Drug Information - Morphine Addiction
What is Morphine?
Morphine sulfate occurs as white, feathery, silky crystals, cubical masses of
crystals, or white crystalline powder; it is soluble in water and slightly
soluble in alcohol. Morphine has a pKa of 7.9, with an octanol/water partition
coefficient of 1.42 at pH 7.4. At this pH, the tertiary amino group is mostly
ionized, making the molecule water-soluble. Morphine is significantly more
water-soluble than any other opioid in clinical use.
Morphine was first isolated in 1804 by the German pharmacist Friedrich Wilhelm
Adam Sertürner, who named it "morphium" after Morpheus, the Greek god of
dreams. But it was not until the development of the hypodermic needle (1853)
that its use spread. It was used for pain relief, and as a "cure" for opium and
alcohol addiction. Its extensive use during the American Civil War resulted in
over 400,000 sufferers from the "soldier's disease" (addiction), though some
believe this to be erroneous.
Morphine Effects
Morphine, a narcotic , directly effects the central nervous system. Besides
relieving pain, Morphine's effects impair mental and physical performance,
relieves fear and anxiety, and produces euphoria. Morphine's effects also
decreases hunger, inhibits the cough reflex, produces constipation, and usually
reduces the sex drive; in women it may interfere with the menstrual cycle.
Morphine's euphoric effects can be highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for
higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and
psychological dependence develop quickly.
Morphine effects include but are not limited to:
-
relieves pain
-
impairment of mental and physical performance
-
relief of fear and anxiety
-
euphoria
-
decease in hunger
-
inhibiting the cough reflex
Another one of morphine's effects is addiction. Tolerance (the need for higher
and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological
dependence to morphine's effects develop quickly. Withdrawal from morphine
causes nausea, tearing, yawning, chills, and sweating lasting up to three days.
Morphine crosses the placental barrier, and babies born to morphine-using
mothers go through withdrawal.
Morphine activates the brain's reward systems. The promise of reward is very
intense, causing the individual to crave the drug and to focus his or her
activities around taking morphine. The ability of morphine to strongly activate
brain reward mechanisms and its ability to chemically alter the normal
functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. Morphine effects also
reduce a person's level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be
fully aware of present surroundings.
Morphine is a narcotic analgesic. Morphine was first isolated from opium in
1805 by a German pharmacist, Wilhelm Sertürner. Sertürner described it as the
Principium Somniferum. He named it morphium - after Morpheus, the Greek god of
dreams. Today morphine is isolated from opium in substantially larger
quantities - over 1000 tons per year - although most commercial opium is
converted into codeine by methylation. On the illicit market, opium gum is
filtered into morphine base and then synthesized into heroin.
Brief Description:
Morphine, the principal active agent in opium, is a powerful opioid analgesic
drug. Like other opiates, morphine acts directly on the central nervous system
to relieve pain, and at synapses of the arcuate nucleus, in particular.
Effects:
Side effects include impairment of mental performance, euphoria, drowsiness,
lethargy, and blurred vision. It also decreases hunger, inhibits the cough
reflex, and produces constipation.
Addiction :
Morphine is usually highly addictive when compared to other substances, and
tolerance and physical and psychological dependence develop quickly.
Morphine Addiction
Morphine is highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses
to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological addiction to
Morphine develop quickly. Withdrawal from Morphine causes nausea, tearing,
yawning, chills, and sweating lasting up to three days. Morphine crosses the
placental barrier, and babies born to Morphine-using mothers go through
Morphine withdrawal.
Addictive drugs, such as Morphine activate the brain's reward systems. The
promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave Morphine and
to focus his or her activities around the taking of Morphine. The ability of
Morphine to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and its ability to
chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce a Morphine
addiction. Morphine also reduces a person's level of consciousness, harming the
ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.
Morphine was first used medicinally as a painkiller and, erroneously, as a cure
for opium addiction. Morphine quickly replaced opium as a cure-all recommended
by doctors and as a recreational drug and was readily available from drugstores
or through the mail. Substitution of Morphine addiction for alcohol addiction
was considered beneficial by some physicians because alcohol is more
destructive to the body and is more likely to trigger antisocial behavior.
Morphine was used during the American Civil War as a surgical anesthetic and
was sent home with many wounded soldiers for relief of pain. At the end of the
war, over 400,000 people had the "army disease," Morphine addiction. The
Franco-Prussian War in Europe had a similar effect.
Morphine Detox
Self detoxification from Morphine can be extremely dangerous. Morphine
addiction withdrawal can cause physical and emotional trauma including stroke,
heart attack, and even death. Methadone is often used to ease the pain from
Morphine addiction withdrawal. The outcome from methadone treatment typically
ends with the individual acquiring an addiction to methadone, and continued
Morphine use with out detoxification from either substance.
Home or out-patient Morphine detox rarely succeeds in breaking the cycle of
Morphine addiction. The addict can expect a long list of Morphine addiction
withdrawal symptoms to occur as they attempt their Morphine detox. The worst
case scenario for Morphine detoxification is an additional addiction to
depressants; this is known as a "mixed addiction". It has been found the best
way to get off, and stay off, Morphine is to go cold-turkey (ending use
abruptly without the aid of other drugs or medications) at an in-patient drug
rehabilitation center. Inpatient drug rehab centers help to keep the addict
away from the normal stresses of living as well as the routines of their
Morphine addiction. The environment of recovery is crucial, since there are
many factors that greatly inhibit the addicts' ability for a successful
recovery.
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