Buprenorphine and Eribulin: 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
Buprenorphine
Eribulin
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.
Both buprenorphine (a pain and opioid-dependence medicine) and eribulin (a chemotherapy drug) can each affect your heart's electrical timing, something doctors call the QT interval. When two medicines that do this are taken together, the effect can add up and, in rare cases, lead to an irregular heartbeat.
Right now this concern is mostly theoretical, so please don't panic. It matters more if you have things like low potassium or magnesium, a slow heartbeat, or heart problems. The good news is your care team can watch for this. Keep taking both exactly as prescribed and let your doctor or pharmacist know your full medication list.
Effect: Additive QT interval prolongation with concurrent buprenorphine and eribulin. Both agents carry independent QT-prolonging potential; the combined risk is pharmacodynamic (additive), not a metabolic (PK) interaction. Neither is a prodrug here.
- Direction: Increased risk of QTc prolongation and, rarely, torsades de pointes.
- Evidence: Theoretical; combined magnitude not quantified.
- Onset: Unspecified.
- Management: Avoid concomitant use where feasible. If co-administered, correct electrolytes (K+, Mg2+), obtain baseline and follow-up ECGs, and heighten caution with additional risk factors (bradycardia, CHF, baseline/congenital long-QT, digitalis therapy, recent AF conversion).
What happens
An increased risk of QT interval prolongation
Interaction Deep Dive
Buprenorphine should not be taken together with medications capable of prolonging the QT interval 342. It remains unknown what risk arises from pairing buprenorphine with additional agents that prolong the QT interval. When prescribing buprenorphine to patients who have risk factors including hypokalemia, bradycardia, recent conversion from atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, digitalis therapy, baseline QT prolongation, subclinical long-QT syndrome, or severe hypomagnesemia, these considerations should be factored into clinical decisions 1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Additive QT interval prolongation
How to manage this interaction
Your care team may take a few sensible steps if you need both drugs:
- They may monitor you more closely, including checking your heart rhythm with an ECG and reviewing your electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium.
- They may weigh whether an alternative is possible, since guidance is to avoid combining QT-prolonging drugs when it can be avoided.
- They will pay extra attention if you have risk factors like a slow heart rate, heart failure, or a known long-QT history.
What you should do: keep taking both as prescribed, share your complete medication list, and tell your pharmacist or doctor right away if you feel fainting, dizziness, or a pounding or irregular heartbeat.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Common questions
Can I take Buprenorphine and Eribulin together?
Buprenorphine and eribulin can each stretch your heart's QT interval, so together the risk may add up; keep taking both as prescribed and let your care team monitor your heart rhythm and electrolytes, especially if you have other heart risk factors. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Buprenorphine and Eribulin 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 Eribulin interaction managed?
Your care team may take a few sensible steps if you need both drugs: They may monitor you more closely, including checking your heart rhythm with an ECG and reviewing your electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium. They may weigh whether an alternative is possible, since guidance is to avoid combining QT-prolonging drugs when it can be avoided. They will pay extra attention if you have risk fac… 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 Eribulin 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 (4)
- Product Information: BRIXADI(TM) subcutaneous extended-release injection, buprenorphine subcutaneous extended-release injection. Braeburn Inc (per FDA), Plymouth Meeting, PA, 2023. DailyMed
- Product Information: BUTRANS(R) transdermal system patch, buprenorphine transdermal system patch. Purdue Pharma L.P. (per FDA), Stamford, CT, 2016. DailyMed
- Product Information: BELBUCA(TM) buccal film, buprenorphine buccal film. Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (per FDA), Malvern, PA, 2016.
- Product Information: BUPRENEX(R) intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, buprenorphine HCl intravenous injection, intramuscular injection. Indivior Inc. (per DailyMed), Richmond, VA, 2016. DailyMed
Keep reading about Buprenorphine
Keep reading about Eribulin
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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