Oral Morphine: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions

Morphine belongs to the group of pain relievers. It is used as an injection or as an oral tablet. This article will introduce the uses, side effects, and interactions of oral morphine.

Morphine is used to help relieve moderate to severe pain. It belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid (narcotic) pain relievers. It works in the brain to change the way your body feels and responds to pain.

You can take morphine before or after eating. If you have nausea, you may consider taking medication with food or asking your doctor about ways to reduce nausea. If using liquid medicine, carefully measure the dose with special measuring equipment to avoid taking the wrong dose.
Dosage is based on the patient's medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase the dose, do not increase the time you take the medicine, or do not take it longer than prescribed. The maximum dose of this medication is 1600 milligrams per hour for 24 hours. Taking more than the maximum dose can increase your risk of kidney damage from an ingredient in this medicine (fumaric acid). If people do not regularly use opiates, an overdose can cause death.
Take the medicine correctly according to the instructions. Pain relievers work best if they are taken at the first sign of pain. If you wait until the pain gets worse to take it, the medicine may not work as well. If you have ongoing pain (such as from cancer), your doctor may direct you to take a long-acting opioid medication. In that case, this medicine may be used for sudden pain as needed.
Adults, if having difficulty swallowing capsules can open the capsule and carefully sprinkle its contents onto a spoon. Swallow all of the drug mixture immediately without chewing. Then rinse your mouth and swallow to make sure you have swallowed the entire dose. For children who have trouble swallowing capsules, ask your doctor about using another form of morphine.
Suddenly stopping the drug can cause withdrawal symptoms, especially if you have been using it for a long time or have used it in high doses. To prevent this withdrawal, your doctor may reduce your dose slowly.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, mood changes (including anxiety, trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide), watery eyes, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, muscle pain, or sudden changes in behavior. When this medicine is used for a long time, it may not work as well. Tell your doctor if the medicine does not work.
Although it has a pain-relieving effect, this medicine can sometimes be addictive. This risk may be higher if you have a substance use disorder (such as drug/alcohol abuse or addiction). So take your medication exactly as prescribed to reduce the risk of addiction.

Nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, or drowsiness may occur with the use of oral morphine. Some side effects may decrease after you use this medicine for a while. If any of these effects persist or worsen, ask your doctor or pharmacist for prompt intervention.
To prevent constipation, eat fiber, drink enough water and exercise. You may also need to take a laxative.
To reduce the risk of dizziness, get up slowly when getting up from a sitting or lying position.
Talk to your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: Interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), mental/mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations), severe stomach pain, difficulty urinating, signs of an underactive adrenal gland (such as loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, weight loss).
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: fainting, seizures, slow/shallow breathing, severe drowsiness/difficulty waking up.
Serious allergic reactions to this medicine are rare. However, get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness , shortness of breath.

Drug interactions can change the way your medications work or increase your risk of serious side effects. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine without your doctor's approval.
Some products that may interact with morphine include: Alcohol products (such as cough and cold syrups), certain pain medications (mixed opioid antagonists such as pentazocine, nalbuphine, butanol) ), naltrexone.
The risk of serious side effects (such as slow/shallow breathing, severe drowsiness/dizziness) may be increased if this medicine is taken with other products that can also cause drowsiness or trouble breathing. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products such as an opioid pain reliever or other cough suppressant (such as codeine, hydrocodone), alcohol, marijuana, medicine for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam). , lorazepam, zolpidem muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine) or antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine)
Check the labels on all your medicines, as they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. doctor about using such products safely
This medicine may affect the results of certain tests (including amylase / lipase levels), it may cause false test results. Please inform laboratory staff that you are using morphine.

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Reference article source: Webmd.com