Tachycardia after Buprenorphine in cats

119 reports to the FDA describe tachycardia 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.

119Reports

52%Marked serious

29%Recovered

24%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

64 62%

1–2 days

30 29%

3–7 days

6 5.8%

1–4 weeks

1 1.0%

Over a month

3 2.9%

How the animals did

Recovered

35 29%

Still unwell when reported

37 31%

Died

5 4.2%

Euthanised

23 19%

Not known

19 16%

Problems reported at the same time

34 29%

29 24%

29 24%

29 24%

28 24%

26 22%

22 18%

17 14%

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 tachycardia in cats?: 119 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).

Tachycardia with similar medicines

Tachycardia after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 71 reports · 2.7% of its reports

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