28 Jan

The Dangers Of Morphine Side Effects

When your doctor has prescribed morphine as part of your treatment, it is important to understand the potential dangers of morphine side effects and increased risks of developing morphine addiction. You also need to be aware of the morphine side effects of abusing this drug. 

What Is Morphine?

Morphine is classified as an opioid drug that is made naturally from poppy straw or poppy plants, the same plant used to make heroin. Among all the opioid medications on the market, morphine is the most used prescription pain reliever. 

How Is Morphine Used?

Morphine can be administered as a liquid or in tablet form to treat varying levels of pain and discomfort. It is mainly used to treat:

• Post-Surgical Pain
• Injuries
• Kidney Stones
• Severe Toothaches
• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-Degree Burns
• Severe Muscle Cramping
• Migraine Headaches

Morphine may also be used to provide pain relief from cancer and cancer treatments, as well as other types of painful conditions. Furthermore, morphine is used as the benchmark pain reliever to determine the potency of other prescription opioids, such as oxycodone and fentanyl. 

Morphine Side Effects

The morphine side effects one could experience can vary based on how it was taken and the dosage taken. Some of the common side effects that usually occur within a short period after dosing include:

• Dizziness
• Sleepiness
• Problems Concentrating
• Dry Mouth
• Hallucinations
• Nausea
• Slowed Respiration
• Itchy Skin
• Decreased Sexual Drive
• Chest Pain
• Anxiety
• Euphoria
• Sensations of Calmness and Relaxation
• Elevated Blood Pressure
• Impulsive Decision Making
• Slurred Speech

Long-term use or abuse of this opioid medication could result in more serious morphine side effects, such as depression, mood swings, coma, reduced immunity response, unconsciousness, blackouts, and severe respiratory problems. 

What Does Morphine Do to the Body?

Once morphine enters the body, it gradually makes its way to the brain, where it binds to the pain receptors that communicate pain through the central nervous systems. The pain signals are reduced or blocked entirely depending on the dosage taken.

These same receptors are equally responsible for reinforcing the positive aspect of the effects experienced when taking morphine. In addition, morphine forces the brain to release increased dopamine and serotonin levels – the “feel good” endorphins. The pain relief and calmness one experiences further encourage people to continue using morphine. 

Long-term morphine use changes the way the brain and pain receptors react. As a result, thought processes, cognitive functions, and mood swings can become more predominant. 

Why Is Morphine Addictive?

Taking or abusing morphine for more than a week significantly increases the risk of dependence and eventual addiction to this opioid drug. Therefore, the sensations experienced while under the influence of the drug continue to be reinforced as positive behaviors. As a result, reducing the dosage or attempting to stop using morphine is very challenging.

Furthermore, the body has developed a craving for morphine, which can become very powerful and can trigger withdrawal symptoms as a means to get what the body is craving. Unfortunately, some of the withdrawal symptoms can be quite unpleasant and serious, so many people either return to using morphine just to make the withdrawal symptoms stop.

As dependence on morphine increases, people will also start to increase their dosage as their bodies develop a tolerance to the drug. Higher amounts of morphine are needed to achieve the desired effects and a euphoric state of mind one has become accustomed to while under the influence of this opioid medication. 

Morphine addiction can also affect how people administer morphine. For example, some people will crush up the tablets into a powder and snort them to experience the effects of morphine much faster than waiting for the pill to pass through the digestive system. 

Why Is Detox Needed for Morphine Addiction? 

Detox is required for morphine addiction because most people have developed a psychological and physical dependence on the drug. Psychologically, they believe they need the medication to function and avoid feeling pain. Physically, their body craves the drug to prevent unwanted withdrawal symptoms. 

In order to reduce the morphine side effects of withdrawal, supervised detox is highly recommended. Additionally, gradual weaning from morphine is necessary to allow the body to adjust and gradually promote the replenishment and natural release of endorphins. 

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be very beneficial as well. This type of detox is where non-addictive medications are used to simulate the effects of morphine while morphine use is slowly decreased so one can stop abusing it. However, MAT must be administered by a qualified detox specialist. 

At-Home Morphine Addiction Detox in Los Angeles, CA

When you want to reduce morphine side effects and safely detox at home, help is available from MD Home Detox in Los Angeles, CA. We offer supervised detox assistance and can also prescribe MAT therapy when needed to help you safely detox from morphine. 

Our concierge-level detox programs are designed to allow you to detox from the comfort of your home. Once you complete detox, we can provide continued support should you want to seek morphine addiction treatment. 

To learn more about our at-home morphine addiction detox that can help reduce the morphine side effects of withdrawal, please feel free to contact us today!