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Tapentadol: A Look at It
People take this medicine to treat rapid pain that comes from things like an accident or getting medical care. A painkiller is what this is. Because it changes the brain, it changes how the body feels and how it handles pain.
How to take and use tapentadol the right way
Every time you get a new prescription for tapentadol, read this first. Talk to your doctor or the shop if something scares you.
Do what your doctor tells you and take this medicine by mouth. You can take this medicine with or without food. Taking this medicine with food might help if it makes you want to throw up. Do not move your head around much for an hour or two. What other ways are there to get better when you’re sick? Talk to your doctor or the drug shop.
The amount is based on how healthy the person is and how well the medicine is working. Don’t use it or take too much of it for too long. You should not take the medicine anymore, the doctor told you.
It is best to take pain killers as soon as the pain starts. Do not wait until the pain gets worse to see a doctor. That’s when the medicine might not work as well.
Some things might happen if you suddenly stop taking this medicine. If you’ve been taking a lot of it for a long time, this is very important. So that you don’t go through withdrawal, your doctor may change your dose slowly. Are you stressed, can’t sleep, or do you think about killing yourself? Talk to your doctor or nurse right away. If you have diarrhea or are sick, your eyes should be wet, your nose should be stuffy, or your behavior should change quickly, you should tell them.
This medicine might not work as well after a long time of use. Talk to your doctor if this medicine stops working right.
Many people find this medicine to be helpful, but some can become hooked on it. If you abuse drugs or alcohol or become hooked to them, that might happen more often to you. Do what your doctor tells you to do with this drug so that you don’t become hooked on it. Talk to your doctor or nurse about how to find out more.
If your pain gets worse or doesn’t go away, you should call your doctor.
Take this medicine to feel better.
You might get sick, throw up, or have trouble going to the bathroom. You might also feel tired or dizzy. If a side effect gets worse or lasts longer than you thought it would, call your doctor or drugstore right away.
Fiber-rich foods, lots of water, and exercise can help you avoid constipation. You might need to take a pill too. The drug shop worker can help you pick out the best cleaner for you.
Standing up slowly after sitting or lying down can help you avoid getting dizzy or dizziness.
Don’t forget that your doctor gave you this medicine because they believed it would benefit you more than harm you. A lot of people don’t have any problems when they take this medicine.
It’s possible that your adrenal glands aren’t working right if you have major side effects like forgetfulness, sleep apnea (not breathing while you sleep), stomach or gut pain, or trouble peeing. It’s also possible if you lose your appetite, feel tired all the time, or lose weight. Tell your doctor right away.
Do you feel dizzy, have seizures, breathe slowly or badly, or fall asleep easily and can’t wake up? You should see a doctor right away.
If you take this drug, your body might make more serotonin. There are times when this can cause serotonin syndrome or poisoning. The risk goes up if you take drugs that raise amount of serotonin. Find out more about how drugs work together and tell your nurse or doctor about all the medicines you take. See a doctor right away if you are hallucinating, losing your balance, feeling very dizzy, sick and throwing up or having diarrhea, your muscles are shaking, you have a fever you can’t explain, or you feel stressed or angry for no reason.
Most people aren’t very allergic to this drug. For example, if you get a rash, feel hot, or swell up (especially in the face, tongue, or throat), or if you can’t breathe or feel steady, you should see a doctor right away.
These aren’t the only side effects that could happen. Not in this list? If you feel any other way, talk to your doctor or drugstore.
If you get sick in the US, you should see a doctor. Call 1-800-FDA-1088 or go to www.fda.gov/medwatch to tell the FDA about bad effects.
If something goes wrong in Canada, you need to tell your doctor. You can call Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345 if something goes wrong.
Thoughts on Giving Care and Attention
Tell your doctor or nurse if you are allergic to any medicine before you take tapentadol. This item might have broken parts that can make some people sick or cause other issues. Find out more from your doctor.
Before you take this medicine, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have heart disease, gallbladder disease, kidney disease, liver disease, mind or mood disorders (like anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts), or if you or someone in your family has a history of drug abuse or addiction.
After taking this drug, you might feel sleepy or dizzy. Both drinking alcohol and smoking weed can make you sleepy and dizzy. Do not drive a car, move big things, or do anything else that needs your full attention until you are sure it is safe. You need to stay away from drinking. You should talk to your doctor if you smoke weed.
You should tell your dentist or doctor about all the medicines and vitamins you take before surgery. There are prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and plant vitamins in this.
Some of this drug’s side effects, like feeling confused, sick, dizzy, or tired, may be worse in people over 65.
If you are pregnant, you should only take this medicine when you have to. It’s possible for the baby inside to get hurt. What side effects might the medicine have? Talk to your doctor about it. (Read the part about being careful too.) We don’t know for sure if this medicine gets into breast milk. Kids who are being fed breast milk might not be able to handle it. If your baby seems sleepy for no reason, has trouble sucking, or has trouble breathing, you should call the doctor right away. Before you nurse, talk to your doctor.
Tapentadol, take it off of you.
It shouldn’t be in full sunlight or water, and the humidity should be the same as in the room. Don’t keep things in the bathroom. Do not give kids or dogs drugs.
If no one tells you to, don’t flush drugs or throw them away in the trash or toilet. If you no longer need or want this, you should throw it away the right way. Want to find out more? Talk to your pharmacist, read the Medication Guide, or call the trash service in your area.
How drugs do their job
If you mix more than one drug, it might not work as well or cause as many serious side effects. Not all of these drugs work together. Not only prescription drugs but also plant-based vitamins should be on your list of meds. Give your doctor and pharmacist this list. Talk to your doctor before you start, stop, or change the amount of any drugs you are taking.
Pentazocine, nalbuphine, and butorphanol are opioid agonist-antagonists that can make this drug work better when mixed with it.
If you take this medicine with MAO inhibitors, it could be very bad for you or even kill you. People who are already taking MAO inhibitors like tranelcypromine, isocarboxazid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline, or isocarboxazid should not take these drugs. Also, two weeks before taking this drug, you shouldn’t take most MAO inhibitors. Talk to your doctor about when to start or stop taking this drug.
If you take more drugs that raise serotonin levels, you are more likely to get serotonin syndrome or feel sick. Other drugs that are against the law are MDMA (also called “ecstasy”), St. John’s Wort, and some antidepressants, like fluoxetine and paroxetine and SNRIs (like duloxetine and venlafaxine). If you start taking these drugs or more of them, you might be more likely to get serotonin syndrome or get sick.
If you take this medicine with other drugs that may also make you sleepy or have breathing problems, you may be more likely to have dangerous side effects like being very sleepy or dizzy or breathing slowly or weakly. Please let your doctor or pharmacy know if you are also taking alcohol, weed, drugs to help you sleep or deal with worry (like zolpidem, carisoprodol, or cyclobenzaprine), muscle relaxants (like cetirizine or diphenhydramine), or antihistamines (like cetirizine or diphenhydramine). So they can help you more.
Read the back of all the medicines you take for asthma, a cold, or a cough. There may be things in some of them that make you sleepy. Talk to your doctor before taking these drugs.
Some lab tests (to check amounts of amylase and lipase) might not work right if this drug is used. This could cause the test results to be wrong. Tell everyone who works with you and in the lab that you take this medicine.
Way too much
Help someone who has overdosed and is losing consciousness or having trouble breathing before you call 911. If you have naloxone on hand, do this. It will help them. Call a poison control center right away if the person is awake and doesn’t seem hurt. In the US, people can call 1-800-222-1222 to reach the poison control center in their area. People in Canada can call the poison control center in their area. If you take too much, your heart rate will slow down, you may have seizures, or you may fall asleep. Also, taking slow or no breaths is bad.
