Intrapartum and Postpartum Management Women receiving opioid-assisted therapy who are under going labor should receive pain relief as if they were not taking opioids because the maintenance dosage does not provide adequate analgesia for labor(29, 30). Epidural or spinal anesthesia should be offered where appropriate for management of pain in labor or for delivery. Narcotic agonist-antagonist drugs, such as butorphanol, nalbu- phine, and pentazocine, should be avooided because they may precipitate acute withdrawal. Buprenorphine should not be administered to a patient who takes methadone.