Buprenorphine Sandoz
Buprenorphine Sandoz patches are a strong pain medicine used by adults for moderate to severe long-lasting pain.
Form
depotlaastari
Strength
5 mikrog/tunti
Active Ingredient
Buprenorphine
Manufacturer
Sandoz A/S
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide the right patch strength for you and may change it if needed.
Method
Apply one patch to a clean, dry, and unbroken skin area, such as the outer upper arm, upper chest, upper back, or side. Change the patch every seven days, preferably at the same time of day.
Important
Do not use more than two patches at the same time. The total dose should not be more than 40 micrograms per hour.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Headache, dizziness, drowsiness
- •Constipation, nausea, or vomiting
- •Itching, redness of the skin; rash, itching, redness, inflammation, or swelling at the application site.
- •Loss of appetite
- •Confusion, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, nervousness, tremors
- •Shortness of breath
- •Abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, indigestion, dry mouth
- •Sweating, rash, skin changes
- •Tiredness, unusual weakness, muscle weakness, swelling (e.g., in hands, ankles, or feet)
RARE
- •Mood changes, restlessness, agitation, extreme euphoria, hallucinations, nightmares, decreased sex drive, aggression
- •Taste changes, reduced sensitivity to pain or touch, tingling or numbness
- •Memory loss, migraine, fainting, problems with concentration or coordination
- •Dry eyes, blurred vision
- •Ringing or buzzing in the ears, dizziness or vertigo
- •High or low blood pressure, chest pain, rapid heart rate, palpitations, facial flushing
- •Cough, hiccups, wheezing
- •Flatulence, weight loss, dry skin
- •Muscle spasms, aches, and pains
- •Delayed urination, difficulty urinating, inability to hold urine
- •Fever, increased accidents (e.g., falls)
- •Withdrawal symptoms, such as agitation, anxiety, sweating, or tremors when stopping Buprenorphine Sandoz treatment.
- •Chest pain (related to heart disease)
- •Mental disorders
- •Balance problems
- •Swelling of eyelids or face, narrowed pupils
- •Breathing difficulties, worsening asthma, unusually heavy breathing
- •Dizziness, especially when standing up
- •Speech difficulties
- •Difficulty swallowing, bowel obstruction
- •Local allergic reaction with clear swelling (treatment should be stopped)
- •Swelling and irritation in the nose
- •Erectile dysfunction, sexual dysfunction
- •Flu-like symptoms
- •Dehydration
- •Muscle twitching
- •Ear pain
- •Blisters
- •Drug dependence
- •Epileptic seizures or convulsions
- •Inflammation of the intestinal wall, with symptoms like fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain or discomfort.
- •Colic-like abdominal pain or discomfort
- •Feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization)
- •Withdrawal symptoms in newborns (e.g., high-pitched crying, irritability, restlessness, tremors, feeding difficulties, sweating, and failure to gain weight) if mother used during pregnancy.
- •Contact dermatitis (rash with inflammation and possible burning sensation), skin discoloration.
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to buprenorphine or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you have severe breathing problems.
- Do not use if you have a drug addiction.
- Do not use if you are taking MAO inhibitor medicines (such as tranylcypromine, phenelzine, isocarboxazid, moclobemide, or linezolid), or have taken them in the last two weeks.
- Do not use if you have myasthenia gravis (a muscle weakness condition).
Show 18 more warnings
- Talk to your doctor if you have recently consumed a lot of alcohol.
- Talk to your doctor if you have epilepsy or seizures.
- Talk to your doctor if you have a severe headache, feel sick, or have high pressure in your head due to a head injury or brain problem. The patch could make symptoms worse or hide the injury's seriousness.
- Talk to your doctor if you feel dizzy or faint.
- Talk to your doctor if you have severe liver problems.
- Talk to your doctor if you have a high body temperature, as this can cause more medicine from the patch to be absorbed into your bloodstream.
- Talk to your doctor if you have depression or other mental health conditions and take antidepressants, as combining them with Buprenorphine Sandoz can cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.
- Talk to your doctor if you have recently had surgery.
- Talk to your doctor if you have had withdrawal symptoms like agitation, anxiety, tremors, or sweating when you stopped drinking alcohol.
- Buprenorphine Sandoz patches should not be used to treat symptoms of drug withdrawal.
- This medicine contains an opioid. Repeated use can lead to tolerance, dependence, or addiction, with a risk of life-threatening overdose.
- This medicine can cause sleep-related breathing problems like sleep apnea (breathing stops during sleep) and low oxygen levels in the blood. Contact your doctor if you or others notice these symptoms.
- Do not drive or operate machinery if you feel dizzy, drowsy, or have blurred vision while using the patches or for 24 hours after removing them.
- Do not use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, think you might be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.
- Avoid exposing the patch to strong heat (e.g., heating pads, saunas, hot baths), as this can cause more medicine to be absorbed into your blood.
- Do not cut or split the patches.
- Rarely, this medicine can cause severe allergic reactions. Remove the patch and seek immediate medical help if you experience sudden wheezing, difficulty breathing, swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, rash, or itching, especially if it spreads over your body.
- Do not give this medicine to children or adolescents under 18 years old.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category C
Suitable for older adults, with specific precautions. Sedative. Low transdermal efficacy in cachectic patients. Increases the risk of confusion and falling. Need for laxative is often necessary. (updated 24.3.2025)