Buprenorphine is an opioid medicine, which is similar to codeine, heroin, and morphine. As a generic form of Subutex, this prescription drug is used for treating dependence on opioid painkillers such as OxyContin (oxycodone). A lower dosage of this medicine is prescribed for treating pain. Doctors prescribe buprenorphine for treating post-operative pain. By working on your brain and nervous system, this medicine reduces the way you feel pain. This medicine is also used for treating some narcotic drug addictions. However, buprenorphine is combined with naloxone when it is used for this purpose. Naloxone is an ingredient, which is effective for countering the effects of an overdose of buprenorphine. The combination of both these drugs is called Suboxone. Normally, suboxone is given in the safety and privacy of the office of a doctor.

All narcotic medicines reduce your breathing. Buprenorphine will also do the same. You should also use this medicine properly for avoiding the risk of serious side effects including death. You should also inform your doctor if you do not get any pain relief even after the longer use of this medicine. Buprenorphine should not be taken with any other narcotic pain sedatives or medications, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or other medicines, which can reduce your breathing or make you sleepy. It will lead to dangerous side effects. You should also avoid alcohol compulsorily if you are taking buprenorphine because this medicine can increase the effects of alcohol, which is highly dangerous.

You should inform your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems or any breathing related problems such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) before taking buprenorphine. It is also not good to take this medicine longer than prescribed. If you do so, it may lead to dependency, which will lead to withdrawal symptoms once you stop it.

You should not take this medicine if you are pregnant. You should also inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding. This medicine will pass through a mother’s milk and cause dangerous health problems to the infants.

Dry mouth, constipation, and headache are the common side effects of buprenorphine. If you feel sweating, difficulty staying asleep or falling asleep, vomiting, stomach pain, etc, you should consult your doctor immediately.

Constipation is a common problem for most medications including opioids. But, it is more common with long-acting opioids. Short-duration, fast-acting opioids such as hydrocodone and heroin produce periods of greater and lesser effects. Your body can produce bowel movements only during periods of lesser effects. Long-acting opioids such as methadone, and buprenorphine influence your body continuously without the period of lesser effect. This will lead to chronic constipation if you do not take preventive strategies.

Constipation is a very serious health problem. Surgery is required for extreme cases. But, mostly, it creates unnecessary discomfort and inconvenience.

This is one of the most common side effects of buprenorphine. You can reduce it by using aspirin or other OTC pain remedies. You can solve headache and some other side effects by drinking adequate water.

This is an innocuous symptom, which can be very serious. Saliva is protecting your tooth from gum diseases, tooth decay, and it maintains the health of hard and soft tissues in your mouth. It washes away food and other debris from your mouth. It neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in your mouth. Thus, saliva provides disease-fighting substances throughout your mouth. When you are suffering from dry mouth, all these benefits will be reduced. It leads to the multiplication of bacteria, which often causes gingivitis.

• Spinning sensation, tired feeling, weakness, dizziness
• Double vision, blurred vision
• Depression mood,
• Tingly feeling or numbness, increased sweating

Some Buprenorphine side effects can be very serious. Some of these symptoms are not very common, but if you experience any of these problems, you should consult your doctor immediately.

• Slowed breathing
• Itching
• Swallowing or difficulty breathing
• Skin rash
• Hives
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of energy
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Extreme tiredness
• Upset stomach
• Pain in upper right part of your stomach


You should seek emergency medical assistance if you feel these signs of allergic reaction:

• Swelling of face, throat, tongue, or lips
• Difficulty breathing
• Hives

The following are some other serious side effects of buprenorphine. You should consult your doctor immediately if you feel:

• Confusion
• Blue lips or fingernails
• Weak or shallow breathing, fainting, feeling light-headed
• Urinating less than usual
• Fast or slow heart rate
• Feelings of extreme happiness

You should not take buprenorphine with other sedatives, narcotic pain medications, muscle relaxes, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or other medicines, which can reduce your breathing. If you are taking the following medicines, you should inform your doctor.

• HIV protease inhibitors
• Azole antifungals
• Other narcotic pain medicine
• St. John’s wort
• Methadone (Dolophine)

Buprenorphine may impair your reactions or thing and may cause blurred vision. So, you must be careful while driving a vehicle.

Your doctor prescribes the adequate dosage as per the type of your pain. Sometimes, the doctor prescribes tablets or injection form depending on the needs of a patient. The medicine is also available in the form of a skin patch, which is used for treating long-term or chronic pain. These patches are helpful for releasing the medicine slowly and evenly. If you are directed to take the medicine in tablet form, your doctor will tell you the dosage. You should place the tablet in your tongue till it melts.

Taking too much buprenorphine is called overdose. Buprenorphine overdose is highly dangerous. The symptoms include:

• Slow heart rate
• Cold or clammy skin
• Extreme weakness or drowsiness
• Slow breathing
• Fainting
• Weak pulse

You should never share naloxone and buprenorphine with other people, especially people with the history of drug addiction or abuse. You should keep the medicine in a safe place without the reach of others. Individuals under 18 years of age should not take this medicine without medical advice. Use of this medicine by children may cause even death. Therefore if you suspect that a child has accidently swallowed this medicine, emergency medical attention is essential. If you are taking buprenorphine, you should carry an ID card or wear a medical alert tag stating it. You should strictly avoid the misuse of this drug.