As with many centrally-acting analgesic medications, the dosing regimen of NUCYNTA® should be individualized according to the severity of pain being treated, the previous experience with similar drugs and the ability to monitor the patient. Initiate NUCYNTA® with or without food at a dose of 50 mg, 75 mg, or 100 mg every 4 to 6 hours depending upon pain intensity. On the first day of dosing, the second dose may be administered as soon as one hour after the first dose, if adequate pain relief is not attained 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 adequate analgesia with acceptable tolerability. Daily doses greater than 700 mg on the first day of therapy and 600 mg on subsequent days have not been studied and are, therefore, not recommended.

Upon exposure to tramadol and tapentadol concentrations up to 600μM, cell toxicity was assessed through evaluation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial and metabolic alterations, as well as cell viability and death mechanisms through necrosis or apoptosis, and related signalling. Tapentadol was observed to trigger much more prominent toxic effects than tramadol, ultimately leading to energy deficit and cell death.