Morphine sulfate is an opioid and narcotic painkiller. It is prescribed for pain management but is also highly addictive. If you or someone you know has been abusing morphine sulfate, you may have developed a substance use disorder. Choosing a morphine rehab to get treatment is important and should be taken seriously.
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What is Morphine Sulfate and How is it Used?
Morphabond is a brand name for the generic drug morphine sulfate. Morphine is an opioid that is found naturally in the opium poppy. As a narcotic drug, Morphabond effects include sleepiness, calm and relaxation, a sense of euphoria, and pain relief. It acts in the brain to change chemical signaling and how you feel or respond to pain.
Morphine sulfate is a prescription available as an extended release tablet. It is specifically approved to relieve pain that is severe to the extent that it requires 24-hour management. Patients prescribed Morphabond need a long-term pain management solution and have not had success with other types of pain medications.
Because this drug acts as a depressant, slowing some brain activity, respiration, and heart rate, it is not recommended for anyone who already has respiratory issues. It can be dangerous and slow down breathing to a dangerous degree. A Morphabond side effect is constipation, so it should also not be used by anyone with a bowel obstruction.
The Risk of Morphine Sulfate Addiction and Dependence
Because it is a natural substance, found in opium poppies, morphine’s effects have been known for centuries or even longer. That it is possible to get addicted to this drug has also long been known. Today, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has listed morphine sulfate and morphine as a schedule II controlled substance.
Schedule II drugs are strongly controlled, because they have a very high potential for abuse and dependence. In other words, they are highly likely to be misused. Misuse of Morphabond, and even directed use, can lead to severe dependence, both physical and psychological. Although schedule II drugs like morphine have medical uses, they are considered dangerous and should be used with great care.
Other Names for Morphabond and Morphine Sulfate
Morphine is a generic drug that has been in use for many years, and it is sold under this name as well as several brand names. Morphabond is just one brand name. Others are Avinza, Oramorph, Roxanol-T, Kadian, Embeda, and MS Contin. There are also street names for morphine, often used when the drug is sold and used illicitly, including:
- Dreamer
- Emsel
- First line
- God’s drug
- Hows
- M.S.
- Mister blue
- Morf
- Morpho
- Unkie
Street names that generally refer to opioids may also be used for morphine. These include things like China white, China girl, Dance fever, Juice, Jackpot, Miss Emma, White stuff, Monkey, and Pain killers.
What is Morphine Sulfate Abuse?
Abuse, or misuse, of a drug like morphine sulfate is risky and dangerous. With something as dangerous as morphine, abuse is an even bigger risk as compared to other substances. Misuse is any use of Morphabond that differs from what a prescribing physician recommends. This can mean using larger doses, taking doses more frequently, taking it for longer than recommended, or mixing Morphabond with other drugs. Using it without a prescription is also abuse. It is important to remember also that even when using this drug as recommended it poses risks.
Signs of Morphine Sulfate Addiction
If you have been misusing this drug, you may have developed a morphine addiction. Also known as an opioid use disorder, this addiction is dangerous and harmful. It requires treatment as soon as possible, but to get treatment you need to be aware that you have a problem. Looking at your own behaviors with a drug, it can be hard to know if you have become addicted.
Some general morphine sulfate addiction symptoms include being unable to control your use of the drug, continuing to use it even though it causes significant problems, and experiencing physical cravings and discomfort when you’re not using it. There are 11 official criteria for diagnosing an opioid use disorder, and you need have only two or three of them to be diagnosed with a mild disorder. If you have more of these, you may be moderately or severely addicted to Morphabond:
- You keep taking morphine sulfate in larger doses than you intended or more frequently or for longer than you intended.
- You have tried to cut back on morphine or to stop using it entirely but have failed more than once.
- Your time is increasingly spent on drug abuse, recovering from being high, or in attempts to get more of the drug.
- Responsibilities, like those at home, work, or school, are falling behind because of Morphabond.
- Other activities are also falling by the wayside because of your drug use.
- You feel intense cravings to use morphine sulfate.
- Your ongoing use of morphine is causing relationship difficulties, and yet you continue to use it.
- Drug use is causing or worsening existing mental or physical health problems, but you keep using morphine.
- You continue to use morphine in situations that are risky and put your safety in danger.
- To get high or to get the desired effect from morphine you need to use larger and larger doses over time.
- When you stop using Morphabond, you begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. This leads you to use it again or to reach for something that will produce a similar effect and provide relief.
If you have these or any other troubling morphine sulfate addiction side effects, it is essential that you call for help. Reach out to a friend, talk to your trusted doctor, or start calling rehab facilities. Regardless of whether you believe you meet enough criteria to be diagnosed with opioid use disorder, if your use of Morphabond is causing problems, is out of your control, or troubles you in any way, get help and treatment.
Morphine Sulfate Withdrawal – How Long Does Morphine Stay in Your System?
Withdrawal is what happens in your brain and body when it no longer has Morphabond. If you have become dependent on morphine and then stop using it suddenly, your brain will try to adjust. This causes some unpleasant symptoms, but overall withdrawal is not dangerous or life-threatening.
The process of going through withdrawal and letting the drug work its way out of your body while avoiding using again is known as detox. Morphabond detox is a necessary first step to recovery. It won’t feel good, and you will be tempted to relapse, so don’t try to do it alone. The symptoms will begin as soon as 12 hours after your last dose.
How long it takes to get through detox depends on how long it takes for morphine to work its way through your system, and that depends on several individual factors: how long you have been misusing Morphabond, the size of your last dose, the frequency with which you used Morphabond, and individual health factors. Early morphine sulfate withdrawal side effects include:
- Agitated mood, irritability, anger, anxiety
- General feeling of being unwell
- Insomnia
- Muscle aches and pains
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Tearing
- Yawning
As the detox process continues, you will begin to experience some of the later-stage morphine sulfate withdrawal effects. These may include chills, goose bumps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, and dilated pupils. This process is uncomfortable, even painful, but it isn’t dangerous unless it leads you to use again.
The Dangers of Morphine Sulfate Addiction
Misusing and becoming addicted to morphine poses a number of health risks, dangers, and negative consequences. Misusing this drug puts you at risk for becoming addicted. Even people who use morphine as directed can become dependent, so Morphabond abuse is particularly risky in terms of addiction.
If you become addicted to Morphabond and leave it untreated and unmanaged, there can be a number of serious repercussions. For instance, drug use and addiction can damage or destroy relationships and cause major family problems. You may struggle to keep your job, and your finances may become problematic. Drug abuse, especially in dangerous situations, can lead to accidents, injuries, and even assault and violence. And Morphabond, over time, can also trigger or worsen physical health problems and mental illnesses.
These are all serious potential risks of morphine sulfate abuse, but what is really dangerous about using this drug is the potential for an overdose. Morphine is one of the many opioid drugs causing a crisis of overdoses in the U.S. It is easy, even for experienced users and even on your first experience misusing an opioid, to overdose and die.
The risk of an overdose is multiplied if you combine Morphabond with another opioid. The dangerous effect of slowing down breathing rate is additive. Other substances that can have similar effects and increase your risk of a fatal overdose when combined with morphine are benzodiazepines, any sedative or depressant, and alcohol. Morphine sulfate overdose symptoms include:
- Slow, shallow breathing
- Difficulty breathing or a reduced urge to breathe
- Cold and clammy skin
- Blue-tinted lips and nails
- Muscle weakness and loss of coordination
- Extreme sleepiness
- Changing pupils
- Loss of consciousness and unresponsiveness
An opioid overdose can be reversed, but if it is not treated quickly enough it will be fatal. If you see any of these signs in someone, get emergency medical care right away.
Detox is the First Step in Morphine Sulfate Addiction Treatment
Morphabond detox won’t be fun, but in order to benefit from the treatment you will get in rehab, this is a needed step. You cannot fully focus on treatment until you have stopped using and your mind is free from the drug. Some rehab facilities include rehab as the first stage of treatment, but all will require that you do detox before the real treatment begins.
You may want to choose a rehab facility that provides guided detox, or you can find a detox program to go through first. If you choose the latter option, just be sure that you have a rehab and treatment program lined up to start right away after detoxing.
Some people make the mistake of assuming that once they have detoxed they are sober and in recovery. Detox is not treatment; it is only the first step. If you have treatment already selected and your spot in a facility confirmed, you can go right from detox to rehab and avoid the temptation to just try to go it alone and return home.
Morphine Sulfate Treatment with Medication in Rehab
In morphine rehab, you can expect to be offered medical treatment as well as the traditional therapies. Opioid addiction treatment is most effective when medical care is combined with behavioral therapies. There are a few medications approved to treat opioid addiction. Just keep in mind that medical care is not enough for lasting recovery. It must be combined with therapy in a long-term setting for the best results.
One medication used for morphine sulfate and other opioids is methadone. This is also an opioid, and it is used as a part of maintenance therapy. You are given prescribed doses to help manage cravings to use morphine. This can prevent relapse as you spend the time on therapy for long-term sobriety.
Another opioid that can be used in treatment is buprenorphine. It stimulates the same receptors as Morphabond but to a lesser extent. You won’t get the same high or satisfaction as you would from morphine, but buprenorphine can control cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms to help minimize the risk of a relapse.
Finally, naltrexone can be used to manage your recovery. This drug is an opioid antagonist, which means it blocks opioid receptors and any effect of an opioid in your system. While on naltrexone you will get no Morphabond effects if you try to relapse. One form of naltrexone is given as a monthly injection to help prevent relapses for about 30 days at a time.
Therapy for Morphine Sulfate Addiction
A complete treatment program for morphine sulfate addiction should include a two-pronged approach: medical care and therapy. When you go to rehab, you should find that you have a number of options for therapies. Not every type of therapy works best for everyone, so always choose a facility that will let you try different therapists and therapies until you feel comfortable.
Behavioral therapies are the backbone of addiction treatment. Trained behavioral therapists focus on making positive changes. They help you recognize and assess your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, process them, and change them in ways that will be beneficial to recovery. This can include doing things like goal-setting, practicing healthy stress management strategies, learning to recognize drug use triggers, and making action-oriented plans for life after rehab.
Some of the types of behavioral therapies you may encounter in rehab for Morphabond addiction are:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
This is the basis for all variations of behavioral therapies and likely where you will start in rehab. A trained CBT therapist will help you become more aware of the choices you make, your negative thoughts, and your destructive behaviors. You will work together to find solutions to problems and to make lifestyle changes.
Motivational enhancement Therapy (MET)
MET is a form of behavioral therapy often used in addiction counseling. It focuses on helping you develop the internal motivation needed to stop using Morphabond and to avoid relapsing in the future.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
The focus of DBT is on accepting negative feelings and thoughts. Your therapist will help you recognize these and process them so that you can make better choices moving forward.
Relational and interpersonal therapies
These therapies can be used as a supplement to another behavioral therapy. They help you develop better interpersonal skills in general or help you work on specific relationships, such as those with your family. This can also include family therapy with the participation of your loved ones.
Trauma-focused therapies
Your abuse of morphine may have an underlying traumatic experience. Trauma is a leading risk factor for addiction. If you have been through a trauma, or repeated traumas, behavioral therapies that help you face those memories and process them in a better way can be a major support to recovery.
Outpatient vs. Inpatient Morphine Treatment
Now that you know what to expect in an appropriate treatment program for morphine sulfate addiction, you can begin to make the choice of the right facility or program for you. A big decision to make is whether or not you will select a residential rehab, also known as inpatient treatment.
With inpatient care, you will be living at the facility, getting focused and intense treatment for at least a week. More often these programs last for a month or a few months. Rehab provides a safe place to live, a large staff with experts in different areas of treatment, and the ability to focus on your care away from home, family, and work.
Residential rehab is most often recommended for anyone who doesn’t have a safe or supportive home; anyone with a severe addiction or who is at a serious risk of relapsing; and anyone who needs supervision and is at risk of putting themselves in dangerous situations.
Outpatient care has some benefits too if you are dealing with a mild or moderate morphine sulfate addiction. For some people, living in a residential facility can be stressful or may trigger depression and other negative moods. With outpatient treatment programs, you have the option to stay at home with loved ones who support your sobriety. You can also keep going to work or maintain other responsibilities if possible.
How to Find the Morphine Sulfate Treatment That Meets Your Needs
There are many choices to make when it comes to seeking morphine addiction treatment. You need to get care as soon as possible, but you also need to make sure the program is right for you. This is why it helps to have a friend or supportive family member by your side, helping. Here are some factors to consider as you make this big choice:
- Know if you need inpatient or outpatient care. This will immediately narrow your options and make the choice a little easier.
- Consider practical factors, like what your insurance will cover, additional costs, and where treatment is, to help narrow down choices even more.
- Have a plan for detox, whether that means finding a rehab facility with detox services or doing it before entering treatment. Just make sure you do not go through detox alone or unsupervised, for safety.
- Choose a program that begins with a complete evaluation of any substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and general needs.
- Only go with a program that creates a unique, individualized treatment plan just for you after an initial evaluation. And, be sure that the staff will include your input and preferences in the plan.
- Meet with the staff before you make a commitment to a program. Rehab staff should be expert in the services they provide and also caring and compassionate.
With these factors in mind, and by visiting and touring a facility or treatment program before making a final decision, you can feel better about going into treatment for Morphabond recovery. The need to get treatment is urgent, but you also need good, effective treatment, so take some time in making this decision and to be comfortable with it.
Morphine sulfate abuse and addiction are very serious health issues. Misuse of any drug comes with big risks, but morphine and other opioids are particularly dangerous and can even be deadly. With the right rehab and treatment, you can overcome this addiction. It will take expert, compassionate care and hard work and commitment from you to enjoy a lasting recovery and healthier lifestyle.