I ran out of tramadol so began kratom to manage withdrawals and provide relief. Now I have an RX for tapentadol . Is it safe to simply stop kratom and begin the tapentadol and gradually increase to adequate relief or do I need to taper kratom? Was on tramadol for 10 plus years before abrupt supply cut off. Have been taking kratom for almost 3 weeks now. Supply for tapentadol does not seem to be an issue. I tried a few varieties of kratom and the red vein maeng deng seemed to help the most, though I stayed at lower doses, 1 teaspoon as tea every 3-4 hours. I still feel withdrawal as kratom wears off. Tapentadol seemed stronger to me in the past and lasted longer and worked better for my pain and depression. Kratom in the interim in lieu of nothing has been a literal lifesaver. Tramadol was also helping with my depression in ways every other antidepressant could not help. Not even venlafaxine (spelling?) helped. Tramadol worked so well for me. I had a life on it. Tapentadol was substituted in the past and didn’t work as well but my issues were manageable on it. Kratom has helped only with the withdrawals and not with pain or depression and I was too scared to increase kratom dose. I’d prefer to go back to tapentadol now that I have it again. How do I transition safely? Thank you for any input!