Skip to main content

Using buprenorphine with other medicines and herbal supplements - Brand names: Butec, Buvidal, Espranor, Suboxone, Subutex

Cautions with other medicines

There are some medicines that may affect how buprenorphine works.

Tell your doctor if you're taking any medicines:

  • to help you sleep
  • for mental health problems including depression, or to reduce stress or anxiety
  • for high blood pressure
  • to help stop you feeling or being sick
  • to treat symptoms of an allergy
  • for any infection (including HIV)
  • to control fits or seizures

Taking buprenorphine with other painkillers

It's safe to use buprenorphine with paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin.

Do not take any painkillers containing codeine, such as co-codamol or combined ibuprofen and codeine (brand names Nurofen Plus or Solpadeine) when you're using buprenorphine. You'll be more likely to get side effects if you take any of these while using buprenorphine.

Mixing buprenorphine with herbal remedies and supplements

There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with buprenorphine.

They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Important: Medicine safety

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

Page last reviewed: 23 May 2023
Next review due: 23 May 2026