Drug interactions
Buprenorphine + Diphenoxylate
Severity: Moderate
Buprenorphine and Diphenoxylate: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Diphenoxylate is an opioid antidiarrheal that can add to sedation and CNS depression when given with buprenorphine. Buprenorphine may also blunt its effect or precipitate withdrawal in opioid-dependent patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Buprenorphine and Diphenoxylate can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Buprenorphine belongs to Musculoskeletal; Diphenoxylate belongs to Gastrointestinal Tract.
Why it happens
Additive opioid CNS depression with partial agonist competition at mu receptors.
What to do
Prefer loperamide or another alternative at usual doses and avoid exceeding recommended diphenoxylate doses. Monitor for sedation and withdrawal symptoms.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Buprenorphine
- Alvimopan + Buprenorphine Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine + Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine + Pimozide Contraindicated
- Buprenorphine + Thioridazine Contraindicated
Other interactions of Diphenoxylate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Buprenorphine with Diphenoxylate?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Buprenorphine and Diphenoxylate can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Diphenoxylate is an opioid antidiarrheal that can add to sedation and CNS depression when given with buprenorphine. Buprenorphine may also blunt its effect or precipitate withdrawal in opioid-dependent patients.
How serious is the interaction between Buprenorphine and Diphenoxylate?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Prefer loperamide or another alternative at usual doses and avoid exceeding recommended diphenoxylate doses. Monitor for sedation and withdrawal symptoms.
What other medicines interact with Buprenorphine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Buprenorphine with, for example, Alvimopan, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Buprenorphine page.
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