BUTORPHANOL

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Butorphanol Tartrate Injection is indicated - as a preoperative or pre-anesthetic medication - as a supplement to balanced anesthesia - for the relief of pain during labor, and - for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. Limitations of Use: Because of the risks of addiction, abuse, misuse, overdose, and death, which can occur at any dosage or duration and persist over the course of therapy [see WARNINGS ], reserve opioid analgesics, including butorphanol tartrate, for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are ineffective, not tolerated, or would be otherwise inadequate to provide sufficient management of pain.

WARNINGS Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Butorphanol Tartrate Injection is a Schedule IV controlled substance. As an opioid, butorphanol tartrate exposes users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse [see DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE ]. Although the risk of addiction in any individual is unknown, it can occur in patients appropriately prescribed butorphanol tartrate. Addiction can occur at recommended dosages and if the drug is misused or abused. The risk of opioid-related overdose or overdose-related death is increased with higher opioid doses, and this risk persists over the course of therapy. In postmarketing studies, addiction, abuse, misuse, and fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose were observed in patients with long-term opioid use [see ADVERSE REACTIONS ]. Assess each patient's risk for opioid addiction, abuse, or misuse prior to prescribing Butorphanol Tartrate Injection, and monitor all patients receiving butorphanol tartrate for the development of these behaviors or conditions. Risks are increased in patients with a personal or family history of substance abuse (including drug or alcohol abuse or addiction) or mental illness (e.g., major depression). The potential for these risks should not, however, prevent the proper management of pain in any given patient. Patients at increased risk may be prescribed opioids such as Butorphanol Tartrate Injection, but use in such patients necessitates intensive counseling about the risks and proper use of Butorphanol Tartrate Injection along with frequent monitoring for signs of addiction, abuse, and misuse. Opioids are sought for nonmedical use and are subject to diversion from ‎legitimate prescribed use. ‎Consider these risks when prescribing or dispensing Butorphanol Tartrate Injection. Strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing the drug in the smallest appropriate quantity. Contact local state professional licensing board or state-controlled substances authority for information on how to prevent and detect abuse or diversion of this product. Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression has been reported with the use of opioids, even when used as recommended. Respiratory depression, if not immediately recognized and treated, may lead to respiratory arrest and death. Management of respiratory depression may include close observation, supportive measures, and use of opioid overdose reversal agents (e.g., naloxone, nalmefene), depending on the patient's clinical status [see OVERDOSAGE ]. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) retention from opioid-induced respiratory depression can exacerbate the sedating effects of opioids. While serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression can occur at any time during the use of butorphanol tartrate, the risk is greatest during the initiation of therapy or following a dosage increase. To reduce the risk of respiratory depression, proper dosing and titration of butorphanol tartrate are essential [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ]. Overestimating the butorphanol tartrate dosage when converting patients from another opioid product can result in a fatal overdose with the first dose. Opioids can cause sleep-related breathing disorders including central sleep apnea (CSA) and sleep-related hypoxemia. Opioid use increases the risk of CSA in a dose-dependent fashion. In patients who present with CSA, consider decreasing the opioid dosage using best practices for opioid taper [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ]. Risks from Concomitant Use with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death may result from the concomitant use of butorphanol tartrate with benzodiazepines and/or other CNS depressants, including alcohol (e.g., non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids [gabapentin or pregabalin], and other opioids). Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate. Observational studies have demonstrated that concomitant use of opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increases the risk of drug-related mortality compared to use of opioid analgesics alone. Because of similar pharmacological properties, it is reasonable to expect similar risk with the concomitant use of other CNS depressant drugs with opioid analgesics [see PRECAUTIONS; Drug Interactions ]. If the decision is made to prescribe a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant concomitantly with an opioid analgesic, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use. In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant than indicated in the absence of an opioid, and titrate based on clinical response. If an opioid analgesic is initiated in a patient already taking a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid analgesic, and titrate based on clinical response. Monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when butorphanol tartrate is used with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (including alcohol and illicit drugs). Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant have been determined. Screen patients for risk of substance use disorders, including opioid abuse and misuse, and warn them of the risk for overdose and death associated with the use of additional CNS depressants including alcohol and illicit drugs [see PRECAUTIONS; Information for Patients , Drug Interactions ] . Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome Use of Butorphanol Tartrate Injection for an extended period of time during pregnancy can result in withdrawal in the neonate. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. Advise pregnant women using opioids for an extended period of time of ‎the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that ‎ ‎appropriate treatment will be available [see PRECAUTIONS; Information for Patients, Pregnancy ]. Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia and Allodynia Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia (OIH) occurs when an opioid analgesic ‎paradoxically causes an increase in pain, or an increase in sensitivity to ‎pain. This condition differs from tolerance, which is the need for ‎increasing doses of opioids to maintain a defined effect [see Dependence ]. ‎Symptoms of OIH include (but may not be limited to) increased levels of ‎pain upon opioid dosage increase, decreased levels of pain upon opioid ‎dosage decrease, or pain from ordinarily non-painful stimuli (allodynia). ‎These symptoms may suggest OIH only if there is no evidence of ‎underlying disease progression, opioid tolerance, opioid withdrawal, or addictive ‎behavior.‎ Cases of OIH have been reported, both with short-term and longer-term ‎use of opioid analgesics. Though the mechanism of OIH is not fully ‎understood, multiple biochemical pathways have been implicated. Medical ‎literature suggests a strong biologic plausibility between opioid ‎analgesics and OIH and allodynia. If a patient is suspected to be ‎experiencing OIH, carefully consider appropriately decreasing the dose of ‎the current opioid analgesic or opioid rotation (safely switching the ‎patient to a different opioid moiety) [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ; ‎ WARNINGS ].‎ Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression in Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease or in Elderly, Cachectic, or Debilitated Patients The use of butorphanol tartrate in patients with acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment is contraindicated. Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease Butorphanol tartrate-treated patients with significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cor pulmonale, and those with a substantially decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or pre-existing respiratory depression are at increased risk of decreased respiratory drive including apnea, even at recommended dosages of butorphanol tartrate [see WARNINGS ] . Elderly, Cachectic, or Debilitated Patients Life-threatening respiratory depression is more likely to occur in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients because they may have altered pharmacokinetics or altered clearance compared to younger, healthier patients [see WARNINGS ] . Monitor such patients closely, particularly when initiating and titrating Butorphanol Tartrate Injection and when Butorphanol Tartrate Injection is given concomitantly with other drugs that depress respiration [see WARNINGS ] . Alternatively, consider the use of non-opioid analgesics in these patients. Adrenal Insufficiency Cases of adrenal insufficiency have been reported with opioid use, more often following greater than 1 month of use. Presentation of adrenal insufficiency may include non-specific symptoms and signs including nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low blood pressure. If adrenal insufficiency is suspected, confirm the diagnosis with diagnostic testing as soon as possible. If adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed, treat with physiologic replacement doses of corticosteroids. Wean the patient off of the opioid to allow adrenal function to recover and continue corticosteroid treatment until adrenal function recovers. Other opioids may be tried as some cases reported use of a different opioid without recurrence of adrenal insufficiency. The information available does not identify any particular opioids as being more likely to be associated with adrenal insufficiency. Risks of Use in Patients with Increased Intracranial Pressure, Brain Tumors, Head Injury, or Impaired Consciousness In patients who may be susceptible to the intracranial effects of CO 2 retention (e.g., those with evidence of increased intracranial pressure or brain tumors), Butorphanol Tartrate Injection may reduce respiratory drive, and the resultant CO 2 retention can further increase intracranial pressure. Monitor such patients for signs of sedation and respiratory depression, particularly when initiating therapy with Butorphanol Tartrate Injection. Opioids may also obscure the clinical course in a patient with a head injury. Avoid the use of Butorphanol Tartrate Injection in patients with impaired consciousness or coma. Risk of Gastrointestinal Complications Butorphanol Tartrate Injection is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus. The butorphanol in Butorphanol Tartrate Injection may cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. Opioids may cause increases in serum amylase. Monitor patients with biliary tract disease, including acute pancreatitis, for worsening symptoms. Cases of opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction (OIED) have been reported in patients taking opioids. The risk of OIED may increase as the dose and/or duration of opioids increases. Regularly evaluate patients for signs and symptoms of OIED (e.g., dysphagia, regurgitation, non-cardiac chest pain) and, if necessary, adjust opioid therapy as clinically appropriate [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ]. Increased Risk of Seizures in Patients with Seizure Disorders The butorphanol in Butorphanol Tartrate Injection may increase the frequency of seizures in patients with seizure disorders, and may increase the risk of seizures occurring in other clinical settings associated with seizures. Monitor patients with a history of seizure disorders for worsened seizure control during Butorphanol Tartrate Injection therapy. Withdrawal The use of Butorphanol Tartrate Injection, a mixed agonist/antagonist opioid analgesic, in patients who are receiving a full opioid agonist analgesic may reduce the analgesic effect and/or precipitate withdrawal symptoms. Avoid concomitant use of Butorphanol Tartrate Injection with a full opioid agonist analgesic. When discontinuing Butorphanol Tartrate Injection, gradually taper the dosage [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ]. Do not rapidly reduce or abruptly discontinue Butorphanol Tartrate Injection [see DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE ]. Cardiovascular Effects Because butorphanol may increase the work of the heart, especially the pulmonary circuit, the use of butorphanol in patients with acute myocardial infarction, ventricular dysfunction, or coronary insufficiency should be limited to those situations where the benefits clearly outweigh the risk [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ]. Severe hypertension has been reported rarely during butorphanol therapy. In such cases, butorphanol should be discontinued and the hypertension treated with antihypertensive drugs. In patients who are not opioid dependent, naloxone has also been reported to be effective.