Effect of butorphanol tartrate on food and water consumption in humans.

There is much evidence that endogenous opioid peptides are involved in the regulation of food and water intake in a variety of species. We report here that the exogenous opiate agonist, butorphanol tartrate (1 microgram/kg), significantly increases food, but not water, intake in normal humans. The major effect on food intake was seen within the first 2 h after the administration of drug. These findings suggest that this drug may be therapeutically useful in patients with cancer anorexia.