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Butorphanol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of butorphanol include dependence, drug hypersensitivity, and nausea, based on 1,540 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Butorphanol side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for butorphanol.

1
Dependence14.1%217
2
Drug Hypersensitivity12.1%186
3
Drug Ineffective7.7%119
4
Nausea4.4%67
5
Headache3.6%55
6
Migraine3.4%53
7
Product Dose Omission Issue3.4%52
8
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome3.2%50
9
Pain3.1%47
10
Nausea2.9%45
11
Product Quality Issue2.6%40
12
Drug Dependence2.5%38
13
Drug Ineffective2.4%37
14
Anxiety2.0%31
15
Fatigue2.0%31

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that butorphanol caused these reactions.

Report severity

55.8%Serious860 reports
17.0%Hospitalizations262 reports
3.1%Fatal48 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Butorphanol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside butorphanol. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Acetaminophen6.0%92
2
Oxycodone5.3%82
3
Sodium-oxybate5.1%78
4
Hydrocodone4.9%76
5
Morphine-sulfate4.9%75
6
Meperidine-hydrochloride3.6%56
7
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride3.5%54
8
Fentanyl3.4%52
9
Tramadol-hydrochloride3.1%48
10
Gabapentin3.0%46
11
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate2.4%37
12
Methadone-hydrochloride2.3%35
13
Ibuprofen1.9%29
14
Propoxyphene1.9%29
15
Sumatriptan1.7%26

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen20.8%321
2
Promethazine-hydrochloride15.5%238
3
Hydrocodone11.0%169
4
Gabapentin10.1%155
5
Ondansetron8.8%135
6
Alprazolam8.4%130
7
Zolpidem-tartrate8.4%130
8
Oxycodone8.3%128
9
Topiramate8.1%124
10
Ibuprofen7.6%117
11
Albuterol7.3%113
12
Levothyroxine-sodium7.2%111
13
Diazepam6.9%106
14
Ergocalciferol6.8%105
15
Tizanidine-hydrochloride6.2%96

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports butorphanol side effects

75.0% of butorphanol adverse event reports involve female patients and 17.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 81%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female75.0%
Male17.5%
Unknown7.5%

Age group

< 21.8%
2–110.5%
12–170.9%
18–6480.6%
65+16.2%

What is butorphanol used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking butorphanol when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal PainAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnalgesiaAnalgesic EffectAnalgesic TherapyAquagenic PruritusAtrial FibrillationAbdominal PainAgitationAnalgesic TherapyArthralgiaBack DisorderBack InjuryBack Pain

Showing 15 of 107 indications

Butorphanol brand names and reporting trend

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking butorphanol with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.