Side Effects

• Injected morphine contains sodium bisulfite. Sodium bisulfite can cause allergic-type reactions in certain susceptible people. Asthmatic episodes are a common form of these allergic-type reactions. Sulfite sensitivity is most commonly seen in people with asthma.
• Respiratory depression is the most common, most significant hazard of morphine when it is being used for medical purposes. Respiratory depression most commonly occurs in the elderly and/or debilitated.
• Morphine can have adverse effects on the central nervous system. The central nervous system includes the spinal cord and the brain.
• It is possible that a person with some form of gastrointestinal obstruction can have adverse consequences when taking controlled release tablets of morphine. Specifically, it is possible that the morphine may not release for quite some time, sitting idly in the stomach. The morphine may eventually be released at a later date, when the substance is no longer needed.
• "Special Risk Groups: Morphine sulfate controlled release capsules should be administered with caution, and in reduced dosages in elderly or debilitated patients; patients with severe renal or hepatic insufficiency; patients with Addison's disease; myxedema; hypothyroidism; prostatic hypertrophy or urethral stricture.

  Caution should also be exercised in the administration of morphine sulfate to patients with CNS depression, toxic psychosis, acute alcoholism and delirium tremens, and convulsive disorders.

  Morphine sulfate should be used with extreme caution in patients with disorders characterized by hypoxia, since even usual therapeutic doses of narcotics may decrease respiratory drive to the point of apnea while simultaneously increasing airway resistance." - Morphine Sulfate "Warnings"

• Morphine may cause sphincter to spasm if given to someone suffering from biliary tract disease.
• Morphine can induce convulsions in someone who already suffers from some sort of condition that makes them prone to colvusions or causes them to have convulsions. Epilepsy would be one example of such a condition.
• Morphine has been known to cause extreme drowsiness and even hallucinations even in healthy recipients.

HomePage