Morphine is a potent narcotic pain reliever and is often used to treat severe or chronic pain. Morphine can be administered as a rectal suppository, intravenously or orally. Morphine works quickly, making it ideal for rapid pain relief. Because it is a narcotic, it can also be abused. Morphine has a number of short-term effects on the body.
Desired Effects
The main acute effects of morphine are a sense of unexpected pleasure, also known as euphoria, and pain relief. These effects are the main reason why morphine is used, either for pain relief or as an abused substance. Morphine is chemically similar to opium, RxList explains, and is able to stimulate nerve cells to generate its analgesic and euphoric effects.
Gastrointestinal Effects
Morphine also has a number of effects on the gastrointestinal system, EMedTV explains. Use of morphine can result in nausea and vomiting shortly after taking the medication. In addition, morphine reduces the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, which causes digested food to move more slowly through the intestines. This can cause constipation, particularly if multiple doses of morphine are taken.
Nervous System Effects
Many of the acute effects of morphine are a result of its action on the brain. These include feelings of being light-headed, dizziness and drowsiness. Consequently, patients taking morphine should avoid performing any action that requires alertness, such as driving a car or operating heavy machinery. Morphine can also cause tremors, agitation and sudden mood swings. Other acute effects of morphine include hallucinations, blurred vision and sudden uncontrollable eye movements, which are also known as nystagmus. More severe acute effects include seizures, disorientation, severe weakness and a coma.
Overdose
When morphine is taken in large quantities it can lead to an overdose, Medline Plus explains. This can cause the pupils in the eyes to shrink to the size of a pin. A morphine overdose also affects the cardiovascular system and causes the heart to pump more weakly, leading to dangerously low blood pressure and a weak and irregular pulse. Because morphine also slows breathing, patients who have overdosed on morphine may experience extremely slow or shallow breathing. This can lead to cyanosis, in which the fingernails and lips become blue due to insufficient amounts of oxygen. Ultimately, an overdose of morphine can lead to a potentially fatal coma.
Member Comments