Butorphanol injection

What is butorphanol injection?
BUTORPHANOL (Stadolreg;) relieves moderate to severe pain. Butorphanol decreases the pain of migraine headaches, and labor and delivery. It can help to supplement anesthesia when given before surgery. Do not share this medicine with anyone else. Federal law prohibits the transfer of butorphanol to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed. Generic butorphanol injections are available.

What should my health care professional know before I receive butorphanol?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

• If you frequently drink alcohol-containing beverages
• constipation
• Head injury
• heart disease
• intestinal disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis
• liver disease
• lung disease, such as asthma or COPD
• kidney disease
• an allergic or unusual reaction to butorphanol, codeine, morphine, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should I use this medicine?
Butorphanol is for injection into a muscle or a vein. It is usually given by a health-care professional in a hospital or clinic setting.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?
This does not apply.

What drug(s) may interact with butorphanol?
Because butorphanol can cause drowsiness, other medicines that also cause drowsiness may increase this effect of butorphanol. Some medicines that cause drowsiness are:

• alcohol and alcohol-containing medicines
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital
• certain antidepressants, tranquilizers or medications for Parkinson’s disease
• muscle relaxants
• certain antihistamines used in cold medicines

Ask your prescriber or health care professional about other medicines that may increase the effect of butorphanol.

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What side effects may I notice from receiving butorphanol?
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:

• anxiety, nervousness, agitation
• chest infection
• cold and clammy skin, increased perspiration
• confusion
• difficulty breathing
• lightheadedness or fainting spells
• irregular heartbeat, palpitations
• ringing in the ears

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):

• change in taste
• constipation
• difficulty sleeping at night
• dizziness or drowsiness
• dry mouth
• headache
• loss of appetite
• nausea, vomiting
• pain or difficulty passing urine, reduced amount of urine
• pain, swelling or irritation at the injection site
• stomach cramps or pain
• tremor

What should I watch for while taking butorphanol?
Tell your prescriber or health care professional if your pain does not go away, if it gets worse, or if you have new or different type of pain.

Use exactly as directed by your prescriber or health care professional. If you are taking butorphanol on a regular basis, do not suddenly stop taking it. Your body becomes used to the butorphanol, and when you suddenly stop taking it, you may develop a severe reaction. This DOES NOT mean you are “addicted” to butorphanol. Addiction is a behavior related to getting and using a drug for a non-medical reason. If you have pain, you have a medical reason to take pain medicine such as butorphanol to control your pain.

You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how butorphanol affects you. Do not sit or stand up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol can increase possible drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion and can affect your breathing. Avoid alcohol while receiving butorphanol.

If you are going to have surgery, tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are using butorphanol.

Where can I keep my medicine?
This does not apply.

Drugs & Medications

CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.

The drug reference included in this section is provided by Cerner Multum, Inc., of Denver, Colorado. Armenian Medical Network receives monthly updates from Multum.