What it is used for
- Treating severe persistent pain when other analgesics are inadequate
- Relieving severe pain by injection under medical supervision
How it is used
- Use only as prescribed and never share it with anyone
- Apply a patch to intact dry skin as the leaflet directs; never cut it or expose it to a heat source
- Remove the old patch before applying another and fold its sticky sides together for safe disposal
- A healthcare professional gives the injection into a vein or muscle while monitoring breathing
- Do not stop suddenly; your clinician will plan a gradual reduction
Possible side effects
- Drowsiness, dizziness or headache
- Nausea, vomiting or constipation
- Itching or redness at the patch site
- Low blood pressure or slowed breathing
Who should not use it
- Allergy to buprenorphine or any ingredient
- Severe breathing suppression or acute asthma without monitoring and resuscitation facilities
- Bowel obstruction or paralytic ileus
Before and while using it
- Addiction, misuse and overdose can occur even when it is prescribed
- Call emergency services for slow breathing, difficulty waking or blue lips
- Heat and fever can increase absorption from a patch and cause a dangerous overdose
- Serious breathing suppression can occur when treatment starts or changes, with greater risk in lung disease and older people
- Keep patches and injections locked away because accidental exposure can be fatal, especially to children
- Abrupt stopping can cause withdrawal
Medicine interactions
- Benzodiazepines, alcohol, sleeping medicines, sedatives and other opioids can cause profound sedation and fatal breathing suppression
- Inhibitors or inducers of liver enzymes can alter buprenorphine levels
- Some antidepressants and migraine medicines can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome
- Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors can cause a serious interaction
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Prolonged use in pregnancy can cause fetal dependence and serious newborn withdrawal; do not change treatment without specialist supervision
- It can pass into breast milk; a specialist should decide whether breastfeeding is appropriate and the infant needs monitoring for sleepiness and breathing
How to store it
- Keep securely locked away from children and anyone for whom it was not prescribed
- Keep patches away from heat and dispose of used and unused patches as your pharmacist directs
Get medical help straight away if
- Your face, lips or tongue swell, or you find it hard to breathe.
- You get a severe rash, blistering or peeling skin.
- A side effect worries you or doesn’t go away: contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Questions about this medicine?
Talk to a doctor by video, or send your question by text.
Source: Standard international medicine references
This guide is general information and doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Don’t start, stop or change a medicine without asking them, and always read the leaflet in the pack.