Morphine Essay Example
Morphine is a type of narcotic drug synthesized from opium. It is a drug called an opiate that is used to alleviate pain. Opioids are substances that bind to the kappa, lambda and mu opioid receptors in the brain. Morphine acts mainly on mu receptors to decrease the transmission of painful stimuli through the spinal cord from body to brain, as well as action within the brain itself. Currently, it is legal in Canada with a doctor’s prescription. Common brand names for morphine include Avinza, Kadian, MS Contin, MSIR, Oramorph SR, and Roxanol.
Prescription:
If morphine is to be used in a safe and legal manner, many factors should be taken into account. For example, your doctor should be notified if you have asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, liver or kidney disease, underactive thyroid, curvature of the spine, a history of head injury or brain tumor, epilepsy, low blood pressure, mental illness, amongst other things. It is not recommended to take morphine with other opioids, as this could cause problems if your body is not opioid tolerant.
Effects:
Other than alleviation of pain, some effects of morphine include impairment of mental and physical performance, relief of fear and anxiety, euphoria, decrease in hunger, and inhibiting the cough reflex. Respiratory depression is also common, even for standard doses of morphine. Morphine also causes histamine release, which causes itching of the skin and nose, as well as a mild flushing of the skin.
Addiction: As with all prescription drugs, morphine has the potential to be abused, and is sometimes distributed illegally. It is highly addictive, since morphine activates the brain’s reward systems, which creates an intense promise of reward. Morphine users are also prone to tolerance, which is where higher and higher doses are needed for the same effect to be achieved. Also, since morphine reduces a person’s level of consciousness, the added impairment in judgment may also be a contributing factor to the addiction. It is also
Prescription:
If morphine is to be used in a safe and legal manner, many factors should be taken into account. For example, your doctor should be notified if you have asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, liver or kidney disease, underactive thyroid, curvature of the spine, a history of head injury or brain tumor, epilepsy, low blood pressure, mental illness, amongst other things. It is not recommended to take morphine with other opioids, as this could cause problems if your body is not opioid tolerant.
Effects:
Other than alleviation of pain, some effects of morphine include impairment of mental and physical performance, relief of fear and anxiety, euphoria, decrease in hunger, and inhibiting the cough reflex. Respiratory depression is also common, even for standard doses of morphine. Morphine also causes histamine release, which causes itching of the skin and nose, as well as a mild flushing of the skin.
Addiction: As with all prescription drugs, morphine has the potential to be abused, and is sometimes distributed illegally. It is highly addictive, since morphine activates the brain’s reward systems, which creates an intense promise of reward. Morphine users are also prone to tolerance, which is where higher and higher doses are needed for the same effect to be achieved. Also, since morphine reduces a person’s level of consciousness, the added impairment in judgment may also be a contributing factor to the addiction. It is also