Butorphanol and Fentanyl Interaction

Drug interaction information between Butorphanol and Fentanyl.

Butorphanol and Fentanyl have a documented minor interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a minor-severity interaction between Butorphanol and Fentanyl. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.

Drug A

Butorphanol

Opioid Agonist-Antagonist

Drug B

Fentanyl

Opioid Analgesic

How They Interact

Butorphanol can block the pain-relieving effects of fentanyl or cause sudden withdrawal symptoms because it works differently on the same brain receptors.

FDA Label Information

Examples: Butorphanol, nalbuphine, pentazocine, buprenorphine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Butorphanol + Fentanyl?

Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair minor. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.

Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?

Fentanyl has 28 labeled pairs on file vs Butorphanol's 11. In the minor band specifically: Butorphanol has 10 (also Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Buprenorphine, Codeine, Hydromorphone); Fentanyl has 26 (also Tramadol, Cyclobenzaprine, Ketoconazole, Diazepam).

What mechanism field is on file for Butorphanol and Fentanyl?

Butorphanol can block the pain-relieving effects of fentanyl or cause sudden withdrawal symptoms because it works differently on the same brain receptors.

Fentanyl's labeled portfolio outnumbers Butorphanol

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is minor · classes on file: Butorphanol (Opioid Agonist-Antagonist); Fentanyl (Opioid Analgesic).

Butorphanol

0 major · 1 moderate · 10 minor · 11 total

Fentanyl

0 major · 2 moderate · 26 minor · 28 total

Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.