Tilidine, or tilidate (brand names: Tilidin, Valoron and Valtran) is a synthetic opioid painkiller, used mainly in Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Belgium for treatment of moderate to severe pain, both acute and chronic. Its onset of pain relief after oral administration is about 10–15 minutes and peak relief from pain occurs about 25–50 minutes after oral administration.
It usually comes in its hydrochloride hemihydrate salt form; in this form it is highly soluble in water, ethanol and dichloromethane and appears as a white/almost white crystalline powder. Its storage is restricted by its sensitivity to degradation by light and oxygen, hence necessitating its storage in amber bottles and at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Tilidine is a prodrug from which the active metabolite nortilidine is formed by demethylation. The pharmacokinetics of tilidine (T), nortilidine (NT) and bisnortilidine (BNT) were studied in nine healthy subjects following single intravenous (10 min infusion) and oral 50 mg T-HCl dose as well as following multiple 50 mg T-HCl oral doses. Systemic availability of the parent substance was 6% and of the active metabolite NT 99%. The terminal half-life of NT was 3.3 h following single oral administration, 4.9 h following intravenous administration and 3.6 h following multiple dosing. Following intravenous infusion, concentrations of unchanged substance were found which were 30 times higher than following oral administration. BNT was eliminated with half-lives of 5 h after oral administration and 6.9 h after intravenous administration. Renal elimination of unchanged substance was 1.6% of the dose following intravenous administration and less than 0.1% of the dose following oral administration. Approximately 3% were recovered in urine as NT and 5% as BNT following both routes of administration.
The Tilidine Rapid Test (Urine) is a rapid urine-screening test that can be performed without the use of an instrument. The test utilizes the antibody to selectively detect elevated levels of Nortilidine in urine.
The Multi-Drug Rapid Test Panel yields a positive result when the concentration of Alprazolam in urine exceeds detective level.