Morphine Use
Morphine is a narcotic painkiller that directly affects the central nervous system. Morphine relieves pain but it also impairs mental and physical performance while doing so. Morphine use also can relieve fear, anxiety and has an intense euphoric effect. Morphine use decreases hunger, inhibits the cough reflex, produces constipation and in most cases reduces the sex drive.
Morphine was first discovered by a German pharmacist named Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Serturner in 1805. Morphine is produced from opium which is a raw product that is produced from the seeds and other plant material found in opium poppy plants. Morphine comes in multiple different forms including syrups, pills and injections. The brand names for morphine are MS-Contin, Oramorph SR, MSIR, Roxanol, Kadian, and RMS. Some street names for morphine use are M, Miss Emma, monkey and white stuff.
The use of morphine has its place in the medical world. There are many people where if morphine was not available as an anesthesia would have gone through a serious amount of pain or maybe wouldn’t have been able to have the surgery they needed. Morphine use is primarily for the relief of pain for someone who has been injured or who has surgery and in worst case scenarios for someone who is dying.
Morphine use is highly addictive even though in most instances it is prescribed for the relief of pain. Morphine can be abused when it is prescribed and used recreationally. Morphine use is addictive because it builds a tolerance in the user as well as a physical and psychological dependence. Withdrawal from morphine use can cause nausea, tearing, yawning, chills, and sweating that lasts for days. Morphine use also crosses the placental barrier and babies who are born to mothers who used morphine also have to go through withdrawal.
Some short term effects of morphine use are:
- Nausea
- Red Rash
- Reduced Sex Drive
- Respiratory Depression
- Slowed Breathing
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Weight Loss
- Irregular Heartbeat
- Tachycardia
- May Be Life-Threatening
- Respiratory Depression
- Shallow Breathing
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
Some long term effects of morphine use are:
- Constipation
- Convulsions
- Death
- Depression
- Emotional Instability
- Facial Flushing
- Itchy Skin
- Hot Flashes
- Kidney Damage
- Liver Damage
- Mood Disturbances
- Muscle Flaccidity
- Muscle Pain
- Pupil Constriction
These long term effects and short term effects of morphine use cannot only affect someone who is using morphine recreationally but also someone who is prescribed to it.
Morphine use that has led to addiction can negatively impact someone’s life significantly. In fact addiction to morphine use can impact
- Hygiene
- Health
- Nutrition
- Psychological stress
- Medical conditions
- Relationships
The treatment for long term morphine use that has led to addiction is in an opiate detox. Opiate detox allows for someone who has used morphine to get it out of their system in the least amount of pain possible. Detox is one of the most effective ways to combat the withdrawal symptoms of morphine use when someone wants to stop taking it. Opiate detox is especially effective when followed up with drug treatment to combat morphine use even farther.
Sources:
http://www.confirmbiosciences.com/informationresources/drug-facts/opiatesmorphine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drugs/p/drugs-morphine.htm