Morphine works. What is morphine

Morphine is a well-known drug, an alkaloid of the opiate family. Do you remember Balabanov’s famous film, based on Bulgakov’s short story series “Notes of a Doctor”? It tells with documentary accuracy all the stages of the process of getting used to this drug and the sad outcome.

Paying attention to modern potent drugs, we have completely forgotten about morphine addicts. Yet they still exist today, and the opium alkaloid is considered a more accessible drug than spice or hashish. What is morphine, how can it be useful and how can it destroy a person - let’s talk about it.

Morphine is one of the oldest and most dangerous drugs

Morphine (also called “morphine”) was “given” to the world at the beginning of the 18th century by the young German pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner. A twenty-year-old boy was able to isolate a pure alkaloid, a white crystalline substance, from poppy opium. An inquisitive pharmacist not only obtained a new compound, he studied its effects on humans and experimental animals.

The founder of morphine was the German pharmacist Sertürner

Morphine got its name thanks to the Greek deity Morpheus, the god of dreams and astral adventures. After all, the main effect of the new drug was considered to be a powerful hypnotic effect.

Almost simultaneously, with a difference of only three years, morphine was discovered by Serturner’s colleague, the chemist from France Armand Seguin. The new drug gradually conquered the medical space. At first, it was used for medicinal purposes to a very limited extent.

Morphine is deadly to humans

But soon morphine became popular and became one of the most popular and widespread painkillers. But a surge in active interest in morphine began after one of the doctors proposed introducing the drug into the body by injection, under the skin. The triumphant march of the drug began in 1855.

Morphine: what is it?

Traditionally, this drug is obtained technologically by distilling the milky juice of an unripe poppy plant. A white powder with a crystalline structure, the opium alkaloid has poor dissolving ability. In medicine, a morphine solution is used, which is administered to a person by injection.

Medicinal abilities

In small and harmless doses, this remedy has numerous healing effects. The main effect of morphine is a sedative effect. It becomes especially necessary when, due to severe pain shock, the patient develops insomnia and the nervous system suffers.

Signs of morphine use in humans

About 100-120 years ago, morphine was prescribed for the treatment of delirium tremens, people suffering from mental illness and neuralgia.

Modern medicine has long been able to do without the use of opium alkaloid in the treatment of alcohol and other addictions. But our pharmaceutical industry has not yet abandoned the ancient remedy. In pharmacies you can find a lot of medicines created on the basis of this substance:

• Codeine;
• Skenan;
• Dionin;
• M-Eslon;
• Omnopon;
• Papaverine.

These medications act on brain receptors and stop the centers responsible for creating pain impulses. A person is saved from unbearable pain after an injury, a complex fracture, a heart attack, or the growth of a cancerous tumor.

Although such drugs contain a minimal dosage of morphine, even a small dose of the substance can do a person a disservice and turn him into a morphine addict. It has been proven that the addiction of people taking morphine is much stronger and stronger than that of the same opium addict.

The drug morphine

This drug is very dangerous, because small doses of it can provoke severe dependence in a person. Even at a low dosage that induces deep and restful sleep, the opium alkaloid changes emotional reactions, distorting the perception of reality.

Morphine addiction used to be widespread

What is the effect of morphine? When the alkaloid is administered in a minimal amount, the person experiences an elevated feeling of euphoria. His mood improves, the world is painted in rainbow and bright colors. A pleasant warmth is felt in the body. Wanting to experience a blissful feeling again, the person again turns for a new dose-injection and, unnoticed by himself, gradually increases the dosage.

Morphine has one peculiarity: if you stop taking it for a while (even a short one), the addict will have to start again with a small dose of the alkaloid. Otherwise, morphine will not give rosy emotions, but will bring serious discomfort and poisoning.

An overdose of morphine is very dangerous for humans. Excess of the drug causes severe intoxication of the body, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. When taken in large quantities, morphine is fatal.

Withdrawal syndrome

The drug morphine, after its withdrawal from the patient, produces a host of unpleasant side effects. The time when withdrawal begins manifests itself differently for each person. On average, this period is 10-20 hours. The following symptoms are characteristic of a morphine addict in withdrawal:

• confusion of speech;
• increased sweating;
• increased salivation;
• loss of consciousness and general weakness;
• slowing down of thought processes;
• hysteria and irritability, tearfulness.

How does morphine work in the next stage, with a more serious overdose? The following, more dangerous syndromes are added to the initial symptoms:

1. Loss of consciousness, onset of hallucinations, delirium.
2. The person completely refuses to eat food.
3. The individual has a strong tremor: trembling of the arms/legs.
4. The skin becomes covered with pimples, and a feeling of chills appears.
5. The pupils of the eyes dilate greatly, the drug addict is not able to visually assess the surrounding reality and understand where he is.

The effect of taking morphine occurs instantly

After another 1.5-2 days, the person visits the last, most severe stage of withdrawal syndrome. This period, if medicinal auxiliary measures are not taken, leads to the death of a person.. The following symptoms are observed:

• a sharp increase in blood pressure;
• severe tachycardia;
• aches of muscles and joints, cramps;
• cutting pain in the abdomen;
• nausea leading to profuse vomiting.

The emotional state of the morphine addict of this period is far from the feeling of euphoria that he experienced when he first became acquainted with the drug. Now morphine and morphine, there is no difference between them, have a depressing effect on a person.

A person, in search of a new dose, stops at nothing. She becomes aggressive, hysterical and unpredictable. In a fit of anger, an inadequate person is capable of harming others and even killing a person who is preventing the morphine addict from getting his next dose.

What does a morphine addict look like?

The portrait of a typical morphine addict is very far from the appearance of a healthy person. Now he is a thin, haggard and tired man. Sparse thin, greasy hair, wildly burning eyes. Puffy, swollen face with sallow skin, rotten, sore teeth. Due to frequent injections, a chronic morphine drug addict suffers greatly from the skin - it becomes covered with ulcers, ulcers and scars.

Ways to save a person from addiction

It is necessary to restore and return the individual to a healthy life in the conditions of a drug treatment clinic. What is morphine? It is an evil that gradually destroys a person, leading to his complete degradation and ultimate death. The detoxification process of morphine drugs takes a long time.

In case of observed attacks of rage and aggression, the patient is prescribed psychotropic drugs and tranquilizers. The overall picture of therapy is complemented by nutritional therapy with a specially designed diet and a course of multivitamin supplements. Psychotherapy is also often used.

In contact with

This substance is the main alkaloid of opium. Its content in opium is 10%. Morphine is found in sleeping pills and other types of poppy.

History of morphine

It was isolated from plant materials. It does not have the properties of morphine and was so named by mistake. Morphine was first obtained in 1804 by the German chemist F. Sertuner.

This alkaloid was the first isolated from plant materials in its pure form, but was not widely used. It has not been used in medicine as a medicine, since its correct and effective use is only possible through intravenous injections. The injection needle was invented much later - in 1853.

Complete synthesis was carried out only in 1952 by R. Woodworth. The synthesis included 17 stages and upon completion it was concluded that the resulting substance was not suitable for widespread commercial trade. These days, natural morphine is still much cheaper than synthetically produced morphine.

Morphine has always been used under strict supervision to relieve severe pain. In addition, it was used as replacement therapy in the treatment of opium or alcohol addiction. Today, replacement therapy uses codeine, which, when dimethylated, becomes morphine in the liver.

What does morphine look like?

It appears as white, needle-shaped crystals that slightly change color during storage and become yellowish or grayish. The crystals are practically insoluble in either water or alcohol. They are not compatible with alkali.

The alkaloid is obtained only from a white milky substance isolated from plants and frozen.

Effects of morphine on the body

Orally administered morphine has a low bioavailability of about 26%. Intravenous injections allow the body tissues to absorb 90% of the substance within the next 10 minutes. Intramuscular injections allow the body to absorb it within 20 minutes.

Pharmacologically, morphine affects both types of opioid receptors.

The effects of the drug are felt:

• as a decrease in the level of consciousness,
• warm,
• drowsiness
• and euphoria.

Some people experience severe dysphoria upon initial morphine injection.

Metabolization of morphine by the body results in the release of a glucoronide conjugate. Part of the substance is converted to normorphine and codeine.

Some metabolic products are excreted through the kidneys, some through bile. The period for removing half of the substance from the body is about two hours. When tolerance develops, the half-life may vary significantly. In the next three hours, up to 80% of morphine is eliminated from the body. After 100 hours, the test may show traces of morphine in the body.

Signs of use

When morphine is administered, depression of the respiratory center, nausea and vomiting may occur.

Morphine is used in the form of salts. They dissolve better and are more easily absorbed by the body. It is a strong pain reliever. Morphine acts on “slow pain” receptors. Morphine is administered for severe injuries, providing anti-shock and strong anti-pain effects.

Regular use causes sleep disturbances, since morphine has a pronounced hypnotic nature and is used in many cases to normalize it in case of severe pain. Signs of use are:

• inhibition of reactions and conditioned reflexes,
• rare convulsive, irregular breathing,
• significant constriction of the pupils and their lack of response to light,
• in some cases, bronchospasms with severe convulsive cough are observed,
• nausea is caused by spasm of the biliary tract and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract,
• By increasing the tone of the urinary tract sphincter, morphine causes frequent painful urge to urinate,
• it weakens intestinal motility, which causes constipation,
• pallor of the skin is observed.

An overdose leads to loss of consciousness, profuse vomiting, sweating, and bradycardia. In some cases, depression of the respiratory center leads to respiratory arrest. Profuse vomiting while consciousness is fading can cause vomit to enter the respiratory tract and cause death.

Drug addiction?

Get a consultation now

Consequences of morphine use

Morphine serves to inhibit the transmission of pain impulses in the central nervous system. It completely changes the emotional assessment of pain. Euphoria when using it is felt as an improvement in mood, the emergence of a feeling of comfort, and a rosy perception of the future (the real state of affairs is not taken into account). Euphoria serves to form persistent mental and physical dependence.

Physical dependence

It manifests itself in the regular need to take new and new doses. Withdrawal syndrome causes severe withdrawal symptoms. In the initial stages, withdrawal manifests itself as mild nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, anorexia, and pain localized in the epigastrium.

After some time, addicts may experience:

• astralgia - stomach cramps,
• hepatoxicity - dark urine, pale stools, icterus of the skin and sclera,
• paralytic ileus,
• toxic megacolon, accompanied by constipation, flatulence, nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting,
• the cardiovascular system reacts with a sharp decrease or increase in blood pressure, tachycardia or bradycardia,
• bronchospasms, depression of the respiratory center, atelectasis.

Abstinence is especially pronounced in relation to the nervous system. Addicts experience drowsiness, lethargy, general fatigue and weakness. Often there are fainting, headaches and tremors - tremors of the limbs, paresthesia and confusion. Intracranial pressure increases, leading to the formation of cerebrovascular accidents.

Synthesized in clandestine laboratories, morphine has a number of toxic impurities that provoke allergic reactions. May be noted:

• difficulty breathing and wheezing,
• skin rash,
• hyperemia of the skin,
• swelling of the respiratory system,
• laryngospasms,
• chills.

Impact on the psyche

The psyche responds to withdrawal syndrome with confusion, neurosis-like states and psychoses. Patients complain of insomnia or nightmares that torment them. Vivid hallucinations of a frightening nature and depersonalization are noted.

Lack of treatment or self-treatment can be the impetus for the development of delirium. Delirium tremens of morphine addicts resembles delirium delirium. During an attack, patients hear voices and talk to them, feel foreign objects inside their own body and try to remove them, sometimes causing serious injury to themselves. Delirium tremens hallucinations are personified. Creatures that are not really there talk to addicts.

The psychoses of morphine addicts have different expressions, but they are almost always very difficult. Overexcitement and good mood are sharply replaced by anxiety, wariness and suspicion. Parnoid psychosis is accompanied by delusions and hallucinations. A persecution mania develops. The patient feels the threat of death and sees the environment in a hostile light towards himself. All these manifestations cause aggression towards others and make the drug addict unusually dangerous.

Treatment of morphine addiction

Treatment of morphine addiction should be carried out in conditions of strict isolation of the addict in a specialized medical institution. The purchase of any psychotropic substances should be prohibited.

Morphine is a narcotic substance belonging to the opium series. Like other similar alkaloids, it is found in the juice of unripe poppy pods. Morphine is a drug that is a derivative of morphine, the main “representative” of opioids. The substance is of natural origin, found in poppy, moonseed, stephania, and to a lesser extent in croton, ocotea and some other plants. Dependence on the drug is tens of times stronger than on opium.

At a certain stage in the development of medicine, this strong painkiller was used as a medicine. However, today the international Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the legislative norms of all countries of the world determine that morphine is a drug belonging to the first list of dangers. It inevitably destroys the body, causes addiction and in a large proportion of cases leads to death.

The addiction that morphine causes, the effect on humans of its derivatives (in particular, morphine), has been repeatedly described by leading experts and famous writers. Mikhail Bulgakov learned from his own experience what morphine is, describing the stages of addiction in a famous story (his first wife, T. Lappe, helped the writer get rid of it). Leo Tolstoy in his novel Anna Karenina demonstrated how addiction to morphine develops using the example of the main character. She was prescribed an opiate to relieve labor pain.

History of morphine

Morphine has been used by humanity for many centuries as an analgesic and sleeping pill. It received its name in honor of the ancient Greek god of dreams Morpheus, the younger brother of the god of death. How to obtain morphine, what it was, was already known in the ancient world, but it was first isolated in the laboratory only at the beginning of the 19th century. The German pharmacologist F. Sertuner gave the substance a name and described its properties. The first purified alkaloid became widespread after the invention of the injection needle and became widely used in operations.

Numerous wars (American Civil, Franco-Prussian and others) spread the dangerous substance and caused addiction among soldiers and officers. Due to the active use of the drug to reduce pain in the wounded, morphine began to be talked about as the cause of “army disease.” Having studied it, at the end of the 19th century, doctors at an international conference announced that a new disease had appeared - drug addiction. The world community learned that morphine is a drug, but in controlled doses it was used for a long time as a drug for insomnia, pain, neuralgia and as a treatment for alcoholism. Today in medicine the substance is treated with much more caution.

Morphine in medicine

Morphine - what is it from the point of view of pharmacists and doctors? In purified form, these are colorless, bitter crystals - the hydrochloride salt of the isoquinoline alkaloid morphine. It is a derivative of phenanthrene, which is found in large quantities in opium. The formula of morphine is C 15 H 21 NO 4 (Hill system). The infamous heroin is a diacetylmorphine synthetic form of morphine that emerged in the late 19th century.

The substance is absorbed into the body by any administration - intramuscular, subcutaneous, orally. Morphine used in medicine is a drug in the form of tablets or a solution in ampoules. It is used as a powerful analgesic, which minimizes severe pain in:

• heart attacks;
• late stages of cancer;
• wounds, fractures and so on.

Morphine tablets have reduced bioavailability (up to 25-26%). Therefore, the drug is mainly used for injection. The form in which morphine is most often presented is ampoules for intravenous or intramuscular administration.

Today, in medical practice, morphine and morphine in their “original” form are supplemented and often replaced by other forms of the substance, no less dangerous - codeine, papaverine, dionine and others. The dosage of the active drug in them is less, but the dependence develops the same.

Morphine as a drug

Morphine is a drug, dangerous and merciless. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation included it in list A - narcotic substances and poisons. Its circulation and storage are strictly regulated. Dependence on the drug develops rapidly. A person under the influence of an alkaloid is in high spirits, his pain disappears, the world is seen in a “pink color”, which encourages him to continue taking it and increase the dosage.

As a drug, morphine causes withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is characterized by tearfulness, insomnia, worsening mood, hysteria, and refusal to eat. The morphine addict's arms and legs tremble, he shudders, his blood pressure rises, and his pupils dilate. Upon withdrawal, sweating, weakness, aching joints, nausea are observed, and at the last stage - cramps and convulsions.

Impact on the body and addiction

Morphine is an alkaloid analgesic that inhibits pain impulses transmitted through the central nervous system, causing euphoria and forming drug addiction. At peak concentration, 15-20 minutes after administration, it:

• reduces body temperature, blood pressure and level of consciousness;
• causes drowsiness, a feeling of warmth in the body and a complacent, euphoric state;
• slows down the heart rate and breathing;
• inhibits the secretory activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
• inhibits sexual function and metabolism.

Despite the significant analgesic effect that morphine provides, the cost of its use is excessive. The best analgesic available to humanity is a “time bomb”. Morphine and morphine practically paralyze the centers of the cerebral cortex. Their use causes disruption of all body functions, coma and even death. Morphine is a drug that, while reducing sensitivity to pain, simultaneously depresses the respiratory centers - until breathing stops.

Signs and consequences of use

With long-term use, the alkaloid causes sleep disturbances, memory disorders, and depression. It destroys the brain and central nervous system, changes the personality and leads to its degradation. When addicted, people go to great lengths to get morphine - buy it or obtain it through criminal means. As an opiate drug, morphine can be detected in the body using antagonist substances. Naloxone or a similar drug is given by injection, followed by severe withdrawal symptoms.

Addiction can be identified by the appearance of the patient, whose body is destroyed by the drug. A morphine addict is a person with dry, sallow skin, constricted pupils, decayed teeth, and poor condition of hair and nails. He often experiences fever followed by chills, psychomotor agitation, and faints. In drug addicts, libido decreases, digestion is disrupted, and the heart beats quickly.

How to get rid of addiction

Morphine is a substance that is dangerous for relapse. If the patient completely refuses it, a breakdown and taking a significant dose provokes large-scale intoxication, bouts of vomiting and, in some cases, death. Therefore, traditional treatment programs that do not take into account the manifestations of relapses can even be harmful in this case.

A comprehensive impact on the patient is necessary, in which his body is cleansed, and he himself receives tools for self-control and returns to a conscious, healthy life. The Narconon program provides this effect. It does not carry out drug detoxification, and withdrawal symptoms during weaning from the drug are compensated with the help of special assistive techniques. Intoxication of the body is eliminated by special nutrition, taking oils, niacin, vitamin and mineral complexes, running and a sauna. The patient also undergoes programs aimed at psychological recovery from addiction:

• “Objective processes” and “Overcoming ups and downs in life” - restoring communication skills, avoiding social connections that provoke relapses;
• “Personal values” - awareness of oneself and one’s obligations, responsibility for actions;
• “Changing conditions in life” and “Life skills” - developing creative problem-solving skills and obtaining tools to help you not take drugs in the future.

With the help of the program, morphine addicts get rid of addiction in 8-10 weeks. The effect lasts forever, and the patient begins a new, conscious and healthy life.

SIGN UP FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

We will help motivate a person so that he has a desire to get rid of addiction.
We will give recommendations on how to communicate with a drug addict.

Morphine in its pure form is a white crystalline powder. Morphine is an outdated name for it. The name of the substance comes from the name of the ancient Greek god Morpheus, who, as you remember from high school, commanded dreams. Morphine is the main and already well-studied alkaloid of opium. It is made from freshly dried juice (milk) of the opium poppy. The substance was found in plants such as poppy, stephania, sinomenium, moonseed, etc.

The analgesic, sedative, and hypnotic properties associated with morphine became known as early as 1805. It was actively used during the American Civil War as a pain reliever. It was administered intramuscularly and intravenously to wounded soldiers after surgery, thus easing their suffering. However, it quickly became addictive, and soon the condition it caused was called “soldier’s disease.”

Not only military personnel, but also doctors at the beginning of the last century often became morphine addicts. At that time, there was a misconception among the medical community that a doctor, knowing about the properties of morphine and its addiction to it, would be able to avoid addiction. Therefore, they used this substance for themselves, thus trying to get rid of the feeling of fatigue. However, as practice has shown, this opinion was erroneous.

Indications for the use of morphine in medicine

Morphine is still widely used in medicine today. Its derivatives, for example, hydrochloride or sulfate, are used as an analgesic drug. Used orally and as an injection of a 1% solution. The average injection dose is 1 ml. The maximum daily dose is 20 ml. Exceeding the permissible dose leads to respiratory arrest and death.

Preparations based on it effectively reduce pain. Moreover, not only physical pain, but also pain of psychogenic origin is eliminated. The medicine has sedative properties and suppresses cough. Due to the fact that morphine has the ability to reduce the excitability of pain centers, it is used as an antishock agent for injuries. It is also used to treat acute myocardial infarction.

The medicine is used to provide a strong hypnotic effect in cases of sleep disturbances and falling asleep due to pain. The drug inhibits conditioned reflexes and significantly reduces the excitability of the cough center. It has a stimulating effect on the center of the oculomotor nerve, causes an increase in bronchial tone and can cause bronchospasm, as well as spasms of the biliary tract and bladder sphincters. Increases gastric peristalsis, accelerating its emptying. This quality helps to detect gastric and duodenal ulcers

Morphine is like a drug

Of course, due to the fact that the substance has a narcotic effect on the body, drug addicts could not help but notice it. Like any drug, it causes euphoria, as well as a decrease in the level of consciousness and sensitivity, forcing the body to work for wear. Its action may be accompanied by a feeling of warmth, drowsiness, and calm. It begins to act a few minutes after administration and is concentrated in the blood within 20 minutes. The effect of the drug depends on the dosage and lasts on average from 2 to 8 hours.

Signs of Morphine use

After administration of the drug, slight redness of the eyes is observed, with an unhealthy shine appearing and the pupils narrowing. Bruises appear under the eyes. Breathing slows down, becomes shallow and intermittent. Skin itching appears, especially noticeable in the nose area.

Lethargy appears, speech becomes confused. The person becomes passive, lethargic, relaxed, and has little interest in the environment. There have also been cases of euphoria and carelessness, excessive courage and desperate determination, and nervousness.

Sleep becomes superficial, the skin is excessively dry. Urine production decreases, constipation appears, and body temperature decreases slightly.

A characteristic symptom after taking the drug is depression of the respiratory system. An overdose (which happens very often because the morphine user cannot adequately control himself) causes death.

Consequences of drug use

Since morphine is a narcotic drug, it causes persistent addiction in a short time, accompanied by severe physical dependence. Moreover, in the process of use, to obtain the desired effect, more and more of the drug is required.

Withdrawal syndrome in a drug addict appears 10-12 hours after the last dose. It manifests itself in the form of severe withdrawal, nausea and vomiting.

The person becomes irritable and aggressive. Acute withdrawal syndrome usually lasts from 1 to 2 weeks. During this period, there is also a decrease in concentration, the quality of vision becomes low, and a state of lethargy occurs.

Recently, scientists have discovered that the human body can independently produce substances similar in their effects to morphine. They effectively relieve severe pain. In this regard, a natural substance called encephalin was isolated, which is not addictive. Scientists suggest that in the future it will replace all painkillers. In addition, it could be used to treat morphinism.

Morphine or, in other words, Morphine in its pure form is presented in the form of a white powder. In addition to its sedative and hypnotic effects on the body, morphine is used for pain relief in cancer patients. How to use the medicine correctly and what are the features of its use?

General characteristics of cancer pain and features of drug use for cancer

Malignant tumors are one of the most dangerous pathologies in modern medicine. Dangerous consequences are expressed not only in possible death, but also in the occurrence of severe intractable pain, which brings a lot of suffering to a person. Every person suffering from a malignant neoplasm of any location experiences pain at every stage of its development.

Often, severe pain occurs with stage 4 cancer, when metastases are observed, radiating from the primary focus to other organs and systems. At this time, the doctor takes all measures to ease the intensity of pain and the general well-being of the patient. According to research, almost half of all cancer patients do not have complete control over their symptoms, and a quarter of them die not from the most malignant lesion of the body, but from unbearable pain.

Before understanding how Morphine works in anesthetizing a malignant tumor, it is worth considering what the mechanism of pain in this case is and how it arises. So, to determine the necessary method of symptom management for cancer, first of all, find out the type of pain:

1. Nociceptive. Pain impulses from nociceptors to the brain are transmitted using peripheral nerves. Nociceptive pain, in turn, is divided into somatic (sharp or dull), visceral (not clearly defined) and associated with a previous invasive operation.
2. Neuropathic. The pain syndrome in this case is caused by damage to the nervous system. If a person is diagnosed with advanced cancer of any location, neuropathic pain can be caused by infiltration of the nerve root, exposure to a chemotherapy drug or radiation from radiation therapy.

Over time, the progression of cancer, the pain syndrome only increases in intensity, reaching maximum levels when the disease reaches stage 4. The most effective is the use of Morphine for cancer, which began to be used for such purposes back in 1950. Later, the World Health Organization decided to take this medicine every 4 hours to achieve the desired pain relief.

In those years, Morphine was used only in tablet form for the development of cancer. Today there are also injections (injections) of the drug. The elimination of different forms of Morphine from the body occurs over different periods of time. The injection form of the drug has immediate release and rapid absorption. For this reason, morphine injections can be taken several times a day. If we talk about the tablet form of the drug, its elimination from the body is quite slow, which makes it possible to use Morphine only once a day.

Internal use of Morphine helps relieve moderate to severe pain. If used correctly, the medicine is quite safe and effective. Otherwise, especially if the drug is abused, it can cause addiction and depression of respiratory function.

The use of Morphine for cancer has its own characteristics:

1. Individual determination of the dosage of the drug, taking into account the intensity and nature of the pain.
2. The exact time of taking Morphine during the development of cancer, which is determined by the attending physician based on the individual characteristics of the development of the pathology.
3. “Ascending” use of the drug, namely, from the maximum dosage of weak opiates to the minimum dosage of Morphine.
4. Tablets are considered the most gentle and effective forms of medicine, but when used correctly, in order to avoid addiction.

To eliminate pain caused by the development of a malignant tumor, tablets are taken at a rate of 0.2-0.8 mg/kg, every 12 hours. Granules of the drug, which are intended for the preparation of a suspension and internal use, are prepared as follows: 20, 30 or 60 mg of granules are diluted in 10 ml of water, 100 mg in 20 ml, 200 mg in 30 ml. The suspension must be mixed well and drunk immediately after preparation. The dose for one injection of Morphine is 1 mg. In this case, the drug is administered subcutaneously. You can inject the medicine into a vein or muscle, but in a different dosage - 10 mg.

Under what circumstances is it prohibited to use the medicine?

In addition to such a high effectiveness of Morphine used for malignant neoplasms, there are also contraindications, which can be absolute and relative. The first type includes:

• the occurrence of pathologies in the body that cause depression of the central nervous system or respiration;
• development of intestinal obstruction;
• systematic seizures;
• frequent increase in intracranial pressure;
• past trauma to the skull;
• psychosis due to alcohol dependence or other acute alcohol pathology;
• development of bronchial asthma, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure caused by chronic pulmonary disease;
• severe general condition, which is observed after surgical intervention on the biliary tract;
• development of pathologies of abdominal organs requiring surgical intervention;
• concomitant use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (prohibition on the use of Morphine for two weeks after the end of their use);
• individual intolerance to Morphine components.

Relative contraindications to taking the drug for cancer are:

• the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• suicidal tendencies in the patient;
• alcohol addiction;
• development of gallstone disease;
• epilepsy;
• operations that were previously performed on the gastrointestinal tract or urinary tract;
• development of renal or liver failure;
• development of hypothyroidism;
• in men – the occurrence of prostate hyperplasia;
• the course of severe inflammatory bowel pathology.

Elderly people and children should also take Morphine carefully. In such cases, the medicine is prescribed only by a specialist and taking into account the peculiarities of the course of oncological pathology. During pregnancy and lactation, the drug is used in case of emergency.

Adverse symptoms and overdose

Side symptoms can occur from many organs and systems in the body. If you take Morphine incorrectly, without consulting your doctor or in violation of his recommendations, you can cause the following negative manifestations:

• from the central nervous system and sensory organs: headaches, dizziness, a feeling of constant anxiety, apathy towards other people, nightmares at night, paresthesia, increased intracranial pressure, muscle twitching, inability to coordinate movement, convulsive syndrome, disturbance of the visual system (turbidity before the eyes), disturbance of taste, the appearance of ringing in the ears;
• from the cardiovascular system: development of bradycardia, tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbances, low or high blood pressure, fainting;
• from the respiratory system: bronchospasms, development of atelectasis;
• from the digestive system: nausea, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting, development of gastralgia, anorexia, cholestasis, spasms;
• from the urinary tract: decreased volume of daily diuresis, spasms of the ureters, impaired process of excretion of urine from the body;
• allergies: redness of the skin of the face, swelling of the face or trachea, general malaise, skin rashes, itching syndrome.

Exceeding the dosage of the drug can cause the following signs of overdose:

• increased cold sweating;
• clouding of consciousness;
• general malaise;
• increased nervous excitement;
• heart rhythm disturbance;
• anxiety syndrome;
• signs of psychosis;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• muscle weakness;
• convulsions;
• coma.

If such symptoms of overdose occur, carry out the necessary resuscitation measures.

Special instructions while taking the medicine

Special instructions that should be followed when prescribing and during the period of direct administration of the drug include:

1. If there is a risk of developing intestinal obstruction, the medication must be stopped.
2. If it is necessary to undergo surgery on the heart or something else with severe pain, stop taking Morphine the day before.
3. If nausea or vomiting occurs while taking the drug, concomitant use of a phenothiazine is permitted.
4. To reduce the side effects of the drug on the intestines, the use of laxatives is recommended.
5. Driving vehicles during treatment with Morphine must be done carefully, including activities that require increased attention.
6. It is recommended to discuss the combined use of antihistamines, hypnotics and psychotropic drugs, that is, those that affect the central nervous system, with your doctor.

No doctor can say exactly how long a person suffering from a malignant neoplasm of any location will live. Everything depends not so much on the individual characteristics of the body, but on the timeliness of prescribing appropriate treatment. For this reason, in order to avoid the use of such a strong drug as Morphine, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease, when it occurs in the initial stage.