Drug interactions
Buprenorphine long-acting + Isoflurane
Severity: Moderate
Buprenorphine long-acting and Isoflurane: 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
Long-acting injectable buprenorphine gives sustained opioid exposure, so sedation and respiratory depression from isoflurane are additive. Some QT prolongation potential may add to the arrhythmic risk.
What this interaction means in plain words
Buprenorphine long-acting and Isoflurane 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.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression, with possible additive QT prolongation.
What to do
Alert the anesthesia team to the depot and titrate anesthetic and adjunct analgesic doses to effect. Monitor ventilation, sedation level and ECG, and extend postoperative observation.
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 Isoflurane
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Buprenorphine long-acting with Isoflurane?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Buprenorphine long-acting and Isoflurane 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. Long-acting injectable buprenorphine gives sustained opioid exposure, so sedation and respiratory depression from isoflurane are additive. Some QT prolongation potential may add to the arrhythmic risk.
How serious is the interaction between Buprenorphine long-acting and Isoflurane?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Alert the anesthesia team to the depot and titrate anesthetic and adjunct analgesic doses to effect. Monitor ventilation, sedation level and ECG, and extend postoperative observation.
What other medicines interact with Isoflurane?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Isoflurane with, for example, Adrenaline-articaine, Amisulpride, Arsenic trioxide. The full list is on the Isoflurane page.
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