B&O Supprettes
B&O Supprettes is the brand name for a prescription medication containing powdered opium and belladonna alkaloids in a suppository form. B&O Supprettes are indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe pain from bladder or rectal spasms. The drug may also be prescribed to treat intestinal cramps, tenesmus and diarrhea. They are also prescribed after bladder surgery. B&O Supprettes are unique in the United States Pharmacopeia because it is the only drug containing opium that is for suppository use, and is one of the very few medications that contains opium in any form, along with paregoric and opium tincture (laudanum).
B&O Supprettes are an "unapproved" drug according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- that is, the drug existed before the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. Accordingly, the compound has never undergone specific medical trials, and its efficacy has never been required to be demonstrated. The FDA has put pressure on the manufacturers of this drug for this reason. The original manufacturer of the Supprettes, Eli Lilly, has long since lost any patent to the drug. Amerifit, which manufactured generic Supprettes prior to 2008, was cautioned by the FDA due to the unapproved nature of the drug combination. Since 2008, Paddock has manufactured a generic version of the Supprettes after working with the FDA on marketing issues related to the unapproved nature of the drug. (Discussion of the unapproved status of this medication)
The drug and its generic counterparts are available in two strengths:
Each B&O Supprette #15 A contains 16.2 mg (1/4 grain) of belladonna and 30 mg (1/2 grain) of opium.
Each B&O Supprette #16 A contains 16.2 mg of belladonna and 60 mg (1 grain) of opium. (Current press release regarding availability of the generic form of Supprettes)
The usual dose is one suppository per rectum twice a day, not to exceed four Supprettes in a 24-hour period.
B&O Supprettes are a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970; a written prescription is required, and no refills are permitted.
