Morphine Rectal

Morphine rectal may be habit forming. Do not use more or less of it, use it more often, stop taking it suddenly, or use it in a different way than directed by your doctor. 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.

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. If you have 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.

Morphine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Keep morphine rectal in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose.

Taking certain medications, drinking alcohol, or using street drugs with morphine may increase the risk of serious or 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. Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you use morphine rectal regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the Medication Guide when you begin treatment with morphine rectal and each time you refill your prescription. 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 (https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm).

Talk to your doctor about the risks of using morphine rectal.

Morphine rectal is used to relieve severe pain. Morphine is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the body senses pain.

Morphine rectal comes as a suppository to insert in the rectum. Use morphine rectal every 4 hours. Use rectal morphine at around the same times every day.

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. 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 rectal. Do not use more of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about access to rescue medicines, naloxone or nalmefene, while using morphine rectal. Rescue medications can reverse the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose and are available over the counter or with a prescription. Make sure that you and your family members and people usually around you know how to recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone or nalmefene, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and others how to use it. If symptoms of an overdose occur, they should give the first dose of naloxone, call 911 immediately, and stay with you and watch you closely until emergency medical help arrives. If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of the rescue medication. Additional doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes, if symptoms return before medical help arrives.

If you have been using morphine rectal regularly, do not stop using it without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop using morphine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety; sweating; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; chills; shaking of a part of your body that you cannot control; nausea; diarrhea; runny nose, sneezing or coughing; hair on your skin standing on end; or hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist). Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

To use the suppositories, follow these steps:

1. Remove the wrapper.
2. Dip the tip of the suppository in water.
3. Lie down on your left side and raise your right knee to your chest (a left-handed person should lie on the right side and raise the left knee.)
4. Using your finger, insert the suppository about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) into the rectum.
5. Hold it in place with your finger for a few moments
6. Stand up after about 15 minutes. Wash your hands thoroughly and resume normal activities.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before using rectal morphine,

• tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to this drug, any part of this drug, or any other drugs, foods or substances. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and what symptoms you had.
• some medications should not be taken with morphine rectal. Make sure you have discussed any medications you are currently taking or plan to take before starting morphine rectal with your doctor and pharmacist Before starting, stopping, or changing any medications while using morphine rectal, please get the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.
• tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking the following medications or have stopped taking them within the past two weeks: isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, phenelzine, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.
• tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John's wort and tryptophan Be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know that you are taking these medications before you start using morphine rectal. Do not start these medications while using morphine rectal without discussing it with your healthcare provider. Be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know that you are taking these medications before you start taking morphine rectal. Do not start these medications while taking morphine rectal without discussing it with your healthcare provider. Be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know that you are taking these medications before you start taking morphine rectal combination products. Do not start any of these medications while taking morphine rectal combination products without discussing with your healthcare provider.
• tell your doctor if you have slowed breathing, asthma, chronic pulmonary disease (COPD), or other lung problems, a bowel blockage, or narrowing of the stomach or intestines. Your doctor will probably tell you not to use rectal morphine.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a head injury, a brain tumor, or any condition that increases pressure in the brain; seizures; or pancreas, gallbladder, liver, kidney, or thyroid disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while using morphine, call your doctor immediately.
• you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using rectal morphine.
• you should know that morphine may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• you should know to not drink alcoholic beverages while you are using rectal morphine. Alcohol can make the side effects from morphine worse.
• you should know that morphine rectal may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start using morphine. 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 using rectal morphine.

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

Insert the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not insert a double dose to make up for a missed one.

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

• nausea, vomiting
• decreased sexual desire, inability to get or keep an erection,
• headache
• sweating

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

• rash; hives; itching; slowed, shallow, or irregular breathing
• changes in heartbeat, chest pain
• 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, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
• difficulty swallowing, regurgitation (bringing up swallowed food into throat and mouth), pain in the chest area
• inability to get or keep an erection, decreased sexual desire
• unusual snoring or long pauses during breaths during sleep
• seizures
• extreme drowsiness

Morphine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using 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 (https://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).

Dispose of any morphine rectal 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 medication down the toilet so that others will not take it. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

Keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant. Always lock safety caps. Place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. https://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.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• slow, shallow, or irregular breathing, difficulty breathing, unusual snoring
• excessive sleepiness, unable to respond or wake up
• limp or weak muscles
• cold, clammy skin
• slow heartbeat

Keep all appointments with your doctor.

Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are using morphine rectal.

This prescription is not refillable. If you are using 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 using morphine on a short term basis, call your doctor if you continue to experience pain after you finish the medication.

Keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements you are taking. Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital. You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies.

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