Tapentadol, an opioid as a strategy for the treatment of chronic pain? A narrative review

Chronic pain affects approximately 30 % of the world population. Tapentadol can be an analgesic option for patients who do not respond adequately to commonly used opioids. This study reviewed the general aspects of Tapentadol pain treatment and its possible association with increased oxidative stress, as well as the benefits of its association with antioxidant substances. The search was carried out in the Medline (Pubmed), Scopus, Web of Science, and Google academic databases, including studies since the registration of the drug in 2008. The selected articles were those related to the use of Tapentadol for chronic moderate to severe pain, but not cancer-related pain, in adults and the elderly. Tapentadol is a µ opioid receptors agonist and inhibits noradrenaline reuptake. Although Tapentadol causes fewer adverse effects than other conventional opioids, studies have shown the induction of oxidative stress by this drug, but without having elucidated the mechanisms.