Buprenorphine and Bromopride: Interaction Details
AI-assisted, pharmacist-reviewed · AI content regenerated Jul 11, 2026 · Source data updated Jul 2, 2026 · Sources: FDA labeling, DDInter 2.0, cited literature
Bromopride
No brand names on recordBuprenorphine
How we grade severity & evidence
Severity levels
- Contraindicated: These should generally not be used together.
- Major: Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
- Moderate: Can be significant — usually manageable with monitoring.
- Minor: Usually limited clinical impact.
Evidence grades
- Established: Well documented — supported by controlled studies or strong clinical data.
- Probable: Good supporting evidence, though not definitively proven.
- Suspected: Some evidence suggests this interaction, but it is not well established.
- Possible: Limited or conflicting evidence; the interaction may occur.
- Theoretical: Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
Ratings come from the documented interaction literature and are reviewed by a pharmacist. They describe the documented risk of the combination, not what will necessarily happen to you — your dose, timing, and health picture all matter.
Bromopride is a medicine for nausea and stomach problems, and it can make you feel drowsy. Buprenorphine (found in Belbuca, BuTrans, Sublocade, and others) is an opioid used for pain or for treating opioid dependence, and it can also make you sleepy. Taken together, these two can add up and make you more drowsy than either one alone. You might feel very sleepy, dizzy, or slower to react.
This warning is based on how these drugs are expected to behave rather than strong studies, but the caution is real. Please don't stop or change anything on your own. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor, who can manage this safely for you.
Effect: Additive CNS depression (potentiation of sedative effects) with concomitant bromopride and buprenorphine.
Mechanism: Pharmacodynamic. Both agents independently produce sedation (bromopride, a dopamine antagonist antiemetic; buprenorphine, a partial mu-opioid agonist). This is additive PD, not a metabolic/PK interaction. Neither is a prodrug relevant here.
Evidence: Theoretical. Onset: unspecified. Severity: major.
- Documented guidance is to avoid concomitant use.
- If co-prescribed, monitor for excess sedation, dizziness, and respiratory depression; consider dose individualization and closer observation.
What happens
Potentiation of sedative effects
Interaction Deep Dive
Using bromopride together with opioid analgesics can lead to enhanced sedative effects. Concurrent administration should be avoided1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Unknown
How to manage this interaction
The documented guidance is to avoid using bromopride and buprenorphine together because their sedative effects can add up.
- Keep taking both exactly as prescribed for now, and do not stop either on your own.
- Ask your pharmacist or prescriber whether an alternative anti-nausea medicine could be used instead.
- If they decide to continue both, doses may need to be adjusted and individualized by your care team, and they may monitor you more closely.
- Watch for strong drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, or slowed breathing, and seek help if these occur.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Common questions
Can I take Buprenorphine and Bromopride together?
Combining bromopride and buprenorphine can add up their sedating effects, so the guidance is to avoid using them together; check with your pharmacist or doctor before making any changes. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Buprenorphine and Bromopride interaction?
It is rated major. Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
How quickly could this interaction happen?
The documented onset is "unspecified". The timing of this interaction is not well characterized.
How is the Buprenorphine and Bromopride interaction managed?
The documented guidance is to avoid using bromopride and buprenorphine together because their sedative effects can add up. Keep taking both exactly as prescribed for now, and do not stop either on your own. Ask your pharmacist or prescriber whether an alternative anti-nausea medicine could be used instead. If they decide to continue both, doses may need to be adjusted and individualized by your ca… Management is individual — always follow your own care team's guidance.
How strong is the evidence for this interaction?
The evidence is graded "theoretical". Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
Questions for your pharmacist
- Does my dose of Buprenorphine or Bromopride need adjusting while I take them together?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call you or my prescriber right away?
- Does the timing of my doses matter for this combination?
- Is there a safer alternative to one of these medications for me?
References (1)
- Product Information: DIGESAN(R) oral capsules, bromopride oral capsules. Sanofi-Aventis Farmaceutica Ltda (per Anvisa), Suzano, Brazil, 2014.
Keep reading about Bromopride
Keep reading about Buprenorphine
These medications also interact with supplements
Prescription drugs aren't the whole picture — herbal and dietary supplements can interact with them too. From the evidence-graded Natural Medicines database:
major · moderate · minor — check everything you take with our drug–supplement interaction checker.
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