Buprenorphine (Transdermal)

Buprenorphine is a narcotic-strength painkiller that is often used in conjunction with other painkillers when patients require round-the-clock care to minimize pain. This medication is used to help manage chronic, severe pain.

Warnings/Side Effects

Since Buprenorphine is an opioid drug, there is significant risk of physical addiction. This drug numbs pain impulses by changing the biochemistry in the brain. As a result, the body adapts to the drug’s presence and doesn’t function properly without it. Abrupt withdrawal can cause severe nausea and stomach pain, seizures, heart attacks and serious mood swings. In addition, the body may develop tolerance, which requires the patient to take larger doses of the drug in order to achieve the painkilling effects. Taking larger doses increases the risk of a fatal overdose.