Butorphanol is a synthetic opioid with partial agonist-antagonist receptor activity in the μ and ĸ receptors.1 It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as an analgesic.
Because of the antagonist activity, the addiction potential is considered less than that of other opioids. Animal studies have found that butorphanol has rewarding properties and leads to the development of tolerance.
In addition, there have been reports on its dependence potential from Asian countries, especially among health care providers.
We present a case of butorphanol dependence in a woman, drawing attention to the need for careful opioid prescribing and monitoring in pain management contexts.