Questions about Buprenorphine (Buprenex)

Geoffrey

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Hello @Charles Gropman,

I am a human doctor, not a vet, and my advice should be checked by a vet.  However I understand that it will start to have an effect at an average of 5-10 minutes, shorter if your cat is smaller. 

With all best wishes,

Geoffrey
 

brothermoon

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Rec'd this from vet along with Cerenia for possilbe UTI or urinary tract obstruction (all under FLUTD - feline lower urinary tract disease).  First dose didn't seem to have any side effects but 2nd dose of Buprenex resulted in hyperactivity after 2 hours, my cat was splashing his water bowl all over and dragging it around the bathroom.  He didn't seem to be in distress or pain but acted like he was on 'uppers'.   I'll be glad when the lab results from the culture come back and it's determined what antibiotic if any is necessary.   Strange side effect, though.
 

mrsty

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My elder cat had a disturbing reaction to Convenia, even though she had it at a previous time with none. I found out from that experience the best thing to do is report a drug reaction directly to the FDA. The vet won't do it even when you tell them about the reaction . It's really very easy to report an adverse drug reaction via the FDA website. You just fill out a form - you will have to put your vets name on the form. I told my vet that I did it after the fact and I'm sure she was questioned. The next time I saw her she discussed it more seriously with me. What also came to my attention through this experience is the same thing happens with human medicine. If you tell your doctor you feel you've had a reaction to something they don't report it either - we have to take action ourselves....so everyone should be doing this on their own. I never knew this before. I'm glad it wasn't something really bad, but you could still report it.
 

grouchyroan

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i just picked up a bottle of the buprenorphine for my cat for 52.00,  it says on the bottle .15mg    then dose at .03 and quantity 20. its a pretty good size bottle and smaller ones usually last me a long time. i don't give it to my guys that need it on a day to day basis, we have lots of rescue that end up living with us and several have stomatitis and some have teeth pulled because of other reasons, but i can tell when they are in pain, actions or problems eating, so i dose accordingly. it seems to last all day if i dose in the morning, usually into the night. at night it will last well into the next day. i use the liquid but there is a site for stomatitis that the lady has hers compounded in paste form and rubs it inside the ear. about pricing i would definitely check other vets, we shop medical attention for ourselves and it is just as important health wise and financially for our pets.
 

julesinspain

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Buprenex is extremely safe for cats. NSAIDS are really dangerous (don't ever give your cat an over the counter NSAID) and tramadol doesn't work very well as a pain medication and can also has more side effects than Buprenex. Buprenex is a god send for cats. It is well tolerated, it doesn't have many side effects, it is really hard to overdoes, and it is effective at pain management. I have had cats on it long term for Stomatitis and I have never witnessed a withdrawal problem. Cats metabolize opiates very differently than people. If your cat is in pain for any reason this is a very good choice. It is well researched and proven safe.

I have just requested that my vet give our cat Buprenex after researching and coming across so many good reviews. She has given him an initial injection but says it only lasts for about 6 hours, we have to observe his reaction & if it seems to help we have to take him back this evening for a second injection, then she'll provide us with some liquid, for his gums/mouth. He has Stomatitis and had the remainder of his teeth removed about 2 months ago. But the pain seems to be increasing even though the Stomatitis doesn't really look any worse (though, no better!) Anyway, I digress! My question is does anyone know if the liquid form is the same for injection & absorbsion into the mouth??
Thanks
 

pushylady

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I don't know about the injection, but I've used the liquid a lot. Twice a day squirts on the gums. Easy to administer and it seems to really help the elder!y cat who gets it.
 

Erinlynn

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I know this is a really old post, but I'd like to respond anyway. I'm guessing times have changed because my vet has freely given buprenorphine for my cat as he's been dealing with what was originally believed to be crystals.. but it turned out that wasn't actually the case. But that's a different story for a different day. But the mania? The getting cute and acting like a kitten? Yeah, Leo does that too. But not every single time he's on it. It was really drastic the first few times I gave it to him (and after he'd come back from both the urgent care, as well as after his surgery) he was very much like a kitten again. The vet said it's completely normal.. it's the euphoric feeling that the buprenorphine gives them.
As far as cost goes, it's crazy expensive (way more than what's was talked about here years ago) and I've learned that you really can't get it much cheaper anywhere, at least not around here.
Leo has been on 0.7 for about a month and a half now since going through trying to figure out what was wrong with him, and why he was straining in the litter box, to where we are now, after his surgery to remove the non-existent crystals, he's been on it for a long time. And I'm worried about him having withdrawals now that we're ready to stop them.
I hope Moon got through everything okay.
If anyone can answer me about withdrawals, I'd be grateful. Thanks and take care!
 

UncleChico

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I have one of my cats on Buprenorphine as needed for pain due to stomatitis. I'm planning to have all his teeth pulled as soon as I can but for now he's on pain meds.

I have two concerns about the pain meds though - side effects and cost. The drug from my vet is extremely expensive. Each dose is 0.2 ml and it costs $4.30. If I give it to him every day it's about $130 a month which is a lot when you have as many fosters as I do. I just can't afford it. I asked if I can get a prescription for it instead so that I can buy it from a regular pharmacy but they won't do that. So I'm thinking about going to another vet that is cheaper.
I'm wondering if anyone here has used this medication and if so, how much you paid for it? What is a good price for Buprenorphine?

The other concern I have is the side effects it has. My cat gets quite hyper from the meds. He'll lay on the floor, rolling around and squirming. He'll play with toys like a kitten. He also spends quite a lot of time in the bathroom, sitting there howling and waling pretty loud. I can't figure out if he's uncomfortable and unhappy or if he's just howling for no reason.
I don't want him to be in pain or be uncomfortable at all. What do you guys think? Does the drug make him uncomfortable? Are these side effects nornal? Does anyone know of a different pain medication for cats that would work on his pain but not have the problems that the Buprenorphinehas?

Thanks for your help.
 

UncleChico

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I am grateful I found this old post, but a quick look through answers and comments taught me more about this med than the University Hospital recent grad PhD did. Any wow! did they ever rip me off. I just pulled up my bill, and I was charged 146.00 for 7 ml all divided up into syringes which I am sure was an additional cost, but I would have to re-inspect the bill. It was prescribed for my poor kitty when I went in for diagnosis of a mass on her lower jaw (manibular). She was fine going in, but is totally looped right now. I know she was sedated with a higher dose of this product for the exam and aspirate which unfortunately identified the SCC. She has only a brief life left with this fast moving cancer. I think the dose must be too high and too strong, because yesterday she was fine, communicative, very agile and today she is a drooping mess. I know these drugs are sedating her and yesterday she was injected with drugs for the diagnosis but its really sad the diagnosis has to be done under heavy sedation. The vet said she was in great pain and great at hiding it, but I have my interpretation and they have a blanket interpretation for the disease. But she is now on a daily dose of this, which is probably too high. She weighs 8 pounds and last night I have her .3 ml along with Gabapentin this morning, all oral. She is a different drugged up cat today and I know it will take a few days to have the heavy sedation wear off. I will speak with another vet on a different drug perhaps and will definetely reduce the Gabapentin. Thanks for all information. This is my first post here.
 

fionasmom

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Welcome to The Cat Site! I am sorry that your cat has just been diagnosed with SCC. I lost a cat to that about 10 years ago so am familiar with the condition and prognosis. Take every day as it comes and remember that your cats wants nothing more than to be with you and to know that you are taking care of her.

The drugs you mention can take a while to clear from the system, especially if the pet is older and might have slower kidney function. The sedation/anesthesia plus the two meds are all heavy duty but I agree that you should call the vet, or another one, and voice your concern about the dosage and ask if it can be reduced.
 
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