Anxiety after Buprenorphine in cats

The FDA has received 99 reports of anxiety in cats after Buprenorphine. That is 1.8% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.4% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

99Reports

27%Marked serious

34%Recovered

12%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

55 60%

1–2 days

31 34%

3–7 days

4 4.3%

1–4 weeks

1 1.1%

Over a month

1 1.1%

How the animals did

Recovered

33 33%

Recovered with lasting effects

1 1.0%

Still unwell when reported

32 32%

Died

7 7.1%

Euthanised

5 5.1%

Not known

21 21%

Problems reported at the same time

Restlessness or agitation

48 48%

40 40%

36 36%

32 32%

29 29%

26 26%

12 12%

12 12%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Buprenorphine pain relief (an opioid).

Questions owners ask

Can Buprenorphine cause anxiety in cats?: 99 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within the same day of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Anxiety with similar medicines

Anxiety after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 22 reports · 0.8% of its reports

All reported side effects of Buprenorphine in cats · Medicines most reported with anxiety