OK, I see that nobody jumped in. So I will. I have no experience with slow release tapentadol, but I have taken instant release tapentadol. It is a good painkiller that is more euphoric than tramadol but less than oxycodone. It has, at least, dual mechanism of action. One as an opioid and the other as norepinephrine release agent. Unlike tramadol it doesn't have to be converted into some metabolite to be active, but it has some of the dangerous side effects as tramadol, namely lowering seizure threshold. I think that max recommended dosage is 500mg in 24 hours. If you have tolerance to opioids start with 100mg crushed and proceed from there. I know that combining depressants isn't advisable, but if you have high tolerance and will take more than recommended than some light antisiezure medication would help (low dose of pregabalin or clonazepam). It is a fairly potent opioid that has some relation to tramadol, but is more like classic opioid than tramadol. More than this I can not say as I don't know how release mechanism works and how high is your tolerance (and are you prone to siezures). Take care!