Butorphanol and Hydromorphone Interaction

Drug interaction information between Butorphanol and Hydromorphone.

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

FDA drug labeling documents a minor-severity interaction between Butorphanol and Hydromorphone. 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

Hydromorphone

Opioid Analgesic

How They Interact

Butorphanol can interfere with hydromorphone by blocking the same receptors that help relieve pain. This can make your pain medicine work less effectively or cause withdrawal symptoms.

FDA Label Information

Examples: Butorphanol, nalbuphine, pentazocine, and buprenorphine.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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?

Hydromorphone has 13 labeled pairs on file vs Butorphanol's 11. In the minor band specifically: Butorphanol has 10 (also Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Buprenorphine, Codeine, Fentanyl); Hydromorphone has 13 (also Trazodone, Tramadol, Cyclobenzaprine, Mirtazapine).

What mechanism field is on file for Butorphanol and Hydromorphone?

Butorphanol can interfere with hydromorphone by blocking the same receptors that help relieve pain. This can make your pain medicine work less effectively or cause withdrawal symptoms.

Hydromorphone's labeled portfolio outnumbers Butorphanol

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

Butorphanol

0 major · 1 moderate · 10 minor · 11 total

Hydromorphone

0 major · 0 moderate · 13 minor · 13 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.