Morphine

Morphine may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use. Take morphine exactly as directed. Do not take more of it, take it more often, or take it in a different way than directed by your doctor. While you are taking morphine, discuss with your healthcare provider your pain treatment goals, length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, or has overused prescription medications, or has had an overdose, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse morphine if you have or have ever had any of these conditions. Talk to your healthcare provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Morphine may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment. Your doctor will adjust your dose carefully to control your pain and decrease the risk that you will experience serious breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma. Your doctor may tell you not to take morphine. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), a head injury, a brain tumor, or any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain. The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weakened or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath.

Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Morphine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Keep morphine in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Be especially careful to keep morphine out of the reach of children. Keep track of how many tablets or capsules, or how much liquid is left so you will know if any medication is missing. Dispose of any unneeded morphine tablets, capsules, or liquid properly according to instructions. (See STORAGE and DISPOSAL.)

Taking certain other medications during your treatment with morphine may increase the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma. Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. If you take morphine with other medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness. Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

Drinking alcohol, taking prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or using street drugs during your treatment with morphine increases the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening side effects. If you are taking long-acting capsules, it is especially important that you do not drink any drinks that contain alcohol or take any prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol. Alcohol may cause the morphine in long-acting capsules to be released in your body too quickly, causing serious health problems or death. Do not drink alcohol, take any prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment with morphine products.

Swallow the extended-release tablets or capsules whole. Do not split, chew, dissolve, or crush them. If you swallow broken, chewed, crushed, or dissolved extended-release tablets or capsules, you may receive too much morphine at once instead of receiving the medication slowly over time. This may cause serious breathing problems or death. If you are unable to swallow the capsules whole, follow the instructions in the ''HOW should this medication be used?'' section below to dissolve the capsule contents in applesauce.

Morphine oral solution (liquid) comes in three different concentrations (amount of medication contained in a given amount of solution). The solution with the highest concentration (100 mg/5 mL) should only be taken by people who are tolerant (used to the effects of the medication) to opioid medications. Each time you receive your medication, check to be sure that you receive the solution with the concentration prescribed by your doctor. Be sure that you know how much medication you should take and how to measure your dose.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take morphine regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with morphine and each time you fill your prescription if a Medication Guide is available for the morphine product you are taking. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.

Morphine immediate-release tablets and oral solution are used to relieve severe, acute pain (pain that begins suddenly, has a specific cause, and is expected to go away when the cause of the pain is healed) and chronic pain in people who are expected to need an opioid pain medication and who cannot be treated with other pain medications. Morphine extended-release tablets and capsules are used to relieve severe and persistent pain in people who are expected to need an opioid pain medication around the clock and who cannot be treated with other pain medications. Morphine extended-release tablets and capsules should not be used to treat pain that can be controlled by medication that is taken as needed. Morphine is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

Morphine comes as a solution (liquid), an immediate-release tablet, an extended-release (long-acting) tablet, and as an extended-release (long-acting) capsule to take by mouth. The oral solution and immediate-release tablets are usually taken every 4 hours as needed for pain. The extended-release tablets that are usually taken every 8 or every 12 hours. The extended-release capsules are usually taken with or without food every 12 hours or every 24 hours. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

If you are taking morphine solution, use the dosing cup or syringe that comes with the medication to measure your dose. Be sure that you know how many milliliters of the liquid you should take. Ask your pharmacist if you have any question about how much medication you should take or how to use the dosing cup or syringe.

If you are taking extended-release capsules and you have a gastrostomy tube (surgically inserted feeding tube), ask your doctor or pharmacist how to administer the medication through your tube.

If you are unable to swallow the extended-release capsules, you can carefully open a capsule, sprinkle all of the beads that it contains on a spoonful of cold or room temperature applesauce, and swallow the entire mixture immediately without chewing or crushing the beads. Then rinse your mouth with a little water and swallow the water to be sure that you have swallowed all the medication. Do not mix the beads into any other food. Do not save mixtures of medication and applesauce for later.

Your doctor may adjust your dose of morphine during your treatment, depending on how well your pain is controlled and on the side effects that you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment with morphine. Tell your doctor if you feel that your pain is not controlled or if your pain increases, becomes worse, or if you have new pain or an increased sensitivity to pain during your treatment with morphine. Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not stop taking morphine without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking morphine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness; teary eyes; runny nose; yawning; irritability; anxiety; sweating; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; chills; back, muscle, or joint pain; nausea; vomiting; loss of appetite; diarrhea; stomach cramps; weakness; fast heartbeat; or fast breathing. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before taking morphine,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to morphine, any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in the type of morphine product you plan to take. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the inactive ingredients.
• tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking the following medications or have stopped taking them within the past two weeks: isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate).
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any of the conditions mentioned in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, a blockage or narrowing of your stomach or intestines, or paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you not to take morphine.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had seizures; difficulty swallowing; problems urinating; low blood pressure; adrenal insufficiency (condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough of certain hormones needed for important body functions); or liver, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, or gallbladder disease.
• tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. You should not breastfeed while you are taking morphine. Morphine can cause shallow breathing, difficulty or noisy breathing, confusion, more than usual sleepiness, trouble breastfeeding, or limpness in breastfed infants.
• you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking morphine.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking morphine.
• you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• you should know that morphine may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
• you should know that morphine may cause constipation. Talk to your doctor about changing your diet or using other medications to prevent or treat constipation while you are taking morphine.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

If you are taking morphine tablets or liquid, your doctor will probably tell you to take the medication as needed.

If you have been told to take scheduled doses of the tablets or liquid or if you are taking an extended-release product, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it, and do not take the next dose at your regularly scheduled time. Instead, allow the same amount of time that you usually allow between doses before taking your next dose. If you remember when it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Morphine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• drowsiness
• stomach pain and cramps
• dry mouth
• headache
• nervousness
• mood changes
• small pupils (black circles in the middle of the eyes
• difficulty urinating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• blue or purple color to the skin
• changes in heartbeat
• agitation, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering, severe muscle stiffness or twitching, loss of coordination, or diarrhea
• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
• inability to get or keep an erection
• irregular menstruation
• decreased sexual desire
• seizures
• extreme drowsiness
• fainting
• chest pain
• hives; rash; itching; swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, lips or throat; hoarseness; difficulty breathing or swallowing

Morphine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children, and in a location that is not easily accessible by others, including visitors to the home. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). You must immediately dispose of any medication that is outdated or no longer needed through a medicine take-back program. If you do not have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, flush any morphine extended-release tablets, extended-release capsules, and liquid that are outdated or no longer needed down the toilet so that others will not take them. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

While taking morphine, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., home, office). Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood. Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs. Ask your doctor about other ways that you can obtain naloxone (directly from a pharmacy or as part of a community based program). You should make sure that you and your family members, caregivers, or the people who spend time with you know how to recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family members how to use the medication. Ask your pharmacist for the instructions or visit the manufacturer's website to get the instructions. If symptoms of an overdose occur, a friend or family member should give the first dose of naloxone, call 911 immediately, and stay with you and watch you closely until emergency medical help arrives. Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone. If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of naloxone. Additional doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes, if symptoms return before medical help arrives.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
• difficulty breathing
• excessive sleepiness
• unable to respond or wake up
• limp or weak muscles
• cold, clammy skin
• narrowing or widening of the pupils (dark circle in the eye)
• slow heartbeat
• unusual snoring

Keep all appointments with your doctor and laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to morphine.

Before having any laboratory test (especially those that involve methylene blue), tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking morphine.

This prescription is not refillable. If you are taking morphine to control your pain on a long term basis, be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor so that you do not run out of medication. If you are taking morphine on a short-term basis, call your doctor if you continue to experience pain after you finish the medication.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

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• Avinza^®¶
• Kadian^®¶
• Morphabond^®¶
• MS Contin^®
• Oramorph^® SR^¶

• Embeda^® (containing Morphine, Naltrexone)^¶