Tramadol and Tapentadol both are used in relieving moderate pain. They Both are Phenylpropylamines, and  Most people think that these two are the same medicine or Tapentadol is the new version of Tramadol. Sometimes it may confuse the patient. So Today We Will Try to compare them. Tramadol and tapentadol have mu-opioid receptor agonists, but they have different mu binding affinity. Tapentadol has 18 times less binding affinity compared to morphine but still, Tapentadol is only 2-3 times less power than morphine. In this post, we discussed about both Tramadol & Tapentadol that you need to know before buying Tapentadol & Tramadol and discuss a detailed comparison between Tramadol vs Tapentadol.

Tramadol

It is a drug released in 1977. It is the most infamous medicine in the General Doctor’s Medical Kit. Tramadol is a prescription oral tablet that comes as both immediate-release and extends release tablets and is used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain.  it comes under an opioid agonist class drug. It has a low potential for dependence relative to morphine.

it works similar to endorphins, Endorphins bind to receptors and decrease the number of pain messages sent to the brain. Tradamol can only be used under a Doctor’s Supervision. it is a prodrug, which means it reacts with liver enzymes into few active chemicals to give the results.

But this could be a problem for some people, the amount of the active liver enzymes or active metabolites in a person’s body totally depends upon the genetics of a person. Depending upon the structure of the Enzymes the person may feel:

  • A lot of Destramadol, which acts like morphine.
  • The person can get some venlafaxine which works as a serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor.
  • A mixture of both symptoms
  • He can generate a whole bunch of other receptors.

Tradamol also has a risk of seizures, diarrhea, and fever. The seizure usually occurs in a patient who:

  • Drinks alcohol. takes illicit drugs, or the patient taking antipsychotics and antidepressant medication.
  • Old People or people with liver disease
  • Patients who develop a bunch of SNRI Metabolites in the system

 Tapentadol

It was released in the year 2008. It is also used to help the patient relieve moderate to severe short-term pain and comes under the opioid analgesic classes of drugs. Tapentadol works similarly to Tramadol by tricking your mind into changing the way how your body feels pain. As compared to tramadol it does not require to react with any metabolites to start working. in addition

  • It has a similar effect to oxycodone
  • it is a little cleaner than tramadol because it has not much effect on serotonin reuptake but has noradrenaline reuptake inhibitory effects..

But the biggest issue with the drug is that the data about the safety or efficacy of this drug is not enough. It has Some predictable side effects to like Vomiting, constipation, and nausea with some dizziness.

Tramadol vs Tapentadol

  • Tapentadol lies between Tramadol and morphine in giving relief from pain as it is more effective than tramadol but 2-3 times less potent than morphine.
  • Tramadol has more common drug interaction than Tapentadol as a result of the dependence on liver enzymes.
  • Tapentadol does not require any metabolic activation where Tramadol Requiresmetabolic activation via cytochrome P450 which is polymorphic in humans.
  • Active metabolites accumulation in tramadol can lead to side effects and may need dose adjustment wherein tapentadol is none.
  • Tapentadol produces lesser fever and lesser vomiting than tramadol.
  • There is a high risk of Serotonin-Syndrome in using Tramadol as compared to Tapentadol.
  • Tapentadol is a schedule 2 analgesic where Tramadol is schedule 4.
  • Tramadol Produces less M1 as compared to Tapentadol.
  • Tramadol when compare to tapentadol is 2 to 5 times less potency in various animal pain models.

Conclusion:

Both the Medicines have a common structural element, but with some minor changes. But in the field of pharmacology, these minor changes can lead to a major difference in efficacy and tolerance. Tramadol is weaker as compared to tapentadol because both the medicine has the same degree of norepinephrine reuptake but tapentadol has 3 times less serotonin reuptake. Because of this Tapentadol is associated with lesser incidents of serotonin-related toxicities. It makes tapentadol better than tramadol. Tramadol is best suited for the conditions where a Strong Opioid Component is not needed and Tapentadol is well-suited for the pain where a strong opioid component is necessary. But Again because there is not enough evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of Tapentadol to decide which Medicine is superior to others.