Prescription medication · Partial Opioid Agonist

buprenorphine (pain)

Also sold as Belbuca, Butrans. Belbuca is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs an opioid medicine.

Data updated 2026-05-15

19
InteractionsSeveral interactions
$6.84
Brand price (NADAC)

buprenorphine (pain) (Belbuca) is a prescription Partial Opioid Agonist. Belbuca is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs an opioid medicine.

Belbuca is a medicine used to treat severe, long-lasting pain. It contains buprenorphine, a type of opioid pain reliever.

Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Brand Price

$6.84/unit

Generic Available

No

Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →

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What it does

Belbuca is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs an opioid medicine.

Common side effects

Nausea, Constipation, Headache

Key warnings

Belbuca can lead to addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can result in overdose and death.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from buprenorphine (pain)'s FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Belbuca contains buprenorphine, which is a partial opioid agonist. It works by attaching to certain receptors in the brain and body. This helps to decrease the feeling of pain.

Serious Warnings

Belbuca can lead to addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can result in overdose and death. It can also cause serious, life-threatening breathing problems, especially when you first start taking it or after a dose increase. Accidental exposure, especially in children, can be fatal. Taking Belbuca with benzodiazepines (like Xanax or Valium) or other depressants (including alcohol) can cause severe sleepiness, breathing problems, coma, and death. If you are pregnant and use Belbuca for a long time, your baby could have withdrawal symptoms after birth.

Known Drug Interactions

minor gabapentin

Examples: Benzodiazepines and other sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin),, other opioids, alcohol.

Mechanism: Both drugs can slow down your brain and nervous system, which can lead to extreme sleepiness or slowed breathing. This combination increases the risk of dangerous side effects or overdose.

minor trazodone

Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that affect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).

Mechanism: Both drugs increase the levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. Taking them together can lead to a dangerous buildup called serotonin syndrome.

minor tramadol

Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that affect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).

Mechanism: These medications both affect the serotonin system in your body. Combining them increases the risk of a serious reaction from having too much serotonin.

minor cyclobenzaprine

Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that affect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue). Examples: cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone Diuretics Clinical Impact: Opioids can reduce the efficacy of...

Mechanism: This muscle relaxant and the pain medication both raise serotonin levels. Using them at the same time can cause a toxic reaction in your nervous system.

minor pregabalin

Examples: Benzodiazepines and other sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin),, other opioids, alcohol.

Mechanism: Both of these drugs slow down your brain activity and breathing. Taking them together can make you very sleepy or make it hard to breathe.

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This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

Can I use Belbuca as needed for pain?
No, Belbuca is not meant to be used as an as-needed pain reliever.
What should I do if I experience side effects?
Tell your doctor about any side effects you experience while taking Belbuca.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Belbuca?
No, do not drink alcohol while taking Belbuca. It can cause dangerous side effects.
Is Belbuca safe for children?
No, accidental exposure to Belbuca can be fatal in children.
How do I apply the Belbuca film?
Place the yellow side of the film on the inside of your cheek and let it dissolve.
What if I have liver problems?
Tell your doctor if you have liver problems. Your dose of Belbuca may need to be lowered.
Can Belbuca cause constipation?
Yes, constipation is a common side effect of Belbuca.
What should I do if I think I'm addicted to Belbuca?
Talk to your doctor right away if you think you are addicted to Belbuca.
Can I take other medications with Belbuca?
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
What are the signs of an overdose?
Signs of an overdose include slow or shallow breathing, extreme sleepiness, and unresponsiveness. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect an overdose.
What are the common side effects of buprenorphine (pain)?
The registry lists Nausea, Constipation, Headache, Vomiting, Dizziness among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for buprenorphine (pain). These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does buprenorphine (pain) interact with other medications?
The registry has 19 documented interaction rows for buprenorphine (pain). Notable source-record pairings include gabapentin, trazodone, tramadol. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is buprenorphine (pain)?
buprenorphine (pain) belongs to the Partial Opioid Agonist drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). Belbuca is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs an opioid medicine.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for buprenorphine (pain)?
The FDA label for buprenorphine (pain) contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

Related Medications in Partial Opioid Agonist

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acetaminophen/hydrocodone

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acetaminophen/oxycodone

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What the FDA Data Shows for buprenorphine (pain)

The FDA label for buprenorphine (pain) (sold under brand names such as Belbuca, Butrans) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Partial Opioid Agonist class. Belbuca is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs an opioid medicine. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Constipation, Headache.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 19 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: January 2, 2026

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page