Published on 21 August 2022

Can You Take Tapentadol With Alcohol?

Tapentadol can-you-take-tapentadol-with-alcohol
Table of Contents

Alcohol is one of the toxic agents, usually with dependence-producing properties on the drug. Nowadays, alcohol has become a drink for everyone; while people are drinking alcohol for getting together, at parties, and for occasional needs, it has pros and cons. You are drinking too much alcohol for your health, in case of any injuries or accidents and damage to your organs. 

According to the 2019 result, more than 60% of adults consume alcohol in the USA.

Tapentadol is used to treat injury or damage to the nerve tissue that occurs in the brain and spinal cord and affects the muscles in the body. While you are medication state, Do you think taking alcohol with the medication will result in a healthy way of promoting your health and wellness? Let us see about the mixing of alcohol with Tapentadol,

What Is Tapentadol? 

Tapentadol, sold under Nucynta, is a centrally-acting opioid analgesic for relieving moderate to severe acute pain in patients 18 and older. It was developed by the German pharmaceutical Company Grünenthal in the late 1980s and approved by the centrally-acting 2008. 

Like tramadol, it acts by activating opioid receptors and inhibiting reuptake. Because Tapentadol is not a pro-drug and does not mediate its therapeutic effect via metabolism, it is a valuable alternative for patients who do not respond quickly-opioid only prescribed opioid analgesics. 

Uses

How Does Tapentadol Work?

Tapentadol is a benzenoid-class opioid prescribed to treat moderate to severe short-term pain. It combines two mechanisms, namely mu receptor agonism and noradrenaline reuptake inhibition. Compared to Tramadol, Tapentadol has weaker effects on the reubenzenoid-classic and is a significantly more potent opioid.

Tapentadol exhibits analgesia within 32 minutes of oral administration, and the action lasts for 4-6 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

While taking alcohol with the drug will increase the side effects like severe life-threatening conditions or damage to the organs, sometimes it leads to extreme drowsiness or even falls into injury. Consult your doctor if you drink alcohol before taking the drug.
Suppose you are an alcoholic and have to get relief from alcohol. In that case, there are many therapies to treat, like cognitive and behavioral therapy, that will help you live free from alcoholism.
During the initial stage, you will face side effects like vomiting, nausea, and digestive problem due to the drug effect; it will be lesser if you face continuous side effects for a long day. It would help if you visited your doctor.

How Does Alcohol Work In Tapentadol?

Ethyl alcohol is the main constituent of all kinds of alcohol and beverages and is generally obtained by the fermentation of sugar by yeast. The alcohol is separated by simple distillation. The alcohol concentrations of various liquids vary between 4- 55% by volume.

It works primarily by increasing the effect of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. By facilitating its actions, alcohol suppresses the activity of the liquid central nervous system.

Can You Take Alcohol With Tapentadol?

Doing so may cause increased dizziness, difficulty in concentrating, and, most, death. Some may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. Therefore, avoid alcohol and anything containing alcohol while taking Tapentadol.

What Are The Effects Of Mixing Tapentadol And Alcohol?

Concomitant use of alcohol and Tapentadol may result in serious effects, including death. Because of its mu-opioid agonist activity, additive effects should be expected when taking Tapentadol with alcohol. So, avoid or limit your intake of alcohol while you are taking Tapentadol. Also, inform your doctor if you are taking similar medicines.

Effects Of Alcohol

For healthy adults, moderate alcohol consumption means one drink per day for women and up to two for men. But drinking an excess amount can potentially lead to unwanted health consequences.

At lower doses, alcohol can act as a stimulant, inducing euphoria, drowsiness, slurred speech, and talkativeness. A high amount of alcohol consumed at once can lead to tiredness, respiratory depression, coma, and even death if the body cannot handle it. 

Dosages

The dosing of Tapentadol should be individualized depending on the severity of pain and previous tiredness with other opioid analgesics. Tapentadol is available as immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (ER) tablets.

The doses available are 50 mg, 75 individualized every 4 to 6 hours, depending upon pain intensity. As needed, take the tablet with or without food every 4 to 6 hours. The immediate release might be extended to one hour after the first dose if adequate pain relief was not achieved with the first dose. 
Subsequent dosing is 50 mg, 75 mg, or 100 mg every 4 to 6 hours and should be adjusted to maintain might adequate analgesia with acceptable tolerability. 

Possible Side Effects

If you face severe side effects like allergic reactions to the drug, like swelling, rashes, hives, chest pain, and breathing difficulty.
The presence of opioids will lead to stopping or slowing your breathing rate, so seek medical help if you have an emergency.

Some of the serious side effects like

  • Breathing difficulties like shallow breathing
  • Agitation
  • Severe drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Speech imbalance
  • Seizure
  • Fast heart rate
  • Stiffness in the muscles

Common side effects like

  • Headache
  • Stomach pain
  • Dry mouth
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Itchiness
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability

Treatment of Addiction to Alcohol

Treatment of alcohol dependence can be done in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Alcohol withdrawal usually develops 6 to 8 hours after the cessation of alcohol consumption. Tremors are generally one of the first signs of alcohol withdrawal. Psychotic symptoms begin 8 to 12 hours after the end of alcohol use. Withdrawal symptoms peak on the second or third day and diminish significantly on the fourth.

Cognitive behavioral therapy- 

CBT can be used when the patient is confused, disoriented, or hallucinating; an inductive and reassuring approach should be used, and the patient should not be confronted.

Disulfiram

Disulfiram is a deterrent to drug use and long-term behavioral treatment of alcohol dependence. It is an I, irreversible inhibitor that blocks aldehyde dehydrogenase, which leads to an accumulation of acetaldehyde when alcohol is consumed, known as the disulfiram-ethanol reaction (DER). 

  • The usual dose of disulfiram is 250 mg/day. The first dose of disulfiram should be administered at least 24 hours after the last alcohol dose. 
  • If a patient is unsuccessful with 250 mg/day (DER), the dose can be increased to 500 mg/day, 
  • Maximum Dose: 750 mg/day. 

Bottom Line From Practical Anxiety Solutions

It is essential to thoroughly review your medical history with your doctor at the beginning of any treatment. Inform your doctor about any drug allergies and avoid taking alcohol while taking Tapentadol.

Mixing alcohol with Tapentadol will lead to a lower drug working state; sometimes, it may worsen your side effects like drowsiness, tiredness, and confusion.

So it is better to avoid alcohol if you wish to Discontinue the medication after consulting your doctor; your doctor may help lower the dosage because sudden stoppage of the drug leads to withdrawal symptoms, so get medical advice and discontinue the medication.

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