Signs and Symptoms of Morphine Addiction

There are many signs and symptoms of morphine abuse and addiction. Morphine side effects include but are not limited to the following:

• Anxiety
• Involuntary eye movement
• Blurred or double vision
• Chills
• Depressed or irritable mood
• Itching
• Cramps
• Dizziness
• Rash
• Diarrhea
• Drowsiness
• Rigid muscles
• Inability to urinate
• Exaggerated sense of well-being
• Seizure
• Light-headedness
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Facial flushing
• Sedation
• Tremor
• Fainting
• Sweating
• Uncoordinated muscle movements
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Hallucinations
• Agitation
• Headache
• Unexplained allergic reactions
• Apprehension
• Memory loss

Clearly there are many harmful and dangerous side effects that counter-balance the euphoria caused by this drug. There is no standard overdose amount, but it is lethal. If you are addicted or recognize some of these symptoms in a friend or loved one, take action now.

Why Morphine Is So Addictive

Morphine taps into the brain’s reward system, which produces the euphoria typically associated with the drug. However, morphine lingers in the brain, blocking the neuro-receptor sites that absorb the drug. Therefore, the blockages require higher doses of the drug to produce the same level of high after only one use. For this reason, people can be addicted to morphine after their first use of the drug.

Symptoms of morphine overdose include the following:

• Cold clammy skin
• Flaccid muscles
• Lowered blood pressure
• “Pinpoint” or dilated pupils
• Sleepiness
• Stupor
• Coma
• Slowed breathing
• Difficulty breathing
• Slow pulse rate
• Bluish colored fingernails and lips
• Spasms of the stomach
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Palpitations
• Death

If you recognize several of these symptoms in a friend or loved one, or if you experience these symptoms yourself, get to an ER immediately.

Morphine Addiction Help

Dual diagnosis programs have the most success in completely eradicating addiction. These programs focus on underlying mental disorders that may accompany addiction. After a thorough detox of the drug, dual-diagnosis programs provide counseling or therapy options that help prevent future relapses and uses. Talk, group, and behavioral therapy, as well as participation in community activities are all encouraged or employed in these programs. Support and encouragement from friends or family members can also yield significant assistance in breaking addiction. Drug counselors or specialists can also prescribe less potent drugs to help taper patients from addiction.
There are several options that can help. Our helpline is operated 24 hours a day and our phone number is toll-free. Please call us today to begin reclaiming life. It is not too late to find hope.

Prescription Abuse Statistics

As with many prescription medications, finding the correct dosage takes experimentation and time. Even if a person is under a physician’s care, it takes diligence to ensure that a person does not cross the line from medically necessary treatment to abuse. When reporting use and abuse findings about morphine, these statistics usually reflect the larger category of all prescribed medications. Some of the statistics are alarming:

• The increase of people who use prescribed pain relievers, including morphine, is on the rise. In 2006, over 5 million people were using prescribed pain relievers; an increase of half a million from the previous years. If predictive statistics hold the trend, this number of users is expected to increase significantly.
• While the rate of teen users has slightly decreased over the years, of the teen users who are using prescribed medications that are NOT prescribed for them, almost 60 percent indicate that they obtained the drugs from friends or from an unknowing relative.
• About twice as much is spent on medical and worker compensation claims for employed drug abusers versus their drug-free colleagues.
• While not restricted to just morphine abuse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that as many as 22 percent of car crashes involved drivers who have been using drugs.

Morphine Specific Abuse Statistics

While prescription medications have startling abuse statistics, the following statistics are directly connected to morphine addiction:

• The increase of emergency room visits due to heroin has increased as much as 15 percent.
• Morphine was ranked as the number 3 cause for emergency room admissions; the first was alcohol and drug combination, followed by cocaine abuse.
• Persons who were injecting opiates averaged 14 years of use before entering treatment for the first time.

Get Help for Morphine Addiction

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Morphine abuse symptoms

Common Uses of Morphine

While morphine was initially used as a cure for opium addiction, it was scientifically proven not to be an effective method of treatment. However, it was and still is used for severe pain, cough suppression and sometimes before surgery. In addition to relieving pain, morphine has been prescribed to relieve fear and anxiety by producing a sense of euphoria.

Failure to Read the Signs of Morphine Abuse

Unfortunately, the signs of morphine abuse are “vague” enough to be associated with other, less threatening conditions. Sweating, chills, dizziness and drowsiness are often attributed to the flu. Rash, hives and itching are initially investigated for contact dermatitis or some allergy. Constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, fluid retention and dry mouth are associated with stomach or digestive issues. Stress can also explain other symptoms such as light-headedness, tingling sensations, headaches, fluctuation in blood pressure and insomnia.

Physical Signs of Morphine Abuse

However, if a person experiences any of the following symptoms, morphine abuse may be the reason:

• Blurred vision, double vision, involuntary movement of the eyeball or “pinpoint” pupils
• Slurred speech, fainting/faintness or uncoordinated muscle movements
• Tremors or seizures
• Needle marks (if injecting drugs)
• Memory loss

Behavioral Signs of Morphine Abuse

Because the physical indicators of morphine abuse are sometimes hard to identify, physicians often look for some of the following behavioral signs:

• Prescription abuse: needing refills too often for alleged lost or stolen prescription
• Multiple providers: seeking prescriptions from different healthcare providers
• Changes in social behavior with friends, colleagues and family members
• Changes in mood or behaviors, including signs of lying or stealing

Emotional Signs of Morphine Abuse

Emotional indicators of morphine abuse are another “vague” area that may be attributed to another health issue, such as anxiety, depression, irritability and apprehension. However, if a person is demonstrating any of the following emotional signs, you should check for morphine abuse:

• Hallucinations
• Exaggerated sense of well-being
• Abnormal thinking
• Extreme agitation

Get Help for Morphine Abuse

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Prescription Abuse Statistics

As with many prescription medications, finding the correct dosage takes experimentation and time. Even if a person is under a physician’s care, it takes diligence to ensure that a person does not cross the line from medically necessary treatment to abuse. When reporting use and abuse findings about morphine, these statistics usually reflect the larger category of all prescribed medications. Some of the statistics are alarming:

• The increase of people who use prescribed pain relievers, including morphine, is on the rise. In 2006, over 5 million people were using prescribed pain relievers; an increase of half a million from the previous years. If predictive statistics hold the trend, this number of users is expected to increase significantly.
• While the rate of teen users has slightly decreased over the years, of the teen users who are using prescribed medications that are NOT prescribed for them, almost 60 percent indicate that they obtained the drugs from friends or from an unknowing relative.
• About twice as much is spent on medical and worker compensation claims for employed drug abusers versus their drug-free colleagues.
• While not restricted to just morphine abuse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that as many as 22 percent of car crashes involved drivers who have been using drugs.

Morphine Specific Abuse Statistics

While prescription medications have startling abuse statistics, the following statistics are directly connected to morphine addiction:

• The increase of emergency room visits due to heroin has increased as much as 15 percent.
• Morphine was ranked as the number 3 cause for emergency room admissions; the first was alcohol and drug combination, followed by cocaine abuse.
• Persons who were injecting opiates averaged 14 years of use before entering treatment for the first time.

Get Help for Morphine Addiction

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Used for extreme pain relief, including pre-surgery anesthesia, morphine is also used for severe coughs, shortness of breath and chronic diarrhea.

Side Effects of Morphine Use

Most side effects associated with monitored morphine use are mild and often require no treatment, including:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Constipation
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating

Indicators of Morphine Addiction

The indicators of morphine addiction don’t always present in physical ways. Rather, it is behavioral and psychological symptoms that suggest morphine addiction. There are two primary causes for morphine addiction: tolerance and craving. Because of its highly addictive nature, the body quickly builds a tolerance to the morphine dosage and thus requires greater and greater amounts of morphine to achieve the desired effect.

Because morphine impacts the brain by presenting a desired state of being, the brain continually seeks or craves the outcome. Craving morphine is the most obvious indicator of addiction. Others include:

• If a person starts to crave morphine.
• Wanting more before their scheduled dose time.
• Wanting more than the amount prescribed.

These cravings along with the desire to maintain or increase the desired affect may lead a person to use more morphine, or add other painkillers, drugs or alcohol. At that point, the person has a morphine addiction and intervention is necessary.

Morphine Withdrawal

Many systems of morphine withdrawal appear to be minor enough for an individual to manage without detoxification or medical supervision, including:

• Restlessness
• Yawning
• Perspiration
• Muscle spasm
• Hot and cold flashes
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

However, self-detoxification is not recommended as some additional symptoms of morphine withdrawal may include strokes and heart attacks.

Get Help for Morphine Addiction

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

How is Morphine Taken?

Morphine can be taken orally in tablet form, and it can also be injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intravenously; the last is the route preferred by those who are addicted to morphine. Other signs of morphine addiction include the paraphernalia used to take the drug. Morphine users may have needles, tourniquets, morphine tablets, liquid morphine or crushed up powder.

Morphine Description and Signs of Addiction

Morphine is a potent narcotic opiate with high susceptibility for abuse and addiction. Morphine’s addictive nature activates the brain’s reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to continually crave more and to focus his or her activities around taking the drug. The ability of morphine to strongly activate the brain’s reward mechanisms and its ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems is what produces addiction. One of the many signs of morphine addiction is that it reduces the user’s level of consciousness, harming their ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.

Physical signs of morphine addiction include but are not limited to:

• Reduced sense of pain
• Needle marks (if injecting drugs)
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Involuntary movement of the eyeball
• “Pinpoint” pupils
• Sweating
• Chills
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Fainting

The emotional signs of morphine addiction can include:

• Anxiety
• Depressed or irritable mood
• Exaggerated sense of well-being
• Abnormal thinking
• Agitation
• Apprehension
• Hallucinations

Morphine Addiction Withdrawal

It’s always recommended that an individual who wishes to decrease their usage of any narcotic, do so under medical supervision in a detox facility. As a narcotic, morphine leads to physical dependence. However, physical dependence is not a sign of abuse or addiction; it is a predictable, physical response to chronic use of the narcotic. The body becomes accustomed to physical changes that morphine causes, and stopping the drug will lead to withdrawal symptoms. This is not necessarily a sign of addiction, at least in the sense that most people use the term.

Signs of morphine addiction withdrawal include but are not limited to:

• Restlessness
• Runny nose
• Yawning
• Perspiration
• Goose flesh
• Restless sleep
• Dilated pupils
• Twitching and spasms of muscles
• Kicking movement

Morphine withdrawal symptoms reach peak intensity in 36 to 72 hours. Without treatment, the signs of morphine addiction withdrawal will run their course in five to seven days, even though cravings for morphine may continue for months.

Morphine Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a morphine addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions on morphine addiction and treatment. All calls are private and confidential.

The use of prescription pain relievers without a doctor’s prescription only for the experience or the feeling it causes is often called “nonmedical” use. Morphine use is considered abuse when people use this narcotic, and others, to seek feelings of well-being apart from the narcotic’s pain-relief applications.

When people use morphine exclusively to control pain, it is unlikely that they become addicted or dependent on them. A patient is given a dosage of opioids strong enough to reduce their awareness of pain but not normally potent enough to produce a euphoric state.

Prescription Painkiller Abuse Statistics

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) report that after marijuana, nonmedical use of painkillers is the second most common form of illicit drug use in the United States. According to SAMHSA, 21 percent of people age 12 and older (5.2 million individuals) reported using prescription pain relievers non-medically in 2007. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency suggests that the number of people abusing any prescription drugs is even higher at 7 million individuals.

SAMHSA’s Drug Abuse Warning Network reported that approximately 324,000 emergency department visits in 2006 involved the nonmedical use of pain relievers (this includes both prescription and over-the-counter pain medications). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were an estimated 90,232 emergency department visits related to narcotic analgesic abuse in 2001.

Symptoms of Morphine Abuse (Overdose)

Many morphine users do not expect to become abusers or addicts, but morphine is an extremely addictive drug. Other factors that may increase the likelihood of a morphine user becoming an addict are:

• Mixing drugs – Some people seeking an increased effect of morphine may take other drugs that are intended to have the same effect on the body. Referred to as poly-drug use, this practice is the leading cause for fatal overdoses.
• Quality – Morphine abusers frequently seek to obtain morphine from sources other than their primary physician. However, the quality of the morphine that can be obtained illegally is a high risk factor that contributes to overdose.
• Using alone – If a morphine abuser enters into an overdose state, the chance of death is significantly increased because no one was available to intervene in a timely manner.

There are several symptoms to look for if morphine is being abused. The symptoms to look out for include:

• Analgesia (feeling no pain)
• Sedation
• Euphoria
• Respiratory depression (shallow breathing)
• Small pupils, bloodshot eyes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Itching skin, flushed skin
• Constipation
• Slurred speech
• Confusion, poor judgment
• Needle marks on the skin

People who use narcotics or other drugs of abuse and are interested in quitting should contact their doctor or local hospital for information on how to get involved with a detoxification and addiction recovery program.

• Any person suspected of narcotic overdose requires immediate medical attention and must be taken to a hospital’s emergency department.
• The main physical signs of narcotic overdose are small pupils and respiratory depression (shallow breathing) that can lead to decreased oxygen in the blood, coma and death.

Morphine Overdose Treatment

Time is the most critical factor if you are assisting a person who is experiencing a morphine overdose. If a person has lost consciousness, or if their fingernails and lips have turned blue/purple, immediately call for help.

If those most obvious symptoms are not displayed, check for the following symptoms that are also clear indicators that an overdose is occurring:

• Physical signs – a limp unresponsive body, a pale or clammy face
• Respiratory signs – slow, shallow, or erratic breathing; slow or erratic heartbeat

Some overdose signs that are frequently misinterpreted or overlooked include:

• Choking
• Vomiting

Recommendations from emergency medical personnel regarding how to assist a person who is experience a morphine overdose are quite specific.

• Do not induce vomiting
• Give mouth-to-mouth if a person has stopped breathing

Getting a person the most comprehensive support as quickly as possible is critical, so emergency medical professionals suggest that in addition to knowing the patient’s age and weight, you should learn as much about the overdose situation as possible, including:

• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
• The time it was swallowed
• The amount swallowed
• If the medication was prescribed for the patient

The prognosis of surviving a morphine overdose are dependent on so many variables that providing the emergency medical team with as much information as possible, as quickly as possible greatly increases survival rates.

Morphine Help

Please call our toll free number at (877) 259-5633 if you know someone suffering from morphine addiction.

A patient can use short-acting formula morphine on an “as needed” basis for the pain or an extended-release formula when using morphine for around-the-clock patients who are constantly in pain. Often times, your doctor will not prescribe morphine unless your body has already built up a tolerance to other opioid medications because morphine is highly dependent drug.

Morphine can be habit forming. It is important to only take what is prescribed to you by your doctor so that your body does not build up a tolerance quickly. It is also important to keep it in a safe place away from children and those who have had addiction problems. Morphine is popular for teenagers who want to do drugs because it is easily accessible in their parents’ medicine cabinets. Morphine should be stopped gradually in order to not experience withdrawal symptoms.

Morphine Dependency

Similar to heroin, morphine is a highly dependent drug. Often, morphine addictions happen accidentally by those who have been prescribed morphine by their doctors. When used for a prolonged amount of time, the body becomes used to the amount of drugs administered. When this happens, the user has to take more to receive the initial effects. This is a dangerous thing to do because when a user stops taking the medication, withdrawal symptoms will occur.

When taking this drug, the patient needs to do exactly as the doctor says to stay clear of addiction. It is important to talk to your doctor before coming off of morphine to ensure that withdrawal symptoms do not occur.

Morphine Withdrawal

Like many other drugs, the effects of morphine withdrawal are difficult to go through by yourself. It is important to consult a professional in order to stay safe. Do not stop taking morphine all at once; the symptoms will greatly lessen if you reduce your intake gradually. Since Morphine is such a powerful analgesic, withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as four to six hours after the last dose. Some of the earlier effects are:

• Insomnia
• Watery eyes
• Diarrhea
• Sweating
• Cravings
• Dysphoria

As the time between doses increases, the symptoms worsen:

• Irritability
• Severe headaches
• Body aches
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach pains
• Tremors
• Increased cravings

Morphine Treatment

The safest way to detox from morphine is to go to a rehab facility and be in the care of professionals who deal with addictions. Keep in mind that a person addicted to morphine typically has a physical dependency, a psychological dependency, and the need to manage a situation, such as extreme pain without the benefits of morphine. All of these factors contribute to the need for supervision under a trained professional.

A person experiencing morphine withdrawal is at a very vulnerable state, physically and emotionally. A rehabilitation professional can ensure that during detox, a person is protected against:

• Overdose – Because it is easy to build up a tolerance to morphine, abusers are not in a position to make an informed decision about the amount of morphine to take or how to reduce that amount carefully.
• Complications – There are many potential physical withdrawal symptoms that need to be managed properly to ensure not only that a person can be successful through the detox process but also that they don’t experience additional residual complications.

Relapse – While a person may be successful in the physical component of detox, that is only part of the total solution. An addict typically starts using morphine for pain management, so that person still needs to manage that pain in a manner other than using morphine. In addition to pain management, many addicts have developed lifestyle patterns or behaviors that contribute to abuse. A valuable service that many rehabilitation facilities offer is the additional support that allows a person to be successful in maintaining their drug-free life when they return home.

The first 36 to 72 hours are the most difficult for a person going through morphine withdrawal symptoms and detox professionals will be able to successfully step a user through the detox process with lessened withdrawal effects. Besides getting the most support possible to get a person through this difficult time, research has proven that without treatment, morphine addiction withdrawal may extend for as many as 5 to 7 days, and continued cravings for morphine may persist for months.

After the detox process is completed, there are several addiction treatment programs. If you became addicted because morphine really was prescribed to you, it is important to go to a specialized treatment or therapy to learn other ways to take care of your painful symptoms without becoming addicted to your prescribed medication.

Morphine Help

If you or a loved one is addicted to morphine, it is important to seek help. Morphine is a highly dependent drug. Once addicted, the effects are devastating. Many lose their jobs, dreams, and ambitions. But, there is hope. If you are interested in receiving information on morphine detox or rehab, please call our toll free number at (877) 259-5633.