Morphine (Morph, Miss Emma, Dreamer)

New Jersey Morphine Drug Defense Attorneys

Prescription Drug Information About Morphine

Brand names: MS Contin, Avinza, Roxanol

Street names: Morph, Miss Emma, Emma, Dreamer, Emsel

Drug Classification: Pure morphine or products with more than 50mg per 100g are Schedule II drugs in the US, and any product with less than 50mg per 100g or with a non-narcotic medication added is a Schedule III drug.

General Information

Morphine is a natural opiate used for treatment of severe pain. It directly affects the central nervous system and is available in a wide-variety of forms for medical applications in pain treatment, cough suppression, and surgery preparation. Morphine is one of the oldest and most effective treatments for intense pain and suffering, with many considering it the “gold standard” for analgesic medicine (painkillers). Like other opiates, morphine should never be combined with alcohol, as this can lead to a shut down of the central nervous and respiratory systems potentially resulting in death.

Morphine is generally used intravenously (injected into the vein) and saw much more widespread use after the invention of the hypodermic needle. Morphine is much more soluble in water than other opiates used in medicine, lending itself to injection as the most effect method of administration. Morphine is also available in quick and extended-release tablets ranging in dosage from less than 15mg to 200mg for opiod-tolerant patients.

Physical Effects

Morphine is highly effective in relieving pain symptoms and is known to cause a decrease in anxiety and overall euphoria. Common physical effects include drowsiness, itching, mental and physical impairment, decrease in hunger, and (sometimes severe) constipation.

Morphine Overdose

Crushing or grinding tablets before swallowing them can be dangerous or even fatal, since it can cause a toxic amount of morphine to be released in the body all at once.

In sensitive individuals a dose as low as 60mg may be fatal, though for most this number is about 100mg. Common symptoms of morphine overdose include cold or clammy skin, weak pulse, shallow, weak, or slowing breaths, pinpoint pupils, and extreme drowsiness and fainting.

Addiction and Withdrawal Symptoms

Morphine is highly addictive, and dependence and tolerance develop rapidly. Users may need more and more of the drug to get the same effects, with an intense psychological need starting as well because of how morphine interacts with the brain’s reward systems.

Patients should take special care when stopping use of morphine, as discontinuation may cause withdrawal symptoms from morphine detoxification. Withdrawal symptoms commonly include nausea, chills and fevers, runny nose, crying, sweating, intestinal cramping, anxiety, and depression. Those going through withdrawal may also experience aching muscles and bones, muscle twitches or severe cramps, insomnia, and diarrhea. Withdrawal symptoms are often alleviated by a supplement medication, often methadone, though this can cause the patient to be addicted to methadone while failing to break their original addiction to morphine.

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