Behaviour change after Buprenorphine in cats

The FDA has received 1,072 reports of behaviour change in cats after Buprenorphine. That is 19% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 5.4% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

1,072Reports

27%Marked serious

30%Recovered

9.7%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

629 62%

1–2 days

235 23%

3–7 days

58 5.7%

1–4 weeks

40 3.9%

Over a month

52 5.1%

How the animals did

Recovered

322 30%

Recovered with lasting effects

3 0.3%

Still unwell when reported

333 31%

Died

49 4.6%

Euthanised

55 5.1%

Not known

310 29%

Problems reported at the same time

Restlessness or agitation

341 32%

325 30%

269 25%

158 15%

138 13%

130 12%

120 11%

101 9.4%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

170

1–3 years

139

4–7 years

181

8–11 years

175

12+ years

222

About this medicine

Buprenorphine pain relief (an opioid).

Questions owners ask

Can Buprenorphine cause behaviour change in cats?: 1,072 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).

Behaviour change with similar medicines

Behaviour change after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 222 reports · 8.5% of its reports
Behaviour change after Butorphanol + Dexmedetomidine + Ketamine 26 reports · 20% of its reports

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