Buprenorphine for Pain Management
Buprenorphine is FDA approved for the treatment of acute and chronic pain as well as for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist at the mu-opioid receptor.
The mu-opioid receptor is directly involved in pain control and pain sensation.
Therefore, as an opioid, buprenorphine IS a pain medication and can be used for the treatment of pain.
Buprenorphine comes in sublingual or buccal tablets or strips, transdermal patches (Butrans), or as an injectable liquid for IV use such as in the hospital (Buprenex).
Many people do not adequately understand buprenorphine as a partial-opioid agonist and buprenorphine may require higher doses to achieve adequate pain management for some patients. But buprenorphine absolutely is an opioid and as such, is a pain management medication.
Any suggestion otherwise is either intellectually dishonest or fundamentally does not understand pharmacology or biology.
For people who enjoy learning by listening, here is a podcast episode with The Curbsiders — Addiction Medicine on the topic of buprenorphine and chronic pain management:
Here’s the show notes: https://thecurbsiders.com/addiction-medicine-podcast/15-buprenorphine-for-chronic-pain-with-dr-will-becker
Regarding Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MMEs) and methadone and buprenorphine:
More to come as I add to this list, just wanted to start compiling some resources, evidence, and ongoing research in one place.
