Buvidal Weekly and Buvidal Monthly (Buprenorphine)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Buvidal Weekly and Buvidal Monthly Used For?
Buvidal contains buprenorphine, which acts as a substitute for opioids and helps with opioid withdrawal. It’s used as part of a comprehensive treatment program that includes medical, social and psychological support.
Primary Uses
Buvidal Weekly is used for starting and maintaining treatment of opioid dependence. Buvidal Monthly is used for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence after you’ve been stabilized on weekly treatment or other buprenorphine medications.
How It Works
Buprenorphine acts as a substitute for opioids in your body, helping to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings over time while you work toward recovery.
Good to know: This medicine is only available with a doctor’s or nurse practitioner’s prescription and is given under professional supervision.
How to Take Buvidal Weekly and Buvidal Monthly
Buvidal is given as an injection under your skin by a healthcare professional at a hospital, clinic, or pharmacy. You cannot give this injection to yourself.
Dosage Instructions
Your healthcare professional will determine the correct starting dose and may adjust it based on your response. The maximum weekly dose is 32 mg plus an additional 8 mg dose if needed. The maximum monthly dose is 160 mg. You may receive an additional 8 mg dose on top of your regular weekly or monthly doses if required.
What If You Miss a Dose?
It’s very important to keep all your appointments to receive Buvidal. If you miss an appointment, contact your healthcare professional immediately to schedule your next dose.
Important: Never stop treatment suddenly – discuss stopping with your healthcare professional as this may cause withdrawal symptoms.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Flushing and tremor
- Decreased appetite
- Pain when urinating
- Swelling of legs and arms
- Difficulty sleeping and headaches
- Sleepiness and dizziness
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation
- Stomach pain and indigestion
- Dry mouth
- Redness, soreness, swelling or itching at injection site
- Hives, rash, itching
- Abnormal vision
- Flu-like symptoms
- Depression, anxiety, agitation
- Body pain including back, muscle, joint, and abdominal pain
- Shortness of breath
- Strong or irregular heartbeat
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Sudden wheezing, difficulty breathing
- Swelling of eyelids, face, tongue, lips, throat or hands
- Rash or itching covering whole body (signs of allergic reaction)
- Breathing more slowly or weakly than expected
- Severe fatigue with no appetite
- Yellow skin or eyes (signs of liver damage)
- Feeling faint (sign of low blood pressure)
Important Warnings
Buvidal carries serious risks including life-threatening breathing problems and potential for misuse. Several medical conditions and situations require special caution.
Who Should Not Take Buvidal Weekly and Buvidal Monthly
Do not receive Buvidal if you’re allergic to buprenorphine or any ingredients, under 16 years old, have serious liver problems, serious breathing problems, are intoxicated with alcohol, or have delirium tremens.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your healthcare professional if you have kidney disease, liver problems, respiratory conditions like asthma or sleep apnea, low blood pressure, recent head injury, urinary disorders, thyroid problems, adrenal disorders, gallbladder or pancreas problems, history of alcohol abuse, or seizures.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your healthcare professional if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. Tell your healthcare professional immediately if you become pregnant while receiving this medicine.
Life-Threatening Risks: Risk of serious harm or death if injected into veins. Life-threatening breathing problems can occur, especially when combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other central nervous system depressants.
Drug Interactions
Many medications can interact with Buvidal, either increasing or decreasing its effects. Always tell your healthcare professional about all medicines you’re taking.
Critical Interaction: Combining with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants can cause profound sedation, breathing problems, coma, and death.
- Benzodiazepines (anxiety and sleep medications)
- Gabapentinoids
- Alcohol and cannabis
- Strong pain killers (morphine, methadone, fentanyl)
- HIV medications (ritonavir, nelfinavir, indinavir)
- Antifungal medications (ketoconazole, itraconazole)
- Epilepsy medications (phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin)
- Tuberculosis medications (rifampicin)
- Naltrexone and nalmefene
- Certain antidepressants that increase serotonin levels
Alcohol & Driving
Buvidal can cause drowsiness and dizziness, which can be dangerous when driving or operating machinery. Alcohol increases these risks significantly.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol while receiving Buvidal increases the risk of breathing problems and can be life-threatening. Tell your healthcare professional if you drink alcohol.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Buvidal affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness and drowsiness, especially at the start of treatment or when your dose changes.
Storage
The hospital, clinic, or pharmacy where you receive your treatment will store Buvidal under the required conditions. You do not need to store this medication yourself.
Overdose Information
Since Buvidal is given under professional supervision, overdose is very unlikely. However, if you feel you’ve received too much, seek immediate medical attention. Call the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, even if you feel fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buvidal is designed to provide continuous treatment over a week or month depending on which formulation you receive. Your healthcare professional will monitor your response and adjust treatment as needed.
No, drinking alcohol while receiving Buvidal significantly increases the risk of serious breathing problems and can be life-threatening. Always tell your healthcare professional if you drink alcohol.
Never stop treatment suddenly as this may cause withdrawal symptoms. Always discuss stopping your treatment with your healthcare professional who can help you safely reduce your dose if appropriate.
It’s very important to keep all appointments. If you miss an appointment, contact your healthcare professional immediately to schedule your next dose.
Yes, this medicine can cause dependence. However, it’s used as part of opioid substitution therapy to help treat existing opioid dependence under careful medical supervision.
Be careful driving until you know how Buvidal affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness and drowsiness, especially when starting treatment or when your dose changes.
The safety and effectiveness in patients over 65 years of age has not been established. Your healthcare professional will determine if this treatment is appropriate for you.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.