Morphine is a highly addictive narcotic derived from the opium poppy, which is also the source of heroin. This opiate is a strong pain reliever that works on your central nervous system, which changes the way your body senses pain. And morphine inhibits the cough reflex, so it’s sometimes used for cough suppression as well.
Because morphine causes a sense of euphoria by relieving fear and anxiety, there’s a potential for illicit use. Although access to this drug is very limited, so it’s abuse is not widespread.
The modes of delivery for morphine is by injection, oral pill, inhaled or rectal suppository. Morphine side effects can be physically and mentally difficult to tolerate. This drug’s side effects may involve:
- diarrhea
- insomnia
- headache
- dry mouth
- weight loss
- drowsiness
- constipation
- appetite loss
- stomach pain
- taste changes
- sweating, chills
- flushing, pruritus
- thrombocytopenia
- nausea & vomiting
- decreased sex drive
- uncontrollable shaking
- agitation, nervousness
- urinary retention, dysuria
- anxiety, memory problems
- uncontrolled eye movement
- dizziness, lightheadedness
- muscle stiffness, weakness
- red eyes, double vision, miosis
- menstrual irregularity, amenorrhea
Morphine can cause far more serious side effects or drug allergy symptoms that require immediate health care attention, such as:
- rash
- hives
- seizures
- cyanosis
- confusion
- skin itching
- blurred vision
- hallucinations
- throat tightness
- severe weakness
- cold, clammy skin
- swallowing difficulty
- severe dizziness, syncope
- tachycardia or bradycardia
- breathing ~ slow, shallow, irregular
- face, lips, tongue, throat, extremity swelling
Again, get emergency help if you have any of these serious side effects or allergic reaction symptoms to morphine.
Morphine is a highly addictive drug and tolerance builds quickly, which means you’ll need increased amounts to get the same effects. Once your body develops a tolerance, morphine withdrawal will likely cause symptoms because of your body’s physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Methadone is a drug that’s sometimes useful for treating a morphine addiction.
The severity of morphine withdrawal varies, largely depending how long you’ve been on the drug and dosage. Withdrawal from morphine can cause:
- tearing
- rhinitis
- diarrhea
- insomnia
- mydriasis
- uneasiness
- nausea, vomiting
- back & leg aches
- bouts of sneezing
- cold & hot flashes
- abdominal cramps
- excessive sweating
- chills, goose bumps
- muscle spasms, twitching
- increased blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature
Even though your morphine withdrawal symptoms eventually subside inside of a week, physical cravings often persist. And if you use this drug while pregnant, your baby may be subjected to the discomfort of morphine withdrawal.
Morphine overdose occurs when you take too much of this drug, causing symptoms of:
- fainting
- weak pulse
- hypotension
- blurred vision
- limp muscles
- pinpoint pupils
- slow heartbeat
- nausea, vomiting
- difficulty breathing
- cold, clammy skin
- blue fingernails & lips
- excessive drowsiness
- digestive tract spasms
- unconsciousness, coma
- slow, shallow, irregular, labored breathing
Breathing can stop all together due to an overdose of morphine. Because a morphine overdose can be fatal, always seek immediate health care attention anytime you even “think” you took too much.
And finally, you should never consume alcohol while on morphine because this combination can cause very dangerous side effects, or possibly death.