Drug interactions
Butorphanol + Ganaxolone
Severity: Moderate
Butorphanol and Ganaxolone: 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
Ganaxolone is a neuroactive steroid that causes somnolence and sedation, and butorphanol adds opioid CNS depression. Together they may cause excessive sedation and respiratory depression.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butorphanol and Ganaxolone 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.
Butorphanol belongs to Musculoskeletal; Ganaxolone belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression via GABA-A modulation and opioid receptor agonism.
What to do
Monitor for excess sedation and reduced respiratory drive, and lower the dose of one or both drugs if needed. Counsel patients to avoid driving.
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 Butorphanol
- Butorphanol + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Butorphanol + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Butorphanol Major
- Alprazolam + Butorphanol Major
- Alvimopan + Butorphanol Major
- Amobarbital + Butorphanol Major
Other interactions of Ganaxolone
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butorphanol with Ganaxolone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Butorphanol and Ganaxolone 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. Ganaxolone is a neuroactive steroid that causes somnolence and sedation, and butorphanol adds opioid CNS depression. Together they may cause excessive sedation and respiratory depression.
How serious is the interaction between Butorphanol and Ganaxolone?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor for excess sedation and reduced respiratory drive, and lower the dose of one or both drugs if needed. Counsel patients to avoid driving.
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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