The first step in recovering from morphine addiction is for the addict to recognize that there is a problem.  Once the addiction is realized, the addict must be willing to seek help. Recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process that requires commitment from the addict as well as from family and/or friends. It will likely also require help from an outside sources such as addiction professionals and drug rehabilitation centers. After rehab, one must surround him or her self with support systems, both formal and informal to aid in remaining free of drug-use.

Recovery support systems could include:

•  Support Groups

•  Counselors

•  Therapists

•  Family and Friends

•  Religious organizations

Recovering from Morphine Addiction

It can be very helpful for the recovering addict to regularly attend support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous. It can be both beneficial and healing to be in community with others who are dealing with or have dealt with the same sorts of drug issues. It can be especially helpful to hear the success stories and gain the insight of those who have been able to remain drug-free. These support group meetings should be a priority.

A recovering morphine addict should be under the care of medical professionals, in the realm of both physical and mental health. Very often, morphine addiction begins with the drug being prescribed for an underlying medical condition, which may need to be dealt with in addition to the addiction itself.  The addict should also be under the care of a team of mental health specialists. This team might include a psychiatrist or counselor, a behavioral therapist, and perhaps a motivational therapist. These types of professionals can help to teach people strategies to change their thinking in order to deal with life issues in a way that does not involve a return to drug use.

Some of the most important support for an addict in the recovery process is that of family and friends.  One should not try to return to drug-free living without help.  A recovering addict needs a great deal of encouragement and accountability.  However, a person should be aware of relationships that might be detrimental to their recovery and distance themselves from such people. This is a great opportunity make a fresh start and develop healthy relationships. A drug addict’s close circle of relationships might even consider group counseling or support meetings such as Nar-Anon to better deal with the issue. Another source of support might come from faith communities that could provide additional positive relationships.

Morphine Recovery Help

If you or someone you know needs help recovering from morphine addiction, please call our toll-free helpline. Our trained counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call us today to get the recovery solutions you need. We are here to help.

And because morphine begins with the letter “m,” Miss Emma or Aunt Emma has become a common slang for morphine due to the “em” sound of the name.

Other slang names for morphine include:

• Mister blue
• Morpho
• Dreamer
• God’s drug

Effects of Morphine on the Mind

Morphine is a painkiller, but as a derivative of the opium poppy, it has many effects on the mind. One particular effect is the absence of pain and sometimes a heightened sense of pleasure.

There are many reasons why morphine is a controlled substance. For one, it has many dangerous side effects. Some of these side effects include:

• The slowing of heartbeat
• Difficulty in breathing
• Severe headache and dizziness
• Seizures
• Convulsions

More about Morphine

Morphine is a naturally occurring substance in the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is a potent narcotic analgesic, and its primary clinical use is in the management of moderately severe and severe pain. After heroin, morphine has the greatest dependence liability of the narcotic analgesics in common use.

Morphine has had a long history of usage as a painkiller. Since it was first isolated in Germany in 1803, it has been used medically to treat various illnesses, particularly for pain relief and for controlling opium addiction. Today, the drug is available in many generic forms and can be bought from a pharmacist with a prescription. It is also used in hospitals as a means to manage pain.

Morphine is infrequently encountered in the North American street drug culture. However, mainly because of its availability in hospitals, there have been several documented cases of morphine dependence among health professionals.

The relative availability of morphine has made it one of the more commonly abused drugs in some parts of the world. If a user does not get it through illicit means, he or she can take a few tablets from a friend who uses it for medication. It can also be easy for a person to steal a few tablets from a member of his or her household who happens to be taking medicine based on morphine to manage an illness.

Prescribed Morphine

Often when people think about prescribed medication, they assume their physician is knowledgeable about the drug, its side effects, dosage recommendations and contraindications. They also assume that the physician has thoroughly reviewed the patient’s medical condition, other prescribed medication usage and overall ability to tolerate a medication. Under these assumptions, a patient may accept the doctor’s recommendation and prescription without reservation.

While most physicians are extremely effective diagnosticians and professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate caregivers, there is no way that they can be conversant on every prescribed medication that the pharmaceutical industry produces. Therefore, they rely on pharmaceutical guides when selecting and dosing a medication, as well as the experience of their other patients’ results with the medication.

That strategy is effective but not when a person starts abusing the medication by doing one or several of the following:

• Increasing the prescribed dosage to get the results they want
• Mixing drugs
• Doctor/pharmacy shopping
• Obtaining the prescription through illegal means

If you or someone you now is presenting any of these behaviors, you need to seek help for this abusive and addictive behavior.

Morphine Addiction Variables

Most often a person is prescribed morphine to treat extreme pain. People, who have experienced this pain because of an event that might cause the pain to persist for a relatively short period of time, should give consideration to weaning from the prescribed medication almost from the onset of its usage. Realizing that the patient’s focus is exclusively on relieving the pain, this is when a family member or a friend can play a key role.

Making sure that the person is only taking the prescribed amount is key in helping that person eventually wean off the medication. Pain is not just a physical condition; it also brings about emotional, psychological and mental concerns. Being aware of all aspects of the patient’s state of being is also very helpful because you can seek assistance to treat these other conditions that are often associated with pain.

Addiction to morphine occurs primarily because of tolerance or physical dependency. By monitoring the morphine consumption, you can assist the patient not to become tolerant. If you notice that the prescribed dosage is not giving the person the same benefit it once did, seek professional help from the physician to determine if there is a solution other than increasing the dosage.

Physical dependency most often occurs if a person is taken off the medication too quickly, which is why a weaning process is recommended.

While scientists and medical professionals hold morphine as the standard for the effective relief of pain, the patient and her/his support system need to be diligent so that morphine addiction can be avoided.

Morphine Help

If you or someone you know has access to morphine and is abusing it beyond the medically prescribed reason, please contact our toll free number at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on morphine addiction and treatment.

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 a highly dependent drug.

Morphine can be habit forming, so 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 Side Effects

Users may experience certain side effects when using morphine. These effects are increased when morphine is abused.

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Drowsiness
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea

Forms of Morphine

Morphine can be found under generic and brand name products including MS-Contin®, Oramorph SR®, MSIR®, Roxanol®, Kadian®, and RMS®. Morphine is used through injection for preoperative sedation, rather than using an anesthesia. Traditionally, morphine was almost exclusively used by injection. Today, however, morphine is taken in a variety of different forms. Some of these forms include: oral solutions, immediate and sustained-release tablets and capsules, injectable preparations and suppositories.

Morphine Oral Solutions

Oral solutions come in the form of a liquid. This form is commonly used on hospice patients because it is easier to take when people have a hard time swallowing pills. It is often concentrated so that a greater dose can be given with less liquid. Many users prefer this kind because it is easy to take and begins working within 15 minutes and only lasts for around four hours. However, liquid morphine has a very bitter taste.

Morphine Tablets and Capsules

Morphine tablets and capsules come in extended release as well as rapid release. It is important to take the tablets and capsules as they are given. Do not break, crush or chew the extended release tablets. They have been designed specifically to give the patient the correct amount of morphine over a period of time. Breaking, crushing or chewing the tablets will release too much morphine into the bloodstream at one time.

However, rapid release tablets can be crushed and mixed into food such as applesauce or pudding. This is a popular thing to do when abusing morphine because it creates a strong high.

Morphine Injections

Injections are not as common with morphine because the other methods are quite effective. Injections are typically used for surgery preparations when using morphine rather than an anesthesia.

Morphine Suppositories

Suppositories are also not used as often. They are typically used when a patient needs a longer lasting dose, but have difficulty swallowing. When given in the form of a suppository, it should only be inserted into the rectum.

Morphine Interactions

Most prescribed medications have contraindications; meaning it is recommended that you do not use the prescribed drug if you have one or more of a list of other characteristics or drug usage. In some cases, it is recommended that you absolutely do not take the prescribed medication. In other cases, caution in use is recommended.

For morphine, it is recommended that you avoid using it if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. MAO inhibitors are the family of medications used primarily for treating depression and Parkinson’s disease. The two-week period suggests that the chemicals in the MAO inhibitor will have cleared your body after two weeks. Exactly what period of time your body processes a medication completely out of your system varies per person, so just using a basic timeframe as a point of reference could be insufficient.

It is also recommended that you do not take morphine with other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing.

There are other prescribed medications that may or may not interact with your use of morphine including most medications prescribed for the treatment of pain.

With morphine being such an effective treatment for severe pain, physicians and scientists continue to evaluate the benefit/risk ratio of prescribing morphine. Ongoing research to further understand how morphine works may provide insights on how to better manage its addictive properties. Without such information, a person must commit to managing their morphine use and taking action should they feel that the use is becoming abuse.

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.

• A decreases hunger
• Inhibiting the cough reflex
• Producing constipation
• Reducing the sex drive
• In women it may interfere with the menstrual cycle

Morphine’s euphoric effects can be highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological dependence develop quickly.

Morphine Hazards

The major hazards of morphine, as with other narcotic analgesics, are respiratory depression and, to a lesser degree, circulatory depression, respiratory arrest, shock, and cardiac arrest. These particularly coincide with an overdose.
The most frequently observed adverse reactions include sedation, lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and sweating. These effects seem to be more prominent in ambulatory patients and in those who are not experiencing severe pain. Some adverse reactions in ambulatory patients may be alleviated if the patient lies down.
Other possible adverse reactions include:

• Central Nervous System – euphoria, dysphoria, weakness, headache, agitation, tremor, uncoordinated muscle movements, visual disturbances, transient hallucinations and disorientation
• Gastrointestinal – constipation, biliary tract spasm
• Cardiovascular – tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitation, faintness, syncope, and orthostatic hypotension
• Genitourinary – oliguria and urinary retention; an antidiuretic effect has been reported
• Allergic – Allergic reactions to opiates occur infrequently; pruritus, urticaria, and other skin rashes are most common. Rarely, anaphylactoid reactions have been reported following intravenous administration.
• Other – Opiate-induced histamine release may be responsible for the flushing of the face, sweating, and pruritus often seen with these drugs. Wheals and urticaria at the site of injection are probably related to histamine release. Local tissue irritation, pain and induration have been reported following repeated subcutaneous injection. Morphine, like other opioids, may alter temperature regulation in susceptible individuals and will depress the cough reflex.

Morphine Addiction

Another one of morphine’s effects is addiction, and morphine is highly addictive. Just because it is legally approved for use doesn’t mean the drug can’t be addictive and just as dangerous as illegal drugs when used improperly. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological addiction to morphine develop quickly.

Addictive drugs, such as morphine activate the brain’s reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave morphine and to focus his or her activities around the taking of morphine. The ability of morphine to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and its ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce a morphine addiction. Morphine also reduces a person’s level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings. It is important to know the warning signs of prescription (morphine) abuse in order to avoid addiction.

Warning Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse

• Is the user taking more medication than prescribed?
• Are they using the medication for something other than its intended purpose?
• Are they unable to stop using the medication once the original need for the drug has passed?
• Do they experience intense cravings for the drug?
• Are they moody and irritable?
• Do they lie about the amount of medication they’re taking and/or manipulate doctors and others to get more?
• Are they requesting or obtaining refills before they’re needed (a sign they’re unwilling to go without the drug for any period of time)?
• Are they illegally purchasing pain medication?

Where Morphine Comes From

Morphine is a powerful narcotic agent with strong analgesic action and other significant effects on the central nervous system. It is dangerously addicting. Morphine is a naturally occurring member of a large chemical class of compounds called alkaloids. Morphine is highly effective in relieving pain.

The name, which derives from Morpheus, the mythological son of sleep and god of dreams, was coined in 1805 by German apothecary Adolf Serturner (1783-1841) to designate the main alkaloid in opium. Opium comes from the poppy plant.

Morphine Help

Because many who become addicted to prescription drugs start using them for valid reasons, admission an addiction can be particularly difficult. But if the warning signs above indicate they have become dependent, getting professional help is crucial. Please call our toll free number at (877) 259-5633 if you or someone you know is in need of morphine treatment.

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 Detox

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 (addictionologists). They will be able to successfully step a user through the detox process with lessened withdrawal effects.

It is especially important for those addicted to morphine to go to a facility for the detox process since morphine is an opiate drug. It is mentally and physically addictive. Without executing the process properly, the user is at a high rate of relapse. However, under the careful care of a professional staff, the user is equipped with strategies to overcome the addiction. After the detox process is completed, there are several addiction treatment programs.

For many users, the addiction goes beyond the physical aspect. It mentally affects the users as well. 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 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. Withdrawal is much safer and more manageable when at a rehab facility. 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 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 rehab or detox, please call our toll free number at (877) 259-5633.