Morphine for Pain Control
This webpage is designed to provide information to patients and their relatives with regard to the use of morphine in the management of acute pain.
Where does morphine come from?
Morphine is a natural product made from opium. Opium is derived from specially grown poppy plants. The use of morphine for the control of pain has been well known for centuries. In Australia morphine is the drug of choice for the control of pain, this is because morphine when used appropriately is safe and effective and has less adverse effects than other related drugs i.e. pethidine.
Will I become addicted to morphine?
The World Health Organisation studies show that addiction rarely occurs in patients who have no record of drug abuse1. Similarly the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia states that “there is no evidence that the use of morphine for the treatment of severe pain leads to opioid dependence or addiction”2. If you have any fears regarding addiction, you should talk to the nurse or doctor attending to you.
What are the effects of morphine?
Morphine administered by an injection into the vein will take approximately 5 minutes to begin to lessen the pain. If the injection is given into the fatty tissue it will take effect in approximately 10 minutes. Some people feel a little sleepy when they are administered morphine. This is a normal occurrence and you are advised to take advantage of the effect of the morphine and have a sleep. Sometimes morphine can cause other minor effects i.e. itching, nausea, constipation. If you experience other effects please tell the nurse.
Should I drive after the morphine?
As is the case with a number of other medications, you should not drive or operate heavy machinery after you have been administered morphine because your reactions may be slower and you may feel sleepy.
What will I do if the pain does not go away?
If there is little or no difference in the level of pain 10 minutes after the injection, you should tell the nurse that you are still in pain so that the situation can be reassessed.
References
- World Health Organisation 1990. Cancer pain relief and palliative care. WHO Technical Report Series, 804. WHO Geneva.
- NHMRC 1999. Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence. AusInfo http://www.ausinfo.gov.au ph 132447