Morphine addiction treatment that actually works

Morphine is a painkiller typically prescribed for moderate to severe, long-lasting pain. Formulations are sold under a variety of brand names such as MS Contin, Astramorph, Morphabond and others.

Morphine is an opioid compound derived from the opium poppy flower. These kinds of compounds relieve pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, changing the user’s perception of pain and triggering a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that results in euphoria.

Due to its strong potential for addiction, morphine is more tightly regulated now than it was in the past. However, is still widely prescribed and still manages to find its way onto the street where it’s bought and sold illegally.

Even when taken as directed, morphine can lead to a number of side effects, including:

• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Skin rash
• Itching
• Sweating
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Mood changes such as anxiety and fear

Note that this list does not necessarily reflect the true reality of addiction. People with an opioid use disorder often use such high amounts of these drugs that the side effects become extreme.

For example, fatigue is a common side effect, but someone addicted to morphine may take so much that they drift in and out of consciousness for hours at a time.

Morphine use crosses the line into abuse and addiction (referred to clinically as opioid use disorder) whenever it is misused for the high produced by the drug instead of pain relief. As users consume more of the drug over time, their bodies become physically dependent on it.

This means they need to take more of the drug to get the same effect, as well as to prevent intensely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that arise when the drug is not present in their system.

Morphine addiction often leads to psychological addiction as well, and anxiety, intense cravings, and other effects are common.

Morphine addiction behaviors include:

• Taking more than the prescribed dosage
• “Doctor shopping” for multiple prescriptions
• Tampering with morphine before taking it
• Taking morphine in any way other than orally

When cravings for morphine get bad enough users often take to a cheaper, easier-to-get alternative – heroin.

Even when taken properly under the care of a physician, it is possible to develop a physical dependence on morphine. Morphine prescriptions may come with dosing instructions that instruct a patient how to properly taper off of the medication to reduce and eliminate this physical dependency.

This kind of medication management is important – those who are physically dependent will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms if they stop their prescription too suddenly.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Restlessness
• Yawning
• Sweating
• Tearing eyes
• Runny nose
• Chills
• Muscle and back aches
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Irritability, anxiety
• Dilated pupils
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heartbeat or breathing

These problems vary in severity and duration depending on the specific morphine dose taken and duration of use.

Morphine detox, also known as withdrawal stabilization, involves substituting long-acting opioids such as Suboxone in place of short-acting drugs of abuse, and patients are slowly tapered off the long-acting substitute once they’re symptoms are stabilized.

Patients are most uncomfortable during the first one to three days of the opioid withdrawal phase, so during this time doctors may prescribe a combination of a mild sedative and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Motrin (generic name ibuprofen) to make them more comfortable.

Medications to treat opioid addiction such as Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone) work through the same opioid receptors in the brain as morphine without causing a euphoric high, making them safer and less likely to result in addiction.

As a result, these medications help reduce cravings and relieve unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, which can allow patients to actively participate in treatment while their dose of Suboxone is slowly tapered down.

Usually after day three without the medication, morphine is out of a person’s system. By this time, patients’ withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings should have almost completely subsided using the correct dose of Suboxone.

Yes, morphine overdoses are very common. That’s why prescriptions are written for specific doses tailored each person. Taking an excessive morphine dose can result in a life-threatening overdose.

Morphine overdose symptoms include:

• Slowed or shallow breathing
• Extreme drowsiness leading to coma
• Cold and clammy skin
• Pinpoint pupils
• Slowed heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Death

These symptoms can be deadly if not treated immediately.

Users typically abuse morphine by cutting, crushing, chewing, or dissolving morphine tablets to bypass the time-release coating, allowing them to put a massive dose into the body at one time.

People seeking a morphine high may also snort or inject the tablet’s contents for more immediate effects. All of these methods greatly increase the chances of a morphine overdose.

Yes. Morphine is classified by the DEA as a Schedule II controlled substance for its highly addictive properties, so possessing and taking morphine without a prescription is against the law, as is sharing, giving away or selling it.

Besides the risk of overdose, using oxycodone is ways it’s not designed can also have negative effects. Injecting hydrocodone is particularly harmful and can lead to infections and cardiovascular disease.

Hydrocodone formulations usually contain both hydrocodone and acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, and taking high doses of acetaminophen can cause serious problems including permanent liver damage.

The problem is that as patients develop a tolerance to hydrocodone, they need to take more and more to get the safe high. This leads to them ingesting much more acetaminophen than their bodies can process, leading to overdose.

Signs of acetaminophen overdose include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Excessive sweating