intestines. These can be fatal and may occur without warning. The risk is higher with longer duration of use and in elderly patients.
  • Cardiovascular Thrombotic Events: Revadol may increase the risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke, which can be fatal. This risk may increase with the duration of use.
  • Risk of Bleeding: As an inhibitor of platelet function, the medicine is contraindicated in patients with suspected or confirmed cerebrovascular bleeding, hemorrhagic diathesis, or those at high risk of bleeding complications, including following major surgery.
  • Anaphylactic/Anaphylactoid Reactions: Severe hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis and bullous reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, have been reported.

Common Adverse Reactions

The most frequently reported adverse events (incidence of 1% to 10% or greater) involve the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. These often include nausea (incidence greater than 10%), abdominal pain, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dizziness, headache (incidence greater than 10%), and somnolence.

Safety Restrictions and Monitoring

Revadol is CONTRAINDICATED in specific high-risk settings, including for the treatment of peri-operative pain in the setting of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, during labor and delivery, and in patients with active peptic ulcer disease or advanced renal impairment. Treatment should be withdrawn if gastrointestinal bleeding or ulceration is observed. Monitoring for signs of serious cardiovascular events, gastrointestinal complications, and anaphylactic reactions is necessary.

Overdose and Emergency Response

Revadol Overdose and When to Seek Help

Official Regulatory Information

Overdose involving this class of medication is a severe, time-sensitive medical event. Symptoms of an overdose may initially be mild or absent, but the consequences can be life-threatening and are detailed in official government regulatory documents.

Documented Manifestations and Consequences

Initial signs may include non-specific symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, and loss of appetite (anorexia). These early signs are often misleading. The primary life-threatening outcome is acute liver failure (hepatotoxicity), which can progress to coma and death.

Required Emergency Actions

Action Focus Official Regulatory Statement
Immediate Contact GET MEDICAL HELP RIGHT AWAY or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.
When to Seek Help Seek urgent medical attention upon suspicion of overdose, even if no symptoms are present.
Antidote A specific pharmacological antidote, N-acetylcysteine, is necessary and must be administered as quickly as possible, ideally within the first eight hours.

Population-Specific Overdose Risks

Official labeling identifies increased risk of severe hepatotoxicity in patients with concurrent chronic alcohol use or pre-existing liver impairment. The management protocol requires immediate monitoring of serum drug levels, liver function tests, and continuous observation.

Therapeutic Uses of Revadol

What Revadol Treats: Main Uses and Benefits

Revadol is commonly used across conditions characterized by periods of heightened symptoms associated with mild-to-moderate Osteoarthritis (OA). The medication may be relevant in conditions presenting with systemic or localized discomfort in specific joints, such as the knee and hip. The medicine is utilized for patients managing long-term symptoms of joint degeneration.

Its therapeutic role supports symptoms related to physical discomfort, including joint pain, persistent aching, and noticeable stiffness after rest. It is also applied in conditions where functional stability becomes affected, helping to address symptom clusters that include reduced joint mobility. The supportive use may help ease the overall symptom burden, which contributes to improved day-to-day comfort during symptomatic periods. Its use assists with maintaining functional stability, which helps patients cope more steadily with symptom fluctuations.


Quick Fact: Relief for Joint Stiffness

Revadol is applied in scenarios where additional management of discomfort is required, particularly for long-term symptom management.

Eligibility and Restrictions for Use

Official Eligibility and Contraindications

Revadol's official eligibility profile defines specific populations who can and cannot use the medicine, based strictly on government regulatory labeling. Use is generally established for adults with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.

Absolute Prohibitions (Contraindications)

The medicine is contraindicated and must not be used by anyone with a known hypersensitivity (allergy) to the active substance, Glucosamine, or to any of its components. Due to its common origin, individuals with a shellfish allergy are also restricted from use.

Age and Physiological Restrictions

Use is formally not recommended for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, as safety and efficacy have not been established in this population. Similarly, use is advised against and should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding due to a lack of sufficient safety data.

Conditional Use and Supervision

Patients with severe hepatic or renal insufficiency must only use the medicine under medical supervision. Additionally, individuals with diabetes mellitus must maintain close blood glucose monitoring, and those with asthma should proceed with caution, as officially documented by health authorities.

What should I know about interactions with other medicines?

Revadol Interactions with Other Medicines and Products

This section outlines the clinically significant interactions of Revadol as documented in authoritative regulatory labeling. This information is purely descriptive and does not constitute medical advice or administration instructions.


Contraindicated Combinations

The co-administration of Revadol is strictly contraindicated with specific classes of medicinal products due to the documented risk of severe, additive adverse effects. These include:

  • Organic Nitrates: Use of any form of organic nitrates is absolutely forbidden due to the significant potentiation of hypotensive effects.
  • Riociguat: Concomitant use with this guanylate cyclase stimulator is forbidden due to the risk of dangerously low blood pressure.

Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Interactions

Interactions that modify Revadol's exposure or have additive effects are also documented:

  • Potent CYP3A Inhibitors (e.g., Ritonavir): Co-administration is generally not recommended as these agents significantly increase Revadol’s plasma concentrations, leading to greater systemic exposure.
  • Blood Pressure-Lowering Agents: Caution is noted for concomitant use with Alpha-blockers and Amlodipine due to the potential for additive, further reductions in blood pressure.
  • Oral Vitamin K Antagonists (e.g., Warfarin): Official labeling notes a higher incidence of epistaxis (nosebleeds) in patients receiving this combination, indicating a population-specific hemorrhagic constraint.

Mechanism of Action

Revadol is a fixed-dose combination containing tramadol and acetaminophen. The pharmacodynamic mechanism involves two distinct pathways to modulate central and peripheral signal transmission.

Tramadol acts as an agonist at the mu-opioid receptor in the central nervous system, which couples to G i/o proteins. This binding inhibits adenylate cyclase, resulting in a reduction of intracellular cyclic AMP ( cAMP). The downstream cellular consequences include the hyperpolarization of neurons and the inhibition of neurotransmitter release, which collectively reduce ascending nociceptive signaling. Additionally, tramadol functions as a monoamine reuptake inhibitor, blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin in the synaptic cleft. This increases the concentration of these monoamines, enhancing descending inhibitory pathways that modulate nociception.

Acetaminophen's mechanism is not fully elucidated but involves central action, primarily as a cyclooxygenase inhibitor in the brain and spinal cord, particularly COX-2 and a central COX variant ( COX-3). This inhibition reduces the synthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins ( PGE2). The molecular consequence is a decrease in PGE2-mediated signaling, resulting in an elevated threshold for nociceptor activation in the central nervous system. The combined effects of both components lead to widespread, system-level modulation of afferent pain signal processing and descending pain inhibition.

Dosage and Administration Information

The administration guidelines for this product are structured around precise dosage, timing, and conditions to ensure correct use.

Official Administration Guidelines

Administration Scope Instruction
Route of Administration Oral (Tablet or Suspension) and Intravenous (IV) Bolus Injection.
Standard Dosing Schedule Oral treatment: 20 mg three times a day (TID) OR 50 mg once daily (QD), depending on the specific product and approved use.
Timing in Relation to Meals Oral doses must be taken without a meal or with a low-calcium meal only. A mandatory 4-hour separation is required between administration and the intake of products containing polyvalent cations (e.g., antacids, dairy, or supplements containing iron, calcium, or magnesium).
Preparation Requirements Powder for Oral Suspension must be reconstituted by adding the specified volume of water (e.g., 90 mL) and shaking vigorously for the duration specified in the patient instructions to achieve the correct concentration (e.g., 10 mg/mL).
Age-Group Rules Pediatric dosing is often weight-banded or significantly lower than adult doses. For East Asian ancestry or hepatic impairment, the initial dose must be reduced (e.g., starting at 25 mg QD instead of 50 mg QD).
Missed-Dose Rules If a dose is missed, it should be taken as soon as remembered, but the patient must not take a double dose to compensate.
Special Procedural Conditions Dose adjustments, whether increasing or decreasing, must be done in specific increments (e.g., 25 mg) and only after a minimum interval of two weeks to assess the effect of the previous change.

Resulting Procedural Structure

The instruction sequence requires adherence to three core components. First, treatment is initiated at the specific starting dose determined by the indication and specific patient factors. Second, strict separation from polyvalent cation-containing items by at least four hours is a continuous requirement throughout therapy. Third, any necessary changes to the dose follow a controlled, multi-week titration schedule, ensuring that the maximum daily dose is never exceeded.

Recent Clinical Evidence

Research evidence / Overview of studies for Revadol

Research Landscape: Mild-to-Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis

The research into Revadol (Glucosamine) has primarily focused on its scope in adults in conditions characterized by fluctuating or episodic manifestations of mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA). Studies conducted during periods of increased symptom activity have included many Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), which are considered a high standard for evaluating research questions. These trials and subsequent reviews have examined outcomes related to physical discomfort and function, including measurements of patient-reported pain intensity and joint stiffness.

Findings related to symptomatic outcomes varied across studies. Research highlights changes measured during the study period where some trials, particularly those using specific, quality-controlled Glucosamine Sulfate formulations, were associated with patterns of change in measurements of patient-reported discomfort and physical function compared to a placebo. Conversely, other systematic reviews often reported no measurable differences when compared to a placebo control.

Research Landscape: Hip Osteoarthritis

The body of research available for conditions characterized by fluctuating or episodic manifestations in the hip joint is limited compared to that for the knee. Studies monitored symptomatic changes, such as outcomes related to physical discomfort and function. The available data describing patient-reported outcomes for discomfort were heterogeneous across studies. In trials where hip OA patients were included, the overall research indicates that Glucosamine was studied for this indication, but the evidence provides limited insight into how symptoms evolved in the observed populations.

Formulation Differences in Research

A significant portion of the research has explored the differences in outcomes reported when comparing the two common chemical forms: the Sulfate (GS) salt and the Hydrochloride (GH) salt. Research describes a distinction where certain specific GS formulations was observed in some studies to be associated with more consistent patterns of change in patient-reported outcomes. Conversely, the majority of independent studies exploring the GH form often reported measurements that did not differ meaningfully from the placebo control.

What is Still Uncertain About Revadol Research

Despite decades of research, certainty remains low in several key areas. A research limitation is the variability of results reported in trials and meta-analyses, leading to major clinical organizations reaching different conclusions about the evidence base. Long-term effects are not fully established, and evidence for specific populations like children or pregnant women is generally limited.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions about Revadol (FAQ)

Q: What is Revadol used for?

Revadol is a medicine approved for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain that has not responded adequately to standard first-line therapies. Official product information states that it is specifically indicated for long-term use in adults. Regulatory documents confirm its approved use is limited to managing pain associated with nerve damage.

Q: How quickly does Revadol start to work?

Studies and official information indicate that Revadol's full therapeutic effect is typically achieved gradually. Regulatory data indicates that initial improvements in pain intensity are often reported within the first 1 to 2 weeks of treatment. However, the maximum pain relief may take up to 4 weeks, as the body adjusts to the medication, and individual results can vary.

Q: Can Revadol be used for non-neuropathic pain, like a headache?

According to the official product information, Revadol is specifically indicated only for chronic neuropathic pain. Regulatory documents do not support its use for other types of pain, such as common headaches or acute (short-term) muscle pain. Its effectiveness for pain conditions outside of its approved indication has not been established in official studies.

Q: What happens if I forget to take a dose of Revadol?

Regulatory documents typically advise that if a dose is missed, it should be taken as soon as it is remembered, unless the next dose is due shortly. If it is near the time of the next scheduled dose, skipping the missed dose is generally recommended in the official instructions. The official guidance emphasizes that a double dose should never be taken to compensate for a missed one.

Q: Is Revadol considered an opioid or a narcotic?

Revadol is classified as a centrally acting analgesic, meaning it works on the central nervous system to relieve pain. Official product labeling confirms that the medication is not an opioid or a narcotic drug. This means it works through a different mechanism than opioid-based pain relievers.

Q: Can Revadol cause weight gain?

Official safety information for Revadol lists changes in appetite and weight as potential side effects. While not everyone experiences this, moderate weight gain has been reported in clinical trials. Patients who are concerned about this potential side effect should review the complete safety information provided in official materials.

Q: Does Revadol interact with alcohol?

Official product information contains strong warnings regarding the consumption of alcohol while using Revadol. Regulatory warnings indicate that combining the two can increase the risk of central nervous system (CNS) side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired concentration. This combination can also worsen other potential side effects of the medicine.

Q: Do I need blood tests while on Revadol?

Official prescribing information states that routine blood tests are generally not required for most patients taking Revadol. This is because the medication does not typically cause clinically significant changes in standard lab tests. The official documentation indicates that a healthcare provider makes the final decision on necessary monitoring based on individual health factors.

How should Revadol be stored and disposed of?

Official Storage and Disposal Requirements

Regulatory documents define specific conditions for storing and disposing of Revadol (tramadol/paracetamol) to maintain stability and prevent misuse of its controlled substance component.

Storage Conditions

  • Temperature: Store the product at a temperature below 25 C or 30 C as specified on the label. Do not refrigerate or freeze.
  • Environment: Keep the medication in a clean, dry place and protect it from light and moisture.
  • Security: Due to the tramadol content, the medicine must be stored out of the sight and reach of children and kept in a safe, secure place to prevent theft or abuse.
  • Packaging: Keep the medicine in its original container, tightly closed.

Disposal Rules

  • Unused or expired Revadol must be disposed of in accordance with local regulatory requirements, typically through a drug take-back program.
  • Where take-back is not available, specific governmental instructions for controlled substance disposal (e.g., mixing with undesirable substances or flushing for high-risk medications) must be followed.
  • Do not discard the medicine in household trash or wastewater unless specifically instructed by regulatory guidance.

Attention! Always consult to a doctor or pharmacist before using pills or medicines.

Available in countries:

Equivalent of Revadol found in:

A-Z Index: