Tapentadol may be a good option for osteoarthritis pain – latest findings

Tapentadol is a pain reliever that addresses differing components of chronic pain. It is also well tolerated, so experts have reviewed the evidence to establish if it is appropriate for people with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis or lower back pain, and report their findings in Pain Therapy. Key findings were:

• Tapentadol works as well as oxycodone;
• It may be tolerated better than other strong opioids, especially in terms of gastrointestinal side effects;
• Patient satisfaction with tapentadol is good.

“Although tapentadol has an opioid component with abuse liability, it appears to be a difficult opioid for tampering with less appeal to abusers than other opioids,” the experts conclude. “For patients with severe lower back pain and osteoarthritis pain, tapentadol appears to hold promise as a safe, effective therapeutic option.”

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