Tapentadol and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 6, 2018

Tapentadol for Pain "Just started taking this, was on Oxycodone 10/325 4 times a day, was willing to give it a shot. It's horrible. I keep wanting to throw up all day long, it feels like I am going through withdrawals, foggy as heck, missing work. Never had these issues before. They are making the opioid issue so bad that people who really need the pain meds are having to take things like this. I have had 4 neck surgeries so far, the pain is ridiculous. Before I found the Oxy, I was barely able to move around, once I got on that regimen, I was able to work every day, function like normal. Now I'm back to just feeling sick every day, foggy as heck, not wanting to do anything, just cry. This sucks."

• Den...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2016

Tapentadol for Pain "DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL...!! IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, PLAY IT SAFE!!! THIS PILL gave me brain fog after only a few days... my pain INCREASED!!!! I was in so much pain my husband couldn't touch me!! Pain from head to toe... when I stopped taking it, within one day I was back to my normal fibromyalgia pain..., I was starting to think being dead would be better than feeling like that all the time!! BE VERY CAREFUL!!!"

• Lum...
• February 16, 2014

Tapentadol for Pain "I was only on Nucynta for 2 days. 50 mg tabs x 3 times a day. I have been taking tramadol with no problems, but thought this might work better, as tramadol does not always control my pain. I must be very sensitive, as this medicine on day 1 made me feel as if my body were speeding, but tired and loopy at the same time. Day 2 was more of the same, but I needed a higher dose in order to control a pain level of 7 that comes upon me as the day wears on. I decided I did not want to go to 100 mg because of my sensitivity to this medicine."

• ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2012

Tapentadol for Pain "Was prescribed Nucynta 100 mg initially. It took effect within approx. 1 hr. I, too, felt loopy and out of it. I felt I was hallucinating and had strange off-the-wall kind of 'dreams.' So I called the doctor back and exchanged the prescription. I had asked to try the 75 mg but guess I scared the doctor with my symptoms. So I was prescribed 50 mg. I have been on this dosage for 4 days. Doesn't last long enough and does nothing to manage my pain. I have spinal stenosis as well as scoliosis and degeneration of discs (virtually no discs) between L1-L5. Osteoarthritis in knees as well as in the lower back. This medication works well on some, not so with others."

• Mar...
• February 23, 2019

Tapentadol for Pain "I have been on Nucynta ER since around 2013. Had a bad car accident in 2011, and the opiates alone were not enough. My lower back discs L2-S1 are bad along with my facet joints, spine, and nerve damage in my left leg and other issues. My doctor started me on 250 mg, which helped. The pain was better, and I still stayed on my hydrocodone 10 mg 2-3 times a day. After a couple of years, I felt I wanted to go off this drug. I did not like the foggy feeling. I went down to 150 mg. It took my body one year to adjust to 200 mg a day! The first two weeks were horrible! This medicine will not make you 'high' like Percocets or oxycodone. It just made my body crawl, and I could not sleep. It gives me hot flashes, makes me tired, and affects my memory. I am still on the 150 mg and searching for another opioid to replace it with. I just do not want to go on something that will give me the same side effects."

• rag...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2017

Tapentadol for Pain "I have chronic pain from a defective knee implant, which is scheduled to be revised in a few months. The pain was successfully managed with Opana ER/IR. Because the FDA forced the manufacturer to remove Opana from the market, my pain management doctor switched me to Nucynta 200 mg twice daily. Within a few days, I started to experience severe side effects - constipation, nausea, stomach pain, headache, confusion, lightheadedness, inability to think clearly, joint and muscle pain, restlessness, insomnia. And the pain was only about 50% controlled. After 5 days, my doctor switched me to the fentanyl patch. Within a few days, all of the side effects went away, and my pain is much better controlled. In my opinion, Nucynta is a terrible drug."

• Maj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2019

Tapentadol for Pain "I cannot rate this yet because I just started yesterday, 50 mg every six hours. I am trying this for 7 days to evaluate the effectiveness for my chronic and acute pain. I have almost complete mandibulectomy due to a tumor, fibromyalgia, and herniated disc and arthritis in my back. I was upset that my copay was $53 for a 7-day supply! So far, I have taken 3 doses. I have been extremely dizzy and felt a little 'foggy.' I also started experiencing loose stools after the 2nd dose. This is my second day, and I hope things get better. I will also provide an update."

• Bro...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 15, 2016

Tapentadol for Pain "I have severe IC. This is the only med that my urologist will prescribe for my 9/10 pain. I take 50 mg 3x/day. It does lower the pain level to a 1/2. However, I get headaches and just a bit 'foggy.' All things considered, though, I cannot function with the pain, so I have to tolerate these side effects in order to live a 'normal' life. Norco did work better, but my MD will no longer prescribe that due to addiction possibilities."

• Zap...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 3, 2015

For Pain "Tapentadol (brand name Nucynta) is a huge improvement over traditional opioids used to manage severe acute and chronic pain. Like tramadol, it works through multiple modes of action but is a strong enough medication to manage severe pain. Side effects are minimal. While it reduces pain as well as OxyContin, I do not feel high, loopy, drowsy, sick, or like I was losing control. For those in need of strong pain relief, this is a great option because it delivers the needed pain relief but minimizes the impairment most drugs of this type cause. Note that Nucynta is available only as a brand-name drug (no generic) and is available as both an IR (immediate release) and ER (extended release) pill."

• Anonymous
• April 25, 2012

Tapentadol for Pain "I've only been using Nucynta for a couple of days, but so far, it is working very well for me with very minimal side effects. I have chronic sciatica and have been on and off of low-dose hydrocodone for a couple of years now. I've been taking 50 mg of Nucynta 2-3 times a day. This seems to work almost as well on the pain and just seems easier on my body. It does make me a bit 'loopy' and a little groggy, but no more than the hydrocodone. I also have noticed that I'm not as hungry, which is not necessarily a bad thing! I will be interested to see how it works over time and whether it continues to work well over a period of time."

• Anonymous
• October 14, 2011

Tapentadol for Pain "Have been taking Nucynta for a few days. I was on OxyContin with oxycodone for breakthrough, but since the OxyContin was changed in February to tamper-proof, it doesn't work very well anymore. When I take Nucynta, it makes me feel like a zombie, it only works for 3 hours for pain when it is supposed to be 12 hours. I feel like I can't breathe and get anxiety. It doesn't help me when waking in the morning from taking the night before like Oxy does. It seems everyone says to let it build up, but it is hard since I can't get up in the morning to go to work. I will give it more time to see if it gets any better."

• Non...
• March 29, 2017

For Pain "30+ years living with chronic pain from severe whiplash in high school. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2000. Started antidepressants & naproxen. Meniscus tear. Labral hip tear. Arthritis in neck, knee, & hip. Injections of cortisone. 2 lumbar surgeries L5-S1. Sciatic nerve had grafted itself to a shard of bone that was microsurgically removed that MRI never picked up. Very lucky the surgeon found it. Disc fusion. My pain specialist put me on 200 mg palexia. It helps so much, as well as taking mobic anti-inflammatory daily, I can get through the day better than before. I do feel foggy, but that's the fibromyalgia or fibro fog. I feel like a bit of a zombie at times. But it helps."

• Non...
• March 29, 2017

For Pain "30+ years living with chronic pain from severe whiplash in high school. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2000. Started antidepressants & naproxen. Meniscus tear. Labral hip tear. Arthritis in neck, knee, & hip. Injections of cortisone. 2 lumbar surgeries L5-S1. Sciatic nerve had grafted itself to a shard of bone that was microsurgically removed that MRI never picked up. Very lucky the surgeon found it. Disc fusion. My pain specialist put me on 200 mg palexia. It helps so much, as well as taking mobic anti-inflammatory daily, I can get through the day better than before. I do feel foggy, but that's the fibromyalgia or fibro fog. I feel like a bit of a zombie at times. But it helps."

• Avg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2018

For Pain "Definitely not the best pain reliever, but once the dose is worked out, it works okay. Too high made me very 'foggy-headed.' At the correct dose, I experienced a relaxed, slightly sedated feeling for several hours. Seems to have a dosage ceiling, above which pain relief stops and side effects increase. I've taken both IR and ER forms, and both seem to work okay. Although considered an opiate, it did not seem to help at all with dope sickness, FYI."

• sic...
• March 10, 2010

For Pain "I was prescribed 1-2 of the 75 mg every 4-6 hours as needed for severe shoulder pain, due to rheumatoid arthritis and an undiagnosed muscle disorder (something similar to fibro, but not yet diagnosed officially). I took 1 pill, and after about 45 mins, felt no relief, so I took another. After about another 30-45 mins, I started to feel really messed up in my head, fuzzy, dizzy, not too bothersome until I started having heart palpitations, very scary! I went to bed about 2 hours later and had major hallucinations (this has NEVER happened to me on any other drug). I have taken many painkillers, both narcotic and non-narcotic, so my experience is vast, and I have never encountered side effects like this. Back to Percs."

• Nga...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2022

For Pain "Significantly helps pain more than tramadol as comparing both at 100 mg and at the same intervals. My pain is in every joint in my body due to an autoimmune disease titled mixed connective tissue disease/disorder (MCTD). The side effects for me are severe brain fog, moderate amnesia, and super severe anxiety. It seems to me that the anxiety starts as soon as the tapentadol reaches its half-life. Whenever it starts, I immediately have to take something like Xanax or Ativan. If not, I feel as if I could start a full-blown panic attack."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2020

Tapentadol for Pain "Medicine made me feel very loopy and unable to concentrate. Could not wait until it was out of my system. Made me tired for days."