Morphine
About
Morphine belongs to a class of drugs called opioid analgesics (pain killers). Morphine is primarily used to prevent and treat moderate to severe pain. Pain is an unpleasant sensation caused by an injury or illness. Pain may be acute (short term) or chronic (long term). It can be general (overall body pains) or localized (pain in a specific body area).
Morphine is an opioid medication that works by preventing pain signals transmission along the nerves to the brain.
Take Morphine irrespective of food and swallow whole with a glass of water, preferably in the morning and evening. Do not crush, chew or break it. Your doctor will advise you how often you take Morphine based on your medical condition. Sometimes, you may experience tiredness, constipation, difficulty passing urine, dry mouth, hallucinations, and erection problems. Most of these side effects of Morphine do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects worsen or persist, please consult your doctor.
If you are known to be allergic to Morphine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Morphine is not recommended for children below 12 years of age. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have a history of fits, please inform your doctor before taking the Morphine. Do not consume alcohol with Morphine as it may increase the risk of side effects. Avoid frequent or high doses as it may lead to addiction. Do not take Morphine if you have an asthma attack, addiction to alcohol, convulsions, recent liver problems, or paralytic ileus (loss of intestinal movement). Also, do not take Morphine if you have already taken medication to treat depression, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in the last two weeks.
Uses of Morphine
Medicinal Benefits
Morphine is a pain killer that works by mimicking the action of endorphins (pain-reducing chemicals) in the brain, thereby inhibiting the transmission of pain signals from nerves to the brain. Thus, Morphine improves the effect of serotonin and noradrenaline (chemical messengers in the brain and spinal cord) and helps relieve pain. Morphine is used to relieve pain after surgery, pain caused by an injury or illness.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Morphine
- Erection problems
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty in passing water (urine)
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Hallucinations
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Vomiting
- Shallow breathing
- Sleepiness
- Not knowing where you are (disorientation)
- Sweating
- A perception of seeing or hearing things (hallucinations)
- Uncomfortable mood
- The feeling of very intensive happiness and wellbeing (euphoria)
- Tolerance and dependence (with long-term treatment)
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Do not stop taking Morphine suddenly, as it may cause withdrawal symptoms. Avoid frequent or high doses as it may lead to addiction. If you are known to be allergic to Morphine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Morphine is not recommended for children below 12 years of age and those suffering from breathing problems as it may worsen the symptoms of Morphine toxicity. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have a history of epilepsy (fits), please inform your doctor before taking Morphine. Do not consume alcohol with Morphine as it may increase the risk of side effects. Morphine should be taken with caution by the patients taking sleeping pills, tranquillizers, hypnotics, or other opiate-containing painkillers.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Morphine may interact with medicines used to treat medicine treat a certain sleep problem (zolpidem), anti-anxiety medications (lorazepam, alprazolam), anti-allergic medications (diphenhydramine), a medication used to treat the major depressive disorder (duloxetine), used to treat moderate to severe pain (hydromorphone), medicines used for muscle spasms (cyclobenzaprine), diuretics (furosemide), a medicine used to treat epilepsy (pregabalin).
Drug-Food Interactions: Avoiding alcohol may improve the side effects of Morphine, like drowsiness and dizziness.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Morphine may interact with disease conditions, including impaired GI motility, infectious diarrhoea, liver disease, prematurity, acute alcohol intoxication, and drug dependence.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consumption of alcohol with Morphine as it may cause drowsiness or increase the risk of side effects.
Pregnancy
unsafeMorphine is a Category C pregnancy drug and is considered unsafe for pregnant women as it may cause withdrawal symptoms in babies after birth. Consult your doctor for further advice.
Breast Feeding
unsafeAvoid breastfeeding while taking Morphine as it may be excreted in breast milk and cause adverse effects in the baby. Consult your doctor for further advice.
Driving
unsafeMorphine may cause dizziness, blurred vision, or drowsiness in some people. It is an offense to drive if Morphine affects you. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel drowsy, dizzy, or experience any vision problems after taking Morphine.
Liver
cautionTake Morphine with caution, especially if you have a history of Liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Kidney
cautionTake Morphine with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeMorphine is not recommended for children below 12 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Do regular exercises such as swimming or walking.
- Drink plenty of water while taking Morphine to avoid dry mouth.
- Maintain a fibre-rich diet and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent constipation while taking Morphine.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol and quit smoking.
Special Advise
- Patients with severe liver or kidney insufficiency should avoid taking Morphine.
- If your children have breathing problems, please inform your doctor to worsen the toxicity symptoms.
- Do not give the Morphine to others. Use Morphine only when prescribed by a doctor and avoid frequent doses as it may cause addiction.
- Morphine may impair the mental or physical abilities required to perform hazardous activities like driving a motor vehicle or operating heavy machinery.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Pain: Pain is an unpleasant sensation caused by an injury or illness. Pain may be acute (short term) or chronic (long term). It can be general (overall body pains) or localized (pain in a specific body area). Pain is highly subjective as some people have a high tolerance for pain while others have a low tolerance. Although pain is inconvenient and unpleasant, it hints about causes when something is wrong in the body. Pain may be caused due to cramps, headache, bone fractures, stomach pain, arthritis (swelling of one or more joints), muscle strain or overuse, cuts, flu, irritable bowel syndrome (an intestinal disorder causing stomach pain, diarrhoea, or constipation) and fibromyalgia (muscle pain with stiffness and tenderness).
FAQs
Yes, Morphine may cause withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, agitation, anxiety, increased blood pressure, feeling or being sick, diarrhea, shaking, shivering, or sweating when you stop taking Morphine suddenly. Therefore, if you experience any difficulty while taking Morphine, do not stop taking it suddenly and consult your doctor so that the dose may be reduced gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Yes, Morphine may cause dry mouth as a common side effect. It is not necessary for everyone taking Morphine to experience this side effect. However, drink plenty of water, suck on sugar candy or chew sugar-free gum to prevent such side effects while taking Morphine. If the condition worsens or persists, please consult a doctor.
Yes, Morphine may cause fits, especially when taken in high doses or if you have a history of fits. Therefore, it is recommended to inform your doctor if you ever had fits as it may increase the chance of getting fits and take Morphine only in doses as prescribed by a doctor.
No, you are not recommended to take Morphine with antidepressants (medicines used to treat depression), and antipsychotics (medicines used to treat bipolar disorder and psychosis) as co-administration of these medicines with Morphine may increase the risk of fits. However, please consult a doctor before taking Morphine with other medicines.
Yes, Morphine may cause addiction, especially if taken for a prolonged time. Therefore, Morphine should be given only for a short duration under strict medical supervision, particularly to patients who are susceptible to drug abuse. Take Morphine only as a doctor advised, as overuse or misuse of Morphine can lead to overdose or death.
Morphine is an opioid medication that works by preventing pain signals transmission along the nerves to the brain.
