Butorphanol
Pronunciation:byoo-TOR-fa-nohl
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:42408-82-2. (Tartrate form 58786-
99-5)
Formal Names:Dorphanol, Stadol, Stadol NS, Torbugesic
Type:Depressant (opioid class).Seepage 24
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule IV (DEA no. 9720)
USA Availability:Prescription
Pregnancy Category:C
Uses.This pain reliever is a narcotic agonist/antagonist, meaning that it
acts like an opioid when used by itself but counteracts other opioids if given
simultaneously with them; the counteraction can be significant enough to pro-
voke a withdrawal syndrome if a person is dependent on the other opioids.
Butorphanol is used to control pain in conditions ranging from cancer and
surgery to migraine headache and dental work. Women seem to achieve better
pain control from butorphanol than men. The drug also suppresses coughs,
and researchers have found that it improves appetite. The substance has been
used illicitly by the type of bodybuilders who takenalbuphineand for the
same reasons (to reduce pain from workouts and in hopes of promoting mus-
cle mass).
Experiments show butorphanol to be about 4 to 7 times stronger thanmor-
phine, 20 to 30 times stronger thanpentazocine, and 30 to 50 times stronger
thanmeperidine. Butorphanol is powerful enough that it has been used to
help sedate rhinoceroses. The substance has other veterinary uses as well,
including illicit doping of racehorses to improve performance (at certain dos-
ages opioids can both excite the animals and mask pain).
Drawbacks.Unwanted effects include uneasy feelings, ill temper, sleepi-
ness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blood pressure changes (up or down), and
impaired breathing. Reports of hallucinations and psychoses exist. People us-
ing the drug can feel faint if they suddenly stand up. The drug can make
people woozy and cloud their thinking, impeding their ability to operate dan-
gerous machinery. Illicit users who inject butorphanol into muscles can cause
damage that is long-lasting, if not permanent.
Abuse factors.Tolerance and dependence can develop. Withdrawal symp-
toms are characterized as minor. Addiction is possible but is not commonly