Drug interactions
Butorphanol + Gabapentin enacarbil
Severity: Major
Butorphanol and Gabapentin enacarbil: major 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
Gabapentinoids combined with opioids increase the risk of profound sedation and respiratory depression. Labeling warns of serious and sometimes fatal outcomes with CNS depressants.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butorphanol and Gabapentin enacarbil can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Butorphanol belongs to Musculoskeletal; Gabapentin enacarbil belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression from opioid activity and gabapentinoid effects.
What to do
Use the lowest effective doses for the shortest duration and monitor for sedation and respiratory depression. Take extra care in elderly patients and those with renal or pulmonary disease.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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Other interactions of Butorphanol
- Butorphanol + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Butorphanol + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Butorphanol Major
- Alprazolam + Butorphanol Major
- Alvimopan + Butorphanol Major
- Amobarbital + Butorphanol Major
Other interactions of Gabapentin enacarbil
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butorphanol with Gabapentin enacarbil?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Butorphanol and Gabapentin enacarbil can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Gabapentinoids combined with opioids increase the risk of profound sedation and respiratory depression. Labeling warns of serious and sometimes fatal outcomes with CNS depressants.
How serious is the interaction between Butorphanol and Gabapentin enacarbil?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the lowest effective doses for the shortest duration and monitor for sedation and respiratory depression. Take extra care in elderly patients and those with renal or pulmonary disease.
What other medicines interact with Butorphanol?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Butorphanol with, for example, Olanzapine / samidorphan, Sodium oxybate, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Butorphanol page.
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