What is tapentadol used for?

Tapentadol, is used to treat severe pain and should only be used when other forms of non-opioid pain relief have not been successful in managing pain or are not tolerated. Tapentadol is not usually recommended for the treatment of chronic pain.

Tapentadol works directly on opioid receptors in the central nervous system and reduces feelings of pain by interrupting the way nerves signal pain between the brain and the body.

All opioids, including pentadol, can have side effects including life-threatening or fatal breathing difficulties. The risk of these is higher:

• when you are first taking tapentadol
• after a dosage increase
• if you are older
• if you have an existing lung problem

The side effects of tapentadol are similar to those of other opioids, and include:

• nausea
• digestive problems such as constipation or vomiting
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• headache

The higher your dosage, the more likely you are to experience one or more side effects.

Opioids are strong pain-relief medicines and can cause life-threatening or fatal breathing difficulties.

If you are taking tapentadol, you may become reliant on this medicine even if you take it exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will monitor how you use pentadol, to reduce your risk of harm, including through misuse, abuse and addiction.

You can also develop tolerance when you take tadol — this means you may need to take larger amounts of the opioid to get the same effect. As the dosage increases, so does the risk of side effects.

Continue to take tapentadol for as long as your doctor tells you to. Suddenly stopping tapentadol can cause withdrawal symptoms.