Summary
Tapentadol has approximately 2-3 times the potency of tramadol and 2-3 times lower potency than morphine. Onset occurs within 15-32 minutes with duration of 4-6 hours for immediate release. It is a full μ-opioid agonist combined with norepinephrine reuptake inhibition without active metabolites, resulting in more predictable pharmacokinetics than tramadol. High abuse liability similar to oxycodone and hydromorphone has been documented. Many users report insufflation causes extreme pain.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral (Immediate Release) | 25-50mg | 50-75mg | 75-150mg | 150mg+ |
| Oral (Extended Release) | 25-50mg | 50-75mg | 75-150mg | 150mg+ |
| Oral | 25-50mg | 50-75mg | 75-150mg | 150mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | After Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral (Immediate Release) | 15-30 min | 30-45 min | 1-2 hrs | 2-3 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Oral (Extended Release) | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 3-6 hrs | 6-12 hrs | 24 hrs |
| Oral | 12-30 min | 30-48 min | 1-2 hrs | 2-3 hrs | 60-0 min |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops within days of regular use; analgesic tolerance faster than respiratory depression tolerance
Reset
7–14 days for partial reset; full reset may take weeks — tolerance loss greatly increases overdose risk
Cross-tolerance
Effects
Positive
- Physical euphoria
- Pain relief
- Cough suppression
- Analgesia
Negative
- Respiratory depression
- Nausea
- Dry Mouth
- Sedation
- Itchiness
- Difficulty urinating
- Pupil constriction
- Relaxant
Positive
- Anxiety suppression
- Cognitive euphoria
- Dream potentiation
- Focus enhancement
- Motivation enhancement
- Euphoria
- Mood lift
Negative
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
Positive
- Increased music appreciation
Negative
- Appetite suppression
- Double vision
- Light sensitivity
- Disinhibition
- Acuity suppression
- Visual acuity suppression
- Internal hallucination
- Dulled perception
- Perception of bodily heaviness