A once daily controlled release pharmaceutical compositions comprising tapentadol, wherein preferably the mean T of tapentadol is reached after 10 hours of administration of the composition. The composition comprises tapentadol, such that it maintains serum concentration of tapentadol of at least about 20 ng/ml for at least about 17 hours after oral administration of the composition. According to one embodiment the controlled release pharmaceutical composition comprises tapentadol, which is gastroretentive.