Question About Buprenorphine

kathy1

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Can it be given on empty or full stomach?
 

denice

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You know I have had cats on it a few times usually after dental surgery and I have never been told anything about empty or full stomach so I don't think it matters. The way it is given ideally it wouldn't even go into the stomach, it is absorbed through the tissues in the mouth. Of course at least a little of it will be swallowed but I don't think it matters as far as with or without food.
 
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kathy1

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Thank you
 

white shadow

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Hi kathy1.

Buprenorphine needs to be absorbed by the oral tissue, so, anything else in the mouth is likely to degrade the absorption. "Anything else" includes food and the additional saliva that's produced when food enters the mouth.

The 'dryer' the mouth, the better the bupe is absorbed.

So, keep it away from feeding times!

And, when/if it's swallowed, it has no effect on pain - that dose will have been wasted. For that reason, I never squirt the entire syringeful at one time. I put just a couple of droplets inside the lip at a time, withdraw the syringe and repeat. Squirting the whole amount at once will certainly result in some, maybe most of it leaving the mouth and being swallowed. You can practice doing droplets with water in an used empty syringe.

A dose will last only about 6 hours....for continuous pain control, you really need to pay close attention to the dosing timing.
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