Morphine has always been a great painkiller for patients recovering from intense pain. However, the positive effects of morphine also make it attractive to those seeking an opiate high. Unfortunately, the drug brings with it a good deal of morphine side effects. These side effects cause damage in both the short-term and the long-term. They are not something to be ignored.
Learn more about morphine addiction rehab by calling us today at 866.262.0531.
Dangers of Morphine
Morphine is an opiate painkiller that is extremely effective for those recovering from injuries. However, it has several side effects that are dangerous to the user. The most common of these include respiratory depression and constipation, but there are also some less common—and potentially life-threatening—effects to look out for as well.
Morphine is most often taken orally in pill form, but can also be administered by intravenous injection or rectally when the patient cannot swallow. When it is used over a long period of time, people build up tolerance to morphine’s effects. In the past, heroin was a common alternative to morphine for individuals who were addicted or seeking relief from pain. Morphine has been used as a treatment for opioid withdrawal, but there have been conflicting studies on its effectiveness and risks associated with this use.
When people use morphine under a doctor’s care, it’s safe and helpful. Many people wouldn’t go through elective surgery if morphine didn’t exist. However, when people overuse or mix this drug with other substances, it stops being helpful and becomes dangerous. Fatal overdose is only one risk of many.
You’re at high risk for morphine side effects and addiction if you:
- Have a mental illness like depression or anxiety
- Have misused other substances in the past
- Use the drug for a recreational high
- Take more than the prescription allows
- Mix it with other drugs or alcohol
Morphine use can quickly lead to tolerance and dependence. Those who overuse the drug often suffer breathing problems, particularly when they mix it with alcohol.
Short-Term Morphine Side Effects
Short-term effects of morphine can include euphoria, relaxation and reduced pain. However, those are only the positive short-term effects that people abusing the drug seek.
To take morphine you may inject, smoke or take it in tablet form. However you use it, there’s always the potential for developing an addiction, suffering serious side effects and fatally overdosing.
Short-term morphine side effects include:
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Itching
- Tiny pupils
- Urine retention
- Over depressed CNS
- Chest pain
- Agitation or confusion
- Dizziness
- Seizures
If you use too much morphine at once, short-term effects can include coma or fatal overdose. Overdose signs include breathing problems, uncontrollable vomiting, seizures, slow heartbeat, heart attack and unconsciousness.
Long-Term Morphine Side Effects
Morphine is highly addictive. Its addictive nature is one of its biggest risks, one that can destroy your life and even kill you.
If you are addicted to morphine, you or your loved ones will start seeing side effects in every aspect of your life. These include:
- Stealing and lying
- Drug-seeking behaviors
- Lost interest in hobbies, work, and school
- Damaged relationships
- Money and legal problems
- Health problems
- Uncomfortable withdrawal when you try to quit
If you inject morphine with a needle that someone else has used you can acquire HIV, hepatitis-C and a wide range of other infectious diseases. People abusing opioids like morphine are also more vulnerable to rape, burglary, assault and other crimes.
Break the Cycle of Addiction at a Morphine Rehab Center in Portland
Once you develop a dependence on morphine in, you’ll find yourself stuck in a cycle of substance use that won’t end without professional help. You can’t just kick the habit and walk away from this powerful drug. You’ll need professional detox, therapies, and rehab to keep you safe from relapse. In fact, relapse on morphine can be extremely deadly, as it often leads to an overdose.
In a quality rehab program, you can learn why you developed an addiction to morphine in the first place. You may have one of several co-occurring disorders treatable through dual diagnosis care. Through proper and thorough treatment, your recovery from morphine addiction can be sustainable and fulfilling.
Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon treats adults with a history of substance use. At Crestview, addiction therapy services include:
- Partial hospitalization
- Outpatient
- Intensive outpatient
- Aftercare
We help you achieve lasting and strong recovery through customized treatment plans suited to your individual needs.
You deserve a happy, healthy life. Call Crestview Recovery now at 866.262.0531 for more information about treatment methods and programs.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
