Morphine is a painkiller that doctors prescribe for cancer, postsurgical recovery, and other conditions. It’s beneficial and safe to take it with a doctor’s guidance. Because it’s an opioid, it creates a “high” when taken at high doses. When people take it for this purpose, it can be dangerous. Some users may have a prescription and take it in excess. Others may be taking a loved one’s medication.
When someone takes morphine but not in controlled doses under a doctor’s supervision, there are some risks that make medicine more dangerous. High doses can be fatal, especially when combined with other medications. These high or combined doses can slow or stop your breathing and lead to overdose. People who take morphine at high doses or over a long period of time can also develop a mental and physical dependence on it. This is known as an addiction or opioid use disorder (OUD).
These behaviors and the reasoning behind them are very complex. The relationships that people who use morphine have with the drug is personal. Some may not want or need to quit. There are positives, negatives, and risks that each person has to assess for themselves.
In this blog post, we’ll list 10 symptoms of morphine addiction and talk about treatments that can help people who want to stop using morphine.
10 symptoms of morphine addiction
Anyone who takes morphine for an extended period may form a dependency, which means they will have withdrawal symptoms when they’re not taking it. These include anxiety, discomfort, abdominal pain, and other physical and psychological symptoms. However, an addiction will also involve harmful patterns of use, cravings, and loss of control. It is possible to develop a chemical dependency if you’re taking morphine as prescribed by a doctor. Your doctor should help you manage your risks of addiction and other unwanted effects. They can also help you stop taking morphine safely when appropriate.
The effects of morphine addiction will vary depending on a few things. The dosage, how often the person is taking it, and how long they have been using are all factors. The effects of morphine itself may change as a person develops an addiction. As the brain gets used to high levels of an opioid, it will take more of it to create the same “high.” After stopping use for a period of time, the person may become more sensitive to it. These effects are called tolerance and behavioral sensitization, sometimes called “reverse tolerance.”
The following are 10 symptoms people with morphine addiction may experience:
- Withdrawal — Morphine withdrawal can cause both mental health and physical symptoms, including:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Anorexia
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea or constipation
The timeline of withdrawal symptoms depends on several factors. Since morphine is a short-acting opioid, withdrawal symptoms usually begin within eight to 24 hours and subside within four to 10 days. With extended-release forms of morphine, symptoms would begin within 12 to 48 hours after the last use and subside in 10 to 20 days. People may continue to experience cravings for weeks or months.
- Tolerance — Over time, people with morphine addiction may feel like they need to take higher doses to feel the desired effects. The same is true with other dependency-causing drugs like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. As tolerance increases, so do withdrawal effects. This is why it becomes harder to stop taking a drug once you’ve become dependent.
- Behavioral sensitization — People may become sensitized to morphine after they stop taking it for a while. There are two reasons for this: First, certain dopamine receptors in the brain become more sensitive to morphine after initial use. Second, more dopamine is released when the person resumes taking it. There’s also a greater psychological effect when a person takes morphine in the same environment as before.
- Abnormal sleep patterns — While morphine may help you fall into light sleep, it decreases stages of deeper sleep and REM. Many people with morphine addiction have trouble sleeping at night.
- Chronic drowsiness — Morphine can make people feel sleepy during the day. Some people are more sensitive to these effects than others. If you experience these side effects and you have a prescription for morphine, ask your doctor how you can manage them.
- Depression — Morphine use can affect your body’s production of the chemicals in the brain that impact and regulate mood. These changes in brain chemistry are directly related to depression symptoms. It’s common to feel lethargic, have low moods, or find less enjoyment in your life if you’re dependent on morphine.
- Difficulty concentrating — The same neurotransmitters affected by morphine use are also used for focus and concentration. You might lose your train of thought or have trouble focusing on different tasks.
- Frequent and severe constipation — Constipation is a side effect of morphine, other opioids, and medications for OUD. While some side effects of morphine wear off as you gain tolerance, this one does not. You may need to treat constipation with a stool softener or a laxative throughout morphine use and recovery.
- Hallucinations — While relatively uncommon, morphine can cause hallucinations. At high doses, you might see, hear, or feel things that aren’t there. Withdrawal from morphine can also cause hallucinations. These happen most often in people who have other conditions that make them more likely to hallucinate such as schizophrenia or Parkinson’s disease.
- Sexual dysfunction — Opioid use may reduce sexual arousal and libido. You may have less sexual desire or trouble achieving orgasm.
Get comprehensive treatment for morphine addiction at Groups
Morphine is so addictive because taking it often creates both positive and negative reinforcement. You feel good when you’re taking it, and when you’re not, you feel sick. After a while, it takes more of it to create the positive effects. There can also be negative side effects when morphine is used consistently, such as depression, sleep problems, and sexual dysfunction. Since it’s a prescription medication, it can be difficult to maintain a steady supply of morphine.
It’s dangerous to take large doses of morphine because it can cause your breathing to slow or stop. Taking any opioid in excess puts you at risk of overdose. This is a key reason why many people decide to start the recovery process. Because of the uncomfortable symptoms that can come with morphine use, and the stress that seeking out more morphine can cause, using the drug can also affect your quality of life. If your morphine use has become a problem for you, treatment can help.
At Groups, we provide comprehensive treatment for the whole person. Your recovery is a stepping stone to the life you want to live. We combine Suboxone treatment with counseling and group support. You’ll get to know other people who are in recovery from OUD. We’ll also help you build up your personal support system for long-term success.
Treatment at Groups includes the following:
- Care team including a provider and a licensed counselor
- Suboxone prescription (for most)
- Group support meetings
- Custom life-goal assistance
- Access to naloxone (Narcan)
Are you ready to start treatment for morphine addiction? We can help. Give our Recovery Support Specialists a call today. Let’s talk about your options and plan your next steps. If Groups doesn’t offer treatment in your state, you can locate other treatment options here.
