Butrans

Generic name: Buprenorphine Transdermal (skin Patch)
Brand names: Butrans
Drug class: Opioids (narcotic analgesics)

Usage of Butrans

Butrans skin patches contain buprenorphine, an opioid pain medication. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic.

Butrans skin patches are used for around-the-clock treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain that is not controlled by other medicines.

Butrans is not for use on an as-needed basis for pain.

Butrans side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Butrans: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Stop using Butrans and call your doctor at once if you have:

  • weak or shallow breathing, deep sighs, snoring that is new or unusual;
  • breathing that stops during sleep;
  • chest pain, fast heart rate, seizure (convulsions);
  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
  • blisters, swelling, or severe irritation where the patch was worn;
  • adrenal gland problems - nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, feeling weak or tired; or
  • liver problems - upper stomach pain, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

    • Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

    Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults and those who are overweight, malnourished, or debilitated.

    Long-term use of opioid medication may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men or women. It is not known whether opioid effects on fertility are permanent.

    Common Butrans side effects may include:

  • constipation, nausea, vomiting;
  • headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tiredness; or
  • redness, itching, or rash where the patch was worn.

    • This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

    Before taking Butrans

    You should not use Butrans if you are allergic to buprenorphine, or if you have:

  • breathing problems, sleep apnea;
  • a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

    • To make sure Butrans is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

  • any type of breathing problem or lung disease;
  • a head injury, brain tumor, or seizures;
  • alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness;
  • urination problems;
  • liver or kidney disease;
  • heart rhythm problems, long QT syndrome; or
  • problems with your gallbladder, pancreas, or thyroid.

    • If you use Butrans while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

    Buprenorphine can pass into breast milk and cause drowsiness, breathing problems, or death in a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using Butrans.

    Relate drugs

    How to use Butrans

    Use Butrans exactly as prescribed. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Buprenorphine can slow or stop your breathing. Never use Butrans in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

    Buprenorphine may be habit-forming, even at regular doses. Never share Butrans with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. MISUSE OF NARCOTIC MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription. Selling or giving away Butrans is against the law.

    The Butrans skin patch is for use only on the skin. Do not allow the medicine to come into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, or lips.

    Keep both used and unused Butrans patches out of the reach of children or pets. Even the amount of buprenorphine in a used skin patch could be fatal to a child or pet who accidentally sucks or chews on the patch. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

    Use only clear water (not soap or other chemicals) to wash the skin before you apply a patch.

    Apply the Butrans patch to clean, dry skin on the chest, back, side, or outer side of your upper arm. Wear the patch around the clock for 7 days. Never wear more than 1 patch at a time unless your doctor has told you to. Remove and replace the patch after 7 days. Apply the new patch to a different skin area on the chest, back, side, or upper arm.

    If the sticky side of a skin patch comes into contact with your hands, wash the skin with clear water and seek medical care at once. Do not use a Butrans skin patch if it has been cut or damaged.

    Do not wear a skin patch on a part of your body where a child could reach or remove the patch from your skin. Avoid allowing children to watch you put on a skin patch. Never tell a child that the buprenorphine skin patch is a "bandage".

    Do not stop using this medicine suddenly after long-term use, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to safely stop using Butrans.

    Store the Butrans skin patches at room temperature. Keep each patch in its foil pouch until you are ready to use it. Keep track of how many skin patches have been used from each new package. Buprenorphine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

    After removing a skin patch: fold it in half firmly with the sticky side in, and flush the patch down the toilet or use the Patch-Disposal Unit provided with this medication. Do not place a used skin patch into a trash can.

    Do not keep leftover opioid medication. Just one dose can cause death in someone using this medicine accidentally or improperly. Ask your pharmacist where to locate a drug take-back disposal program. If there is no take-back program, dispose of any unused skin patches in the same folded manner. Do not flush the foil pouch or patch liners; place them in a trash container out of the reach of children and pets.

    Warnings

    You should not use Butrans skin patches if you have severe asthma or breathing problems, or a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

    Buprenorphine can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming. MISUSE OF THIS MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, especially in a child or other person using Butrans without a prescription. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

    Using this medicine during pregnancy may cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.

    Fatal side effects can occur if you use Butrans with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.

    What other drugs will affect Butrans

    Narcotic (opioid) medication can interact with many other drugs and cause dangerous side effects or death. Be sure your doctor knows if you also use:

  • other narcotic medications - opioid pain medicine or prescription cough medicine;
  • a sedative like Valium - diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, Ativan, Klonopin, Restoril, Tranxene, Versed, Xanax, and others;
  • drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing - a sleeping pill, muscle relaxer, tranquilizer, antidepressant, or antipsychotic medicine; or
  • drugs that affect serotonin levels in your body - medicine for depression, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting.

    • This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with buprenorphine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

    Popular FAQ

    How long opioid withdrawal lasts depends on the opioid you have been taking and whether it is a short-acting or long acting opioid. If you have been using a short-acting opioid, acute opioid withdrawal lasts 4 to 10 days, with withdrawal symptoms starting 8 to 24 hours after last use. If you have been using a long-acting opioid, acute opioid withdrawal lasts 10 to 20 days, with withdrawal symptoms starting 12 to 48 hours after last use. Continue reading

    After one sublingual or buccal dose, buprenorphine stays in your system for about 5 to 8 days if you are healthy or 7 to 12 days if you have liver disease. Continue reading

    It is available in a number of dosage forms under the brand names Sublocade, Brixadi, Probuphine (discontinued), Belbuca, Butrans, Buprenex, and Subutex (discontinued). Continue reading

    Sublocade and Brixadi are both subcutaneous long-acting buprenorphine injections that may be used for the maintenance treatment of opioid misuse disorder in adults. Sublocade was approved on November 30, 2017, and Brixadi was approved on May 23, 2023. Sublocade is administered once a month, with a minimum of 26 days between doses. If extended travel is deemed necessary, a single 300mg injection may be given to cover 2 months. Brixadi is given once a week or once a month. Continue reading

    Buprenorphine and naloxone is a combination medicine used for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in adults. It is available in sublingual film and sublingual tablet dosage forms under the brand names Suboxone, Zubsolv, Bunavail (discontinued), and Cassipa (discontinued). Continue reading

    There is no one-size-fits-all treatment duration for patients taking buprenorphine. There are many factors involved in determining the length of treatment when administering buprenorphine. Continue reading

    Yes, Buprenex is the brand name for an injectable form of buprenorphine. Buprenex (generic name: buprenorphine) is a potent opioid (narcotic) medication used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternate treatments are inadequate. Continue reading

    How long opioid withdrawal lasts depends on the opioid you have been taking and whether it is a short-acting or long acting opioid. If you have been using a short-acting opioid, acute opioid withdrawal lasts 4 to 10 days, with withdrawal symptoms starting 8 to 24 hours after last use. If you have been using a long-acting opioid, acute opioid withdrawal lasts 10 to 20 days, with withdrawal symptoms starting 12 to 48 hours after last use. Continue reading

    After one sublingual or buccal dose, buprenorphine stays in your system for about 5 to 8 days if you are healthy or 7 to 12 days if you have liver disease. Continue reading

    It is available in a number of dosage forms under the brand names Sublocade, Brixadi, Probuphine (discontinued), Belbuca, Butrans, Buprenex, and Subutex (discontinued). Continue reading

    Sublocade and Brixadi are both subcutaneous long-acting buprenorphine injections that may be used for the maintenance treatment of opioid misuse disorder in adults. Sublocade was approved on November 30, 2017, and Brixadi was approved on May 23, 2023. Sublocade is administered once a month, with a minimum of 26 days between doses. If extended travel is deemed necessary, a single 300mg injection may be given to cover 2 months. Brixadi is given once a week or once a month. Continue reading

    Buprenorphine and naloxone is a combination medicine used for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in adults. It is available in sublingual film and sublingual tablet dosage forms under the brand names Suboxone, Zubsolv, Bunavail (discontinued), and Cassipa (discontinued). Continue reading

    There is no one-size-fits-all treatment duration for patients taking buprenorphine. There are many factors involved in determining the length of treatment when administering buprenorphine. Continue reading

    Yes, Buprenex is the brand name for an injectable form of buprenorphine. Buprenex (generic name: buprenorphine) is a potent opioid (narcotic) medication used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternate treatments are inadequate. Continue reading

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords