[Comparison between the side-effects of buprenorphine and morphine in conscious man (author's transl)].

Side-effects of increasing doses of morphine (0.100, 0.150, 0.200 mg/kg) and buprenorphine (0.0015, 0.003, 0.006 mg/kg), given intramuscularly, are clinically observed in conscient subjects suffering from intense pain in the facial or trigeminal nerves territory. Buprenorphine induces a drop in ventilation even with the lower doses, which persists for 120-180 minutes. This effect is more important after the injection of an equianalgesic dose of morphine. The same phenomenon is observed for the drop in heart rate and for the hypotension, which remained in all cases very slight. The central side-effects are of the same nature with buprenorphine and with morphine. On the whole this phenomenon appears with the same frequency with both drugs, especially for drowsiness and sleep, for nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Yet, the patient under buprenorphine becomes more frequently confused and agitated. Lastly, a state of euphoria can occur which might be feared to be related to a drug-addict activity of buprenorphine.