What is butorphanol?
Butorphanol is an opioid pain medication. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic.
Butorphanol is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is also used as part of anesthesia for surgery, or during early labor (if childbirth is expected to be more than 4 hours away).
Butorphanol may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about butorphanol?
You should not use butorphanol if you have recently used narcotic medications and have become dependent on them.
Butorphanol may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
Do not drink alcohol while you are using butorphanol. Dangerous side effects or death can occur when alcohol is combined with a narcotic pain medicine. Check your food and medicine labels to be sure these products do not contain alcohol.
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how butorphanol will affect you.
Never use butorphanol in larger amounts, or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
Do not stop using butorphanol suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when you stop using butorphanol.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using butorphanol?
Do not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a narcotic medicine.
You should not use butorphanol if you have recently used narcotic medications and have become dependent on them.
Butorphanol may be habit forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Never share butorphanol with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.
To make sure you can safely use butorphanol, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders;
liver or kidney disease;
a history of head injury or brain tumor;
heart disease, high blood pressure, recent heart attack;
mental illness; or
a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether butorphanol will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using butorphanol.
Butorphanol is sometimes used during early labor, but using it just before childbirth can cause breathing problems in a newborn.
Butorphanol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medication.