Morphine is a strong painkiller. It’s used to treat severe pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury, or pain from cancer or a heart attack pharmacy near me.
It’s also used for other types of long-standing pain when weaker painkillers no longer work.
Morphine is available only on prescription. It comes as tablets, capsules, granules that you dissolve in water, a liquid to swallow or an injection. Morphine injections are usually only done in hospital pharmacy near me.
Key facts
- Morphine works by blocking pain signals from travelling along the nerves to the brain.
- The most common side effects of morphine are constipation, feeling sick and sleepiness.
- It’s possible to become addicted to morphine, but your doctor will explain how to reduce the risks of becoming addicted.
- It may be best not to drink alcohol while taking morphine as you’re more likely to get side effects like feeling sleepy.
- Morphine is a controlled medicine. When you collect it your pharmacist will ask for proof of your identity such as your passport or driving licence. You’ll also be asked to sign the back of your prescription, to confirm that you’ve received it.
Who can take morphine
Most adults and children can take morphine, however babies, young children and older people are more likely to get side effects.
Who may not be able to take morphine
Morphine is not suitable for some people. To make sure it’s safe for you, tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to morphine or any other medicine
- have breathing difficulties or a lung problem
- have an addiction to alcohol
- have a condition that causes seizures or fits
- have a head injury
- have low thyroid levels (underactive thyroid)
- have adrenal gland problems
- have kidney or liver problems
- have an enlarged prostate
- have low blood pressure (hypotension)
- have myasthenia gravis (a rare condition that causes muscle weakness)
- are trying to get pregnant, already pregnant or you’re breastfeeding
How and when to take morphine
It’s important to take morphine as your doctor has asked you to.
Take morphine with, or just after, a meal or snack so it’s less likely to make you feel sick.
Morphine liquid, injections and some morphine tablets are used for pain which is expected to last for a short time. They may also be recommended when you start taking morphine to help find the right dose.
Morphine granules and some morphine tablets and capsules are slow-release. This means the morphine is gradually released into your body over either 12 or 24 hours. This type of morphine takes longer to start working but lasts longer. It’s used for long-term pain.
Sometimes you may take different types of morphine to manage long term pain and sudden flares of pain that break through the medicine.
Standard tablets are known by the brand name Sevredol. Slow-release tablets are known by brand names MST Continus or Morphgesic SR. Slow-release capsules are also known as MXL or Zomorph.
Morphine does not come as a skin patch. Sometimes people call their pain relief patch a “morphine patch”. However these patches do not contain morphine but medicines which are very similar to morphine called fentanyl or buprenorphine.
Dosage and strength
Morphine comes as:
- standard tablets containing 10mg, 20mg or 50mg of morphine
- slow-release tablets containing 5mg, 10mg, 15mg, 30mg, 60mg, 100mg or 200mg of morphine
- slow-release capsules containing 10mg, 30mg, 60mg, 90mg, 100mg, 120mg, 150mg or 200mg of morphine
- a packet of granules to mix in water and make a drink containing 20mg, 30mg, 60mg, 100mg or 200mg of morphine
- a liquid you swallow containing 10mg of morphine per 5ml dose in pharmacy near me.
- an injection, usually given in hospital pharmacy near me.
Doses of morphine vary from person to person. Your dose will depend on how bad your pain is, how you’ve responded to previous painkillers and if you get any side effects.
Changes to your dose
Usually, you start on a low dose of morphine and this is increased slowly until your pain is well controlled. Once your pain is under control, talk to your doctor about swapping to slow-release morphine pharmacy near me. This may cut down the number of doses you have to take each day.
When you stop taking morphine your dose will go down gradually, especially if you’ve been taking it for a long time.
How and when to take it
It’s important to swallow slow-release morphine tablets and capsules whole with a drink of water.
You can choose to take your morphine at any time of day but try to take it at the same time every day and space your doses evenly. For example, if you take morphine twice a day and have your first dose at 8am, take your second dose at 8pm.
How often you take it depends on the type of morphine that you’ve been prescribed. You’ll usually take:
- standard tablets 4 to 6 times a day pharmacy near me
- slow-release granules, tablets and capsules once or twice a day
- liquid 4 to 6 times a day
You’ll usually have injections 4 to 6 times a day (sometimes in a pump that you control yourself).
How long to take it for
Depending on why you’re taking morphine, you may only need to take it for a short time. For example, if you’re in pain after an injury or operation, you may only need to take morphine for a few days or weeks pharmacy near me.
You may need to take it for longer if you have a long-term condition such as cancer.
If you forget to take it
This will vary depending on which type of morphine you’re taking.
If you forget to take a dose, check the information on the leaflet inside the packaging or ask your pharmacist or doctor in pharmacy near me for advice on what to do.
Never take 2 doses at the same time to make up for a forgotten one.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember to take your medicine pharmacy near me.
If you take too much
Taking too much morphine can be dangerous.
If you’ve taken an overdose you may feel very sleepy, sick or dizzy. You may also find it difficult to breathe. In serious cases you can become unconscious and need emergency treatment in hospital pharmacy near me.
The amount of morphine that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person.
Stopping morphine
If you need to take morphine for a long time your body can become tolerant to it.
This is not usually a problem but you could get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it suddenly.
If you want to stop taking morphine, talk to your doctor pharmacy near me first. Your dose can be reduced gradually so you do not get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms can include:
- feeling agitated
- feeling anxious
- shaking
- sweating
Where to store morphine
If you’re prescribed morphine, it’s particularly important that you:
- store it properly and safely at home
- keep it out of the sight and reach of children
- never give your medicine to anyone else
Return any unused morphine to your pharmacist in pharmacy near mewho will dispose of it.
Like all medicines, morphine can cause side effects in some people pharmacy near me, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.
The higher the dose of morphine you take, the more chance that you will get side effects.
Common side effects
These common side effects of morphine happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
Constipation
Feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
Feeling sleepy or tired
Feeling dizzy or a sensation of spinning (vertigo)
Confusion
Itchy skin or a rash
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and these side effects bother you or do not go away.
Do not take any other medicines to treat the side effects of morphine without speaking to your pharmacist or doctor.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects happen in less than 1 in 100 people.
Call your doctor or call 111 now if you:
- have muscle stiffness
- feel dizzy, tired and have low energy – this could be a sign of low blood pressure
Immediate action required:
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