There are many advantages and disadvantages of using morphine for pain, however, the main disadvantage would be the potential of drug addiction. The effects of morphine withdrawal is another negative aspect to consider. The main advantage of using morphine for pain is the drug's ability to relieve and control intense physical suffering when other alternatives fail. The pain-relieving effects of morphine may be chosen by patients suffering from terminal illness, such as cancer.
For those with a serious illness or traumatic injury that causes extreme pain and discomfort, morphine may be a treatment option. This option, however, is generally reserved for patients whose pain is not relieved with other medications. Many physicians are hesitant to prescribe morphine for pain because of a potential for drug dependency. Morphine abuse is not uncommon for patients who have been prescribed this drug, and in some cases this abuse leads to addiction.
As this is a narcotic that dulls a patient's sensory perception, physicians sometimes prescribe morphine for pain. This, however, is a controversial issue among the medical profession. Some physicians believe the disadvantages outweigh the positives and refuse to prescribe the drug to their patients. Physicians who choose to prescribe morphine for their patients generally have tried other medications with little or no success. When a patient is suffering from intense pain, blood pressure and heart rate may increase to dangerous levels, while morphine is known to produce a tranquil state.
In most cases, morphine can be administered via an intravenous (IV) drip or morphine pills. The IV drip is generally administered by a trained medical professional, typically in a hospital or hospice, or at home under medical supervision. Even when it is prescribed in pill form, an addiction to this drug will cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Some of the symptoms of morphine withdrawal may be tremors, nightmares and night sweats, vomiting, extreme headache, and dehydration. Increased heart rate and respiratory distress may be other side effects from withdrawal of using morphine for pain.
Even when it doesn't lead to addiction, using morphine for pain may produce unwanted side effects such as dizziness or confusion. This may pose a risk, especially when a person is driving an automobile or operating some type of machinery. In some cases, hallucinations or delusions may be another side effect of using this narcotic. The drug may also produce gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea and vomiting or diarrhea. Stomach cramps may be another side effect from using morphine as a pain-relieving drug.
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letshearit
Post 10 |
How long does it take for one to get addicted to morphine? Is it possible to develop an addiction to morphine after a week of use, or does it take much longer to happen?
My friend has been taking morphine since she had a car accident the other week. She had a variety of injuries and the doctors gave her morphine pills to take once she got home. Now it is coming time for her to switch over to a weaker painkiller and she is already talking about keeping the morphine because she thinks it's best for her pain. She doesn't think anything else will work.
Do you think she knows best, or is this a bad sign? I really don't know why she thinks she still needs morphine when the doctor plans on taking her off it. |
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manykitties2
Post 9 |
My oral surgeon gave me a few doses of morphine after I had all of my wisdom teeth extracted in one go. I know a lot of people worry about getting addicted to it, but I honestly couldn't see that happening myself. All the morphine did to me was make me sleep like the dead and it also gave me an upset stomach.
I was honestly glad to be rid of the morphine as I found it just made me feel more ill. Once my oral surgeon thought I was well enough, he switched me to an over-the-counter pain killer. The transition was welcome as I no longer slept for hours on end or felt nauseated. |
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amysamp
Post 8 |
I have never had to take morphine, but my husband had to take some significant pain killers after he had a tonsillectomy. It turns out when you have tonsillectomy as an adult it is a very painful situation (as one of my female friends warned him, "It's worse than child birth!")
So as I mentioned he was given such heavy painkillers, we discussed with the doctor our fear of him becoming addicted to them. The doctors said that because he would be in so much pain, the painkillers would just take the edge off the pain and not give him the euphoric sensations that would cause addiction.
Boy, were they right! My husband was in tremendous pain, and never once felt euphoria from the drugs.
However, I realize had he had a different dosage (too high I guess) he could have felt euphoria from it and become addicted, as it seems no one would argue that prescription painkillers being addicted is *not* a well known con to taking them.
So I would suggest talking to a doctor about your fears of painkiller addiction as they can do a great job of assuaging those fears with their knowledge. |
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myharley
Post 7 |
When my grandfather was in the end stages of prostate cancer, he was taking morphine for his pain. Because this was a terminal disease, and he was at the point where they were just trying to make him comfortable and ease his pain, they were not as concerned with him becoming addicted to it.
At that point he knew he was addicted to it, but did not have long and the morphine was the only thing that really worked for him.
I can see how it might be a difficult decision to make if you still had good quality of life and were able to drive and get around. It is a very strong drug with some potent side effects that you must weigh before beginning treatment. |
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wavy58
Post 6 |
@seag47 - I am currently taking those long-acting pills. I have to be very careful with them. My doctor told me never to break, crush, chew, dissolve, or split the pills, because they contain enough of the drug to last from 12 to 24 hours, and if they are broken open, my body could absorb the whole dose at once. I could die if this happened.
I am supposed to swallow them whole with a full glass of either juice or water. I can take them with food, but it doesn’t really matter, because I am so nauseated most of the time that I don’t notice if taking them without food causes any extra stomach discomfort.
I have noticed that the capsules cause constipation. My doctor told me what laxative to take to prevent it, and I have to take it all the time. |
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seag47
Post 5 |
When my nephew’s cancer progressed to late stage, he began taking morphine. He had to take both the sustained release form that acts for a longer period and the short-acting form for quick pain relief.
He took the long-acting form regularly for continuous relief from chronic pain. He took the quick-acting kind when the pain would occur in spite of him being on the sustained release drug. The short-acting form is also known as rescue medicine because of its ability to offer relief in a hurry.
The sustained release kind comes in either tablets or capsules. The quick-relief type comes in liquid form. |
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kylee07drg
Post 4 |
Severe back pain after surgery drove my friend to become addicted to morphine. He had a supply of pills to last him several weeks, but after that, he had trouble getting his doctor to prescribe him more. The doctor wanted to knock him down to a weaker pain pill, so he went into withdrawal.
He started having nightmares about a black monster trying to eat him. He would wake up soaked with sweat. During the day, he kept a bad headache, and he would shake to the point that he could not hold a glass of water. He finally had to seek professional help. |
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shell4life
Post 3 |
My best friend’s father was in his nineties and in a lot of pain before he died. His pain had gotten so bad that they had to keep him on morphine, because when he would come down off of it, he would scream and shake.
The family knew that he was ready to go. They were mentally prepared for his death, which seemed prolonged. He went through a cycle of being doped up, suffering greatly, and getting doped up again.
They suspect that the doctor may have finally administered a fatal dose of morphine to relieve him of his suffering. They never asked him, and I’m sure he would not have admitted it, but my friend’s father did go peacefully after his last dose. |
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Moldova
Post 2 |
@BrickBack -I know what you mean. I had a tooth extraction surgery and was given vicodin for my pain. I never even took one pill because I am also afraid of developing a dependency to the drug.
You always hear about people that develop addictions to pain killers and this is usually one that is always mentioned. Sometimes people take double or triple the dosage because they feel they will get more relief that way but what it does is develop a dependency of the drug and it can be really dangerous.
This is how famed radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh developed an addiction to oxycontin. He had back surgery and developed so much pain that he doubled up on the amount that he was supposed to take and and became addicted.
His hearing loss and the fact that he needed cochlear implants in order to be able to still perform his job was a direct result of this oxycontin abuse. |
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BrickBack
Post 1 |
I have never have needed to take morphine, but based on this article it is not something that most people should take unless it is for end of life care.
My mother was given morphine for her extreme pain due to the stage 4 uterine cancer that she developed. At the point where she was given morphine, she was already in a coma and at the end of her life.
My mother never liked pain killers in general because she was so afraid of becoming addicted. I remember that she had broken her leg once and she refused to take her pain medication because she was afraid of developing a dependency to the drug. She instead took over the counter aspirins that helped dull the pain a little.
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