"bad Trip" On Buprenorphine? :(

Friend's Friend

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Hi friends! I hope all's well. <3

Friend, unfortunately, has developed urinary issues this past week (extremely acidic urine + crystals). There's a whole long story about us being snuck in to see a vet we've never seen before who proposed lackluster treatment and didn't seem to understand that money's very tight for me right now and I can't afford infinite $200-a-pop trips to office; *finally*, after much pleading with the clinic staff, I was able to see our regular vet. She gave Friend subcutaneous fluids, a muscle relaxant, an appetite stimulant, buprenorphine (then and for at home), and sent me home with a bag bursting with dry urinary tract food (in case he refuses toe at wet) and some cans of wet urinary tract food in case I ever need it. All she charged me was $22 for the buprenorphine--basically she saw us yesterday for free. Bless her heart; she's a wonderful human.

Anyway, he's eating (and getting his liquid from wet food, plus some urinary dry food sprinkled in for crunch, because he refuses to eat wet food without it) and using the litterbox. I can tell it's not comfortable, but he *can* pee--so he's not blocked, which is obviously good. However, my concern is this:

My vet said the buprenorphine would make him stoned, but it did the complete opposite. He freaked out. Eyes dilated, restless, licking at the carpet, growling . . . I ended up calling the emergency clinic last night for advice (since my vet was / is closed until Monday); they basically said that I could either try a lower dose or else just not give him the meds and call my vet on Monday.

I tried a lower dose last night--I don't want him to be in pain--but as of this morning, his behavior is no different. In some respects, I think it's gotten worse. And his peeing behavior was no different yesterday (on the meds) than it is today, so I opted to wait and see if he'd be okay without them. On the one hand, he slinks out from under the bed to eat copious amounts of food with his tail between his legs; he's peed more in the last twelve hours than the last four days; he can jump onto my desk, into his beloved bathroom sink, and even get to the top of his cat tree. But he still cries growls arbitrarily--even when I just talk to him, let alone touch him--and he oscillates between being lethargic and restless. His eyes are still dilated.

Does anyone know how long buprenorphine stays in the system? Do you think it's that? Is he just grumpy and wants to be left alone? Needless to say I'm going to call my vet ASAP tomorrow.

I'm so sad and stressed. My poor squeaky old man. :(

Thanks all. <3
Dyl.
 

Furballsmom

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I am so sorry to hear this!!

Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 I don't know, would you suggest the tea for its calming effects for this poor baby?

I'm afraid to suggest anything for fear it'll offset the benefits he's gaining from the treatment for the uti/crystals.

Could his reactions possibly be from one of the other meds?
 
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Mamanyt1953

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I'm afraid to risk it on this one. PROBABLY safe, but CAN depress the central nervous system when taken with opioids. And cats are so small, I'm not confident about suggesting what would be a safe dose in this case.

However, I'm not overly shocked at his reactions. Half of my mom's family reacts very like that to opiods, and if humans react to a medication, cats can too!

Hang in there, and call the vet on Monday!
 

Furballsmom

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I tell you what, try this, it might even work even though your kitty is in a medicated state of being.

There are several genres and sources of music which research has proven that helps cats to relax.

There's classical harp music (I've read that there are even harpists who have created disks specifically for cats), George Handel compositions, there's an app called Relax My Cat and there's MusicForCats.com.
Sending you all every good, calming thought I have!!
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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... She gave Friend subcutaneous fluids, a muscle relaxant, an appetite stimulant, buprenorphine (then and for at home), and sent me home ...
Did you write down the names of the specific appetite stimulant and muscle relaxant that he was given yesterday, along with the buprenorphine? (maybe they were mirtazapine and valium?) Maybe you were able to let the ER vet knows of those? It's possible he was having a bad reaction to one of those as it worked through his system (could have been the mirtazapine), or else there was a bad interaction with all or some of the meds, when they were put together. It sounds like you are only giving the buprenorphine for home use? In any case, if it were me, I'd avoid giving the buprenorphine for the time being, as the ER vet suggested, and definitely contact your vet first thing Monday.

Hoping he recovers soon! :vibes: :vibes: :vibes:
 
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Friend's Friend

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Thank you all, so very much, for the support! (And I apologize for the copious typos in my original post!)

Unfortunately, I wasn't given the names of the other meds my vet gave, no. I wish I'd asked. The ER clinic did seem more concerned about the painkiller, although it might well have been one of the others / something about all three just not agreeing with him.

The sad thing is sometimes Friend seems like his old self, or there are glimmers of his old self: he greeted me when I came back from a neighbor's with many chin rubs, and right now he's lying on my desk, next to my computer, while I type this. But when I go to pet him, he cries and growls. I've tried to keep track of if it occurs when I touch specific parts of him, but it seems to be anywhere.

Just out of curiosity (I won't try it or anything)--there's a tea that can sometimes help cats? Chamomile? (I know that L-theanine is sometimes found in anti-anxiety products, although that's an amino acid and all.)

Also! Many thanks for the suggestion about calming music . . . I could probably use some now, myself. I'm in grad school and it's been a struggle to keep up with homework this past week--I've got to get back on top of that today . . . but it's so hard when I'm far more worried about Friend-o than writing about Piaget, Vygotsky, and peer social interaction.

Anyway . . . I really appreciate it. <3 Thank you, everyone. Hopefully things sort themselves out as the meds get out of his system, and / or my vet has some ideas tomorrow.

<3
Dyl.
 

Furballsmom

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Well, gosh, that you're seeing him be himself now and then is something to be joyful about!

I think let him chose to chin rub you, if that feels good to him then that's the thing and don't try to pet him.

Definitely try the music, it can really surprise you:) and yes that's chamomile tea from the little baggies ( no loose leaf) which can also be good for your nerves too.

Hang in there, you're doing great!
 
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Friend's Friend

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Yes! There were moments of it yesterday, too. <3

Normally he loves to be petted, so it's hard when he's right next to me to break that habit--at least for now. Still, it's not just when I pet him that he makes sad / grumpy vocalizations, which is particularly difficult for me to watch. :/ I always wait for him to come up to me before I pet him, which is part of why it surprised me: that he'd come press himself against me but not want to be touched. But . . . if he's feeling crummy, well, that's reason enough!

Anyway, much obliged. <3
 
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Friend's Friend

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Thanks, friend. <3 I really appreciate that.

Being a very anxious human, my brain immediately starts thinking that Something Else Is Wrong / he's in serious pain / he's dying. *sigh* So hard to shut that silly brain off sometimes.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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... She gave Friend subcutaneous fluids, a muscle relaxant, an appetite stimulant, buprenorphine (then and for at home), and sent me home with a bag bursting with dry urinary tract food (in case he refuses toe at wet) and some cans of wet urinary tract food in case I ever need it. All she charged me was $22 for the buprenorphine--basically she saw us yesterday for free. Bless her heart; she's a wonderful human.
... On the one hand, he slinks out from under the bed to eat copious amounts of food with his tail between his legs; he's peed more in the last twelve hours than the last four days; he can jump onto my desk, into his beloved bathroom sink, and even get to the top of his cat tree. But he still cries growls arbitrarily--even when I just talk to him, let alone touch him--and he oscillates between being lethargic and restless. His eyes are still dilated. ...
Depending on how many mls of subQ fluids he got at the vet, all of that peeing could be because of the fluids. (Good thing to note: the extra fluids will help his system process all the meds, too.) Take some notes today and tonight until you call the vet tomorrow, as --without buprenorphine now, and with the fluids being "used up" at this point-- you will learn a lot overnight about whether he is still in discomfort and unable to pee well.
:hugs:
 
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Friend's Friend

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Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me about that, friend. <3 They gave him a huge bag of fluids ("That whole big-ass bag," in the words of my vet to the tech). Unfortunately it seems like his pee situation is deteriorating: he's starting to lay in the litterbox again and it takes him several squats to finally go. He also seems to be adopting the same strange position to poop as he has been to pee, and he's started growling / crying once he's out of the box and lying down somewhere. (If he were crying in the box / completely able to pee, of course we'd be heading to the emergency clinic.)

Poor bud. :/ I just wish I could make it all better, instantaneously.
 

Furballsmom

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Gosh, I'm so sorry!!

Are you sure waiting is ok? I realize he's being unclear, in that he's been growling and crying this whole time, --but the way you're describing this, I'm concerned he's crying from more than a reaction to meds now.
 
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Friend's Friend

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It's strange, though--he's quiet unless I talk to him or pet him, which I guess is part of why I'm still chalking it up to meds and possibly just the crappiness of having crystals. The last time he came out of the litterbox, I started rattling off the usual "I'm sorry you're not feeling well, old man", and after a few grumpy meows, he growled. (I should add that conversations are normal for us; he's a Maine Coon and likes to talk. I guess that's part of why I keep wondering if it's just him being grumpy / not feeling well just yet.)

That and he's still rolling around on the floor and chilling on his back (like he always does) and jumping off from the top of his cat tree (like he always does) and eating his head off, never mind that the appetite stimulant has worn off . . . A friend was pointing out that his struggles in the litterbox might as much be an anticipation of pain as pain itself--that and she and I know Friend is an extremely sensitive cat. Which isn't to say he isn't in discomfort--and that's where I hope our usual vet can help tomorrow--but Friend can be extremely vocal / dramatic.

*shrugs awkwardly* Believe me, I don't know. And on top of that, I don't know if I'm just tired and stressed and projecting my own fear onto him and making things out worse than they are.
 

Kieka

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My boy gets incredibly irritable and hates the world on that pain medication. I told the vet that with his recent escapades and they tried a different one but he was so loopy it was scary. Plus he got constipated, so I am leery of any pain medications at this point even if it wasn't just that which lead to the constipation. He was on buporenorphine for nearly two weeks straight at one point; but half of that was at the vets office so I didn't deal with the grump. He seems overly sensitive to most traditional medications so we've gone more holistic with his treatment.

Anyways, point is you are not alone. I know how scary it is when he acts like he is in pain and is growling and nothing helps. I spent a good 24 hours in tears and went back to the vets office trying to find anything that could help. Hopefully your vet can help more tomorrow, hang in there.

:vibes:
 
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Friend's Friend

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Thanks, friends. <3

Kieka: I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am to hear that someone else has had almost the exact same experience (presuming Friend's reactions are due to the med--see below). That's a huge weight off my shoulders.

He's still using the litterbox, still cleaning out his food bowl (and screaming for more food if I don't crack open another can quickly enough); his growling and hissing has largely stopped--he even cuddled with me last night / let me (groggily) pet him without any ill reactions, which was not the case on Saturday (he avoided me altogether).

My vet said that since his weird behavior, including the hissing and growling, coincides with directly after she gave him the pain meds and the appetite stimulant, she's pretty sure it's related to one or both of those. She suggested that as long as he's producing waste (and not crying in the litterbox about it) and eating / drinking, we continue to forego the pain meds and see how he does for a few days.

Hopefully this week is better than last!! <3

Thank you all again for listening and your support. I really appreciate it!

<3
Dyl.
 
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