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Tapentadol (impurity A) overlays (3R,4R) picenalol

AlsoTapered

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I have mentioned elsewhere that tapentadol is an open-ring analogue of picenalol.

A closer look at the stereochemistry shows that the agonist enantiomer of picenalol does not overlay tapentadol but rather 'tapentadol impurity A'. It is recognised that tapentadol impurity A has significantly higher affinity for the MOR but lacked the NRI activity and thus has a significantly different analgesic profile.



What is more, Wyeth, Lilly and others had previously discovered that the benzylic side-chain of a meta-phenol A-aromatic demonstrates that a methyl will produce antagonist activity, an ethyl will provide mixed agonist/antagonist activity while and n-propyl will produce pure agonist activity.


So I propose 'tahexadol' i.e. 3-[(2R,3S)-1-(dimethylamino)-2-methylhexan-3-yl]phenol which as well as being a trans isomer, also has an n-propyl benzylic side-chain. I don't for one minute expect this product to be hugely potent but based on known QSAR data, would appear to suggest a potency around thatof morphine.

I would also suggest that the potency of tapentadol impurity A was known when the DEA (US) and Home Office (UK) both chose to place tapentadol into their most controlled class of drug because of previously demonstrated problems with legally defining 'stereoisomers' thus the most POTENT isomer was chosen as the baseline.


BTW it's also worth noting that like the opioid 3-(dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one, the N,N-dimethyl homologue represents the only symmetrical alkyl substitution with significant activity BUT like diampromide, the N-methyl-N-(2-phenylethyl) derivative may prove to be more potent.
 
I don’t know what any of these scientific statements mean but I have been trying to quit Tapentadol for over a year and I keep failing. The fatigue and mental anguish are torture when I try to stop so I continuously keep caving and failing.
Would any of the information you posted be of any help to me in trying to quit??
 
Thank you. Are you able to describe what is unusual about Tapentadol abstinence syndrome?
I appreciate your input.
 
Well, as the piece notes, it's an NRI as well as an opioid so I imagine fatigue and hypersomnia may be issues that particularly plague people wishing to stop the use of tapentadol.

It's possible that the depression associated with abstinence is more pronounced than that associated with equipotent doses of more traditional opioids.

That a drug so rarely used in the UK has lead to a specific paper regarding detoxification suggests that it requires unusual measures.

Be aware that if depression and/or anxiety are major symptoms in detoxification then an antidepressant MAY be of value.
 
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