Pain after Buprenorphine in cats

120 reports to the FDA describe pain in cats given Buprenorphine. That is 2.1% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.7% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

120Reports

52%Marked serious

20%Recovered

23%Died or euthanised

2 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

25 23%

1–2 days

34 32%

3–7 days

21 20%

1–4 weeks

18 17%

Over a month

9 8.4%

How the animals did

Recovered

24 20%

Still unwell when reported

44 37%

Died

12 10%

Euthanised

15 13%

Not known

25 21%

Problems reported at the same time

56 47%

32 27%

27 23%

23 19%

16 13%

Didn't work as expected

16 13%

Breathing problems

14 12%

Liver problems

14 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 pain in cats?: 120 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 2 days 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).

Pain with similar medicines

Pain after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 34 reports · 1.3% of its reports

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