What the label lists and what reports show
Buprenorphine and naloxone side effects
Buprenorphine and naloxone's FDA label: “The most frequently reported post-marketing adverse event not observed in clinical trials was peripheral edema.” FAERS holds 26,265 reports naming it through July 30, 2026; the reaction reported most often, leaving out the conditions it is used for, product-use terms and outcomes, is drug dependence (4,470 reports).
- Generic listed
- DEA Schedule III
Check it at the source: the buprenorphine and naloxone FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 26, 2026, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.
What does the patient leaflet say about side effects?
From the patient leaflet: What are the possible side effects of Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets?Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets can cause serious side effects, including: • Trouble breathing. Taking Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets with other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin), alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause breathing problems that can lead to coma and death. • Sleepiness, dizziness, and problems with coordination. • Physical dependency or abuse. • Liver problems. […]
Source: FDA drug label, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective July 26, 2026 (SPL set 713db2c6-0544-4633-b874-cfbeaf93db89), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the label list?
From the label: adverse reactionsThe most frequently reported post-marketing adverse event not observed in clinical trials was peripheral edema.
Table 2. Adverse Events (≥ 5%) by Body System and Treatment Group in a 16-Week Study
| Reaction | Very Low (N=184) N (%) | Low (N=180) N (%) | Moderate (N=186) N (%) | High (N=181) N (%) | Total (N=731) N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abscess | 9 (5%) | 2 (1%) | 3 (2%) | 2 (1%) | 16 (2%) |
| Asthenia | 26 (14%) | 28 (16%) | 26 (14%) | 24 (13%) | 104 (14%) |
| Chills | 11 (6%) | 12 (7%) | 9 (5%) | 10 (6%) | 42 (6%) |
| Fever | 7 (4%) | 2 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 10 (6%) | 21 (3%) |
| Flu Syndrome | 4 (2%) | 13 (7%) | 19 (10%) | 8 (4%) | 44 (6%) |
| Headache | 51 (28%) | 62 (34%) | 54 (29%) | 53 (29%) | 220 (30%) |
| Infection | 32 (17%) | 39 (22%) | 38 (20%) | 40 (22%) | 149 (20%) |
| Injury Accidental | 5 (3%) | 10 (6%) | 5 (3%) | 5 (3%) | 25 (3%) |
| Pain | 47 (26%) | 37 (21%) | 49 (26%) | 44 (24%) | 177 (24%) |
| Pain Back | 18 (10%) | 29 (16%) | 28 (15%) | 27 (15%) | 102 (14%) |
| Withdrawal Syndrome | 45 (24%) | 40 (22%) | 41 (22%) | 36 (20%) | 162 (22%) |
| Constipation | 10 (5%) | 23 (13%) | 23 (12%) | 26 (14%) | 82 (11%) |
| Diarrhea | 19 (10%) | 8 (4%) | 9 (5%) | 4 (2%) | 40 (5%) |
| Dyspepsia | 6 (3%) | 10 (6%) | 4 (2%) | 4 (2%) | 24 (3%) |
| Nausea | 12 (7%) | 22 (12%) | 23 (12%) | 18 (10%) | 75 (10%) |
| Vomiting | 8 (4%) | 6 (3%) | 10 (5%) | 14 (8%) | 38 (5%) |
| Anxiety | 22 (12%) | 24 (13%) | 20 (11%) | 25 (14%) | 91 (12%) |
| Depression | 24 (13%) | 16 (9%) | 25 (13%) | 18 (10%) | 83 (11%) |
| Dizziness | 4 (2%) | 9 (5%) | 7 (4%) | 11 (6%) | 31 (4%) |
| Insomnia | 42 (23%) | 50 (28%) | 43 (23%) | 51 (28%) | 186 (25%) |
| Nervousness | 12 (7%) | 11 (6%) | 10 (5%) | 13 (7%) | 46 (6%) |
| Somnolence | 5 (3%) | 13 (7%) | 9 (5%) | 11 (6%) | 38 (5%) |
| Cough Increase | 5 (3%) | 11 (6%) | 6 (3%) | 4 (2%) | 26 (4%) |
| Pharyngitis | 6 (3%) | 7 (4%) | 6 (3%) | 9 (5%) | 28 (4%) |
| Rhinitis | 27 (15%) | 16 (9%) | 15 (8%) | 21 (12%) | 79 (11%) |
Rows and numbers as the label prints them, under its own column headings (the first rows of a longer table where it runs on). A reaction in a trial table is not necessarily caused by the medicine, and trials differ from everyday use.
From the label: adverse reactions, continuedThe following serious adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: • Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Respiratory and CNS Depression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 , 5.3 )] • Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Adrenal Insufficiency [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] • Opioid Withdrawal [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 , 5.10 )] • Hepatitis, Hepatic Events [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] • Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Orthostatic Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.16 )] • Elevation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.17 )] • Elevation of Intracholedochal Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.18 )] Adverse events commonly observed with administration of buprenorphine/naloxone are oral hypoesthesia, glossodynia, oral mucosal erythema, headache, nausea, vomiting, hyperhidrosis, constipation, signs and symptoms of withdrawal, insomnia, pain, and peripheral edema. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. at 1-800-962-8364 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. …
Source: FDA drug label, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective July 26, 2026 (SPL set 713db2c6-0544-4633-b874-cfbeaf93db89), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show?
26,265 reports list buprenorphine and naloxone among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 1,407 are coded as a death and 5,149 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Of the 17 reactions below, 6 are named by the same term (in US spelling) in the label's adverse reactions, warnings or patient leaflet; a reaction the label does not name may still be there under another word, and a report does not show that the medicine caused it.
Reports received each year
The 25 most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026; reactions as MedDRA preferred terms
What next?
- Buprenorphine and naloxone: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Report a side effect to the FDA
- MedWatch
- Side effects hub
- the most reported medicines and reactions