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Morphine Addiction

Q) What is Morphine?

A) 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.

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Q) How is Morphine used?

A) Morphinecan be taken orally in tablet form, and can also injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intravenously; the last is the route preferred by those who are dependent on morphine.

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Q) What are the side effects of Morphine?

A)

anxiety	involuntary movement of the eyeball	blurred vision / double vision
constipation	"pinpoint" pupils	chills
depressed or irritable mood	itching	cramps
dizziness	rash	diarrhea
drowsiness	rigid muscles	inability to urinate
exaggerated sense of well-being	seizure	dreams
light - headedness	swelling due to fluid retention	dry mouth
nausea	tingling or pins and needles	facial flushing
sedation	tremor	fainting / faintness
sweating	uncoordinated muscle movements	floating feeling
vomiting	weakness	hallucinations
agitation	abdominal pain	headache
allergic reaction	abnormal thinking	high/low blood pressure
appetite loss	accidental injury	hives
apprehension	memory loss	insomnia

 

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Q) What are the symptoms of Overdose?

A)

• cold clammy skin
• flaccid muscles
• fluid in the lungs
• lowered blood pressure
• "pinpoint" or dilated pupils
• sleepiness
• stupor
• coma
• slowed breathing
• slow pulse rate

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Q) What is Morphine addiction?

A) Morphine is highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological dependence 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.

Addictive drugs activate 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 the drug. The ability of addictive drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and their ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. Drugs also reduce a person’s level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.

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Q) What are possible drug interactions when using Morphine?

A)

• Alcohol
• Certain analgesics such as Talwin, Nubain, Stadol, and Buprenex
• Drugs that control vomiting, such as Compazine and Tigan
• Drugs classified as MAO inhibitors, such as the antidepressants Nardil and Parnate
• Major tranquilizers such as Thorazine and Haldol
• Muscle relaxants such as Flexeril and Valium
• Sedatives such as Dalmane and Halcion
• Tranquilizers such as Librium and Xanax
• Water pills such as Diuril and Lasix

Drug rehabilitation is a multi-phase, multi-faceted, long term process. Detoxification is only the first step on the road of addiction treatment. Physical detoxification alone is not sufficient to change the patterns of a drug addict. Recovery from addiction involves an extended process which usually requires the help of drug addiction professionals. To make a successful recovery, the addict needs new tools in order to deal with situations and problems which arise. Factors such as encountering someone from their days of using, returning to the same environment and places, or even small things such as smells and objects trigger memories which can create psychological stress. This can hinder the addict's goal of complete recovery, thus not allowing the addict to permanently regain control of his or her life.

Almost all addicts tell themselves in the beginning that they can conquer their addiction on their own without the help of outside resources. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. When an addict makes an attempt at detoxification and to discontinue drug use without the aid of professional help, statistically the results do not last long. Research into the effects of long-term addiction has shown that substantial changes in the way the brain functions are present long after the addict has stopped using drugs. Realizing that a drug addict who wishes to recover from their addiction needs more than just strong will power is the key to a successful recovery. Battling not only cravings for their drug of choice, re-stimulation of their past and changes in the way their brain functions, it is no wonder that quitting drugs without professional help is an uphill battle.

As an organization we are dedicated to finding the correct solution for your specific addiction problem. Our referral list contains over 3,000 resources which encompass the following treatment categories :

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  You can overcome addiction and we can help. Contact us for free consultation today

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