Simbadol reaction

[ColleenMV]

My 3 year old cat hadn't really eaten in a day and a half. She was acting lethargic on Sunday as well so we took her to the vet this morning when we had to drop one of our dogs off for surgery. They ran labs and everything came back normal. They sent her home with a appetite stimulant and told us to bring her back in if she doesn't improve or it gets worse. By lunch time, she started to meow in a way I have never heard before. She was clearly in discomfort and seemed to be in pain. I had managed to feed her some tuna fish when we got back from the vet.prior to that. I called the vet again and they told me to bring her back in. By that point, she hadn't gone to the bathroom in at least 20 hours that I knew of. They did x-rays and it seemed normal. Therr was something in her stomach but the vet thought that was the tuna she ate. She wasn't blocked up or anything but they relieved her bladder. They gave her simbadol for the pain and discomfort. Ever since we have gotten home, she has been super hyperactive, won't sit still, meows, has saucers for eyes, and is acting over all weird. I called the vet again and they said they can sometimes get a little loopy. It seems more than that. I was reading on here in old posts from a couple of years ago that this has happened to other people's cats and it lasts for about 60 hours! I am already exhausted as it is. Our dog had a mass removed today from her leg and is in a cone for 3 weeks and is also uncomfortable right now. It's been a very long day and I guess I wanted reassurance that this reaction in my cat to simbidol will pass. I will definitely tell the vet that she can't have meds like that again.

It's so hard watching 2 of your animals struggling.

 

[di and bob]

Since tests were run, and an x-ray performed, it's a little hard to pinpoint what is wrong. The not eating could mean why she is not going to the bathroom, but water should be encouraged to make sure she is urinating. One of the side effects is increased heart rate, so that may have something to do with her hyperactivity. I wouldn't give that drug again either, I don't like the dilated pupils and meowing, that is not right. since you know she was administered with this, it takes AT LEAST 24 hours for it to get through her system. since she got it later Sunday, it should start wearing off later Monday night, and I hope it did. please update us on her condition, I pray she will come through this fine. It is concerning though you don't know what caused it.

 

[ColleenMV]

Since tests were run, and an x-ray performed, it's a little hard to pinpoint what is wrong. The not eating could mean why she is not going to the bathroom, but water should be encouraged to make sure she is urinating. One of the side effects is increased heart rate, so that may have something to do with her hyperactivity. I wouldn't give that drug again either, I don't like the dilated pupils and meowing, that is not right. since you know she was administered with this, it takes AT LEAST 24 hours for it to get through her system. since she got it later Sunday, it should start wearing off later Monday night, and I hope it did. please update us on her condition, I pray she will come through this fine. It is concerning though you don't know what caused it.

She actually received the shot on Monday at about 3:30 so maybe by that time today she will be better? I have tried to keep her still to see what her heart rate is but it is very hard to keep her still right now. My vet said once the pain meds wear off, if she doesn't get better then we need to take her to an emergency vet and get an ultrasound because they don't have one. She's been eating very well since she was given the pain meds which is good but is still acting crazy. I don't think she has slept since we got home. I will keep everyone updated on how she's doing. Thank you.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Weirdly enough some cats can have hyperactivity and agitation as a side effect of buprenorphine. It’s not common, but it is fairly well documented. It’s definitely stressful to watch your cat be so agitated but luckily the hyperactivity isn’t dangerous as long as she’s eating (which it sounds like she is), and most likely she’ll start to calm down after 24-36 hours. Like humans, cats can have individual differences in how they metabolize opiates so for some cats it may take longer for them to return to normal but I wouldn’t necessarily assume it will be a full 60 hours. If you can keep her in a room that’s quiet and doesn’t have a lot going on that may help while she’s calming down.
And follow up with your vet to ask that they put no buprenorphine in her chart! The transbuccal version of bupe that’s shorter acting is a popular pain control med for cats too, so you don’t want her getting that in the future either.

 

[ColleenMV]

Update:

My cat Winky, that's her name, has finally slept for a little bit. She woke up very hyperactive again but she has at least slept a little. She is still eating and I have been adding water to her wet food to make sure she stays hydrated. She urinated this morning which was good but hasn't pooped yet. I think her last bowel movement was Sunday. In the x-rays taken yesterday, there was nothing in her colon but that's not surprising given she wasn't eating. She has eaten a good amount in the past 24 hours so I would expect her to poop here soon right? It will put my mind at ease if I see her functions working properly. The pain meds should have worn off by now, it was only 24 hours, and I am not noticing her in pain so far. She is still having a reaction to the pain meds but she's not as bad. I will post an update tomorrow. Hopefully, she continues to improve and hope for her to poop!

 

[ColleenMV]

Weirdly enough some cats can have hyperactivity and agitation as a side effect of buprenorphine. It’s not common, but it is fairly well documented. It’s definitely stressful to watch your cat be so agitated but luckily the hyperactivity isn’t dangerous as long as she’s eating (which it sounds like she is), and most likely she’ll start to calm down after 24-36 hours. Like humans, cats can have individual differences in how they metabolize opiates so for some cats it may take longer for them to return to normal but I wouldn’t necessarily assume it will be a full 60 hours. If you can keep her in a room that’s quiet and doesn’t have a lot going on that may help while she’s calming down.
And follow up with your vet to ask that they put no buprenorphine in her chart! The transbuccal version of bupe that’s shorter acting is a popular pain control med for cats too, so you don’t want her getting that in the future either.

I will definitely follow up with her vet and it's good to know her reaction, while not normal, has been documented in other cats. It's nice knowing I am not alone!