Because oral morphine comes in slow-release tablets and capsules, patients are able to manage pain at home. However, the medication is not without risks. Taking too much of the medication, or taking it incorrectly, can be fatal. There are few warnings associated with oral morphine and specific foods, other than being strict about avoiding alcohol content in foods. Always tell your doctor about any side effects the morphine causes, as well as other medications you are taking. Take oral morphine exactly as prescribed.
General Effects
Food does not increase or decrease the strength of oral morphine, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The pills may be taken with meals or at other times. There are currently no known interactions between food and oral morphine, with the potential exception of foods that contain alcohol.
Dangerous Food Interactions
Taking oral morphine with alcohol, or with food containing alcohol, is dangerous. Routinely doing so increases your risk of becoming physically addicted to morphine, notes Drugs.com. In addition, severe side effects are possible, because the alcohol can cause morphine to be released too quickly into your bloodstream. Potential side effects include coma and seizure, as well as dangerously lowered blood pressure and a decrease in breathing function. Avoid wine, beer, cocktails and other spirits. Be vigilant about checking the foods you suspect might contain alcohol, such as partially cooked wine sauces, rum desserts, grasshopper pie, uncooked desserts containing vanilla extract or other alcohol-based flavor extracts, or parfaits with liqueur.
Effects on Absorption
How much food you have with your morphine tablet, or whether you take it with a meal at all, may alter how quickly the oral medication takes effect. However, the difference is a subtle one and no current recommendations are given as to whether you need to take oral morphine with meals or on an empty stomach. The amount of food you have only alters the timing of the morphine’s release, not its ultimate pain-killing properties, according to Drugs.com.
Considerations
Just as the amount of food you have may influence how quickly morphine takes effect, morphine can alter your digestive process. Oral morphine can slow the movement of food through your digestive tract. Potentially, the medication may lead to constipation because your food won’t be digested as efficiently. If you experience constipation or upset stomach, talk to your doctor about changing your medication or addressing the constipation.
Using Food to Take Morphine
According to Drugs.com, the traditional method of using applesauce to feed medicine to patients who can’t tolerate whole pills is safe for oral morphine. Use room temperature or slightly chilled applesauce to which the contents of the prescribed morphine capsule have been mixed. Swallow the pieces within the applesauce rather than attempting to chew the morphine pellets. Chewing the pellet pieces could result in an overdose without the buffer of food or capsule covering. Consume the entire amount of applesauce, and then rinse your mouth. Drugs.com notes that current research indicates the effectiveness rate to be the same between people who swallow whole morphine capsules with a meal of applesauce and people who sprinkle morphine pellets in the applesauce.
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