Sultopride and Buprenorphine: 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
Sultopride
No brand names on record
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 of your medicines, buprenorphine (a pain or addiction treatment medicine) and sultopride (an antipsychotic), can each gently affect your heart's electrical rhythm. Doctors call this QT prolongation. When two medicines that do this are taken together, the small effects can add up and, in rare cases, cause an irregular heartbeat.
The good news is this concern is mostly theoretical, meaning it is based on how the drugs work rather than lots of reported problems. Your care team can manage it by choosing the safest option for you and keeping an eye on your heart. Please don't stop either one on your own. Just talk with your pharmacist or doctor so they can guide you.
Effect: Additive risk of QT interval prolongation when buprenorphine is combined with sultopride, a benzamide antipsychotic with known dose-dependent QT effects.
- Mechanism: Additive delay in cardiac repolarization; neither agent is a prodrug, so this is a pharmacodynamic (not PK) interaction.
- Direction/magnitude: Increased QTc; magnitude of combined effect not quantified.
- Onset: Unspecified.
- Evidence: Theoretical.
- Management: Manufacturer advises avoiding concomitant use. If co-prescribed, correct electrolytes (K+, Mg2+), obtain baseline and follow-up ECG, and assess for bradycardia, CHF, digitalis therapy, or congenital long-QT.
What happens
An increased risk of QT interval prolongation
Interaction Deep Dive
The simultaneous administration of buprenorphine alongside medications capable of extending the QT interval should be avoided 342. It remains unknown what risk arises from pairing buprenorphine with additional QT prolongation agents. When prescribing buprenorphine to patients presenting with risk factors, these observations warrant consideration in clinical decision making; such risk factors include hypokalemia, bradycardia, a recent conversion from atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, digitalis therapy, baseline QT prolongation, subclinical long-QT syndrome, or severe hypomagnesemia 1.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Additive QT interval prolongation
How to manage this interaction
Here is how a care team typically handles this combination:
- Reviewing whether both are needed: Guidance suggests avoiding this pairing when possible, so your prescriber may consider an alternative.
- Checking risk factors: They may look at low potassium or magnesium, slow heart rate, heart failure, or any history of a long QT, and correct what they can.
- Monitoring: Your team may order an ECG and blood tests to watch your heart rhythm more closely.
What you should do: Keep taking both exactly as prescribed unless told otherwise, and ask your pharmacist or doctor whether this combination is right for you. Report fainting, dizziness, or a fluttering heartbeat promptly.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Common questions
Can I take Sultopride and Buprenorphine together?
Buprenorphine and sultopride can each prolong the QT interval, so combining them may add up and raise the risk of an irregular heartbeat; guidance is to avoid the pairing when possible and let your care team monitor you. This concern is theoretical, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before changing anything. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Sultopride and Buprenorphine 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 Sultopride and Buprenorphine interaction managed?
Here is how a care team typically handles this combination: Reviewing whether both are needed: Guidance suggests avoiding this pairing when possible, so your prescriber may consider an alternative. Checking risk factors: They may look at low potassium or magnesium, slow heart rate, heart failure, or any history of a long QT, and correct what they can. Monitoring: Your team may order an ECG and blo… 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 Sultopride or Buprenorphine 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 Sultopride
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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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