Morphine

Pharmaceutical Medicine’s Double-Edged Sword


You’ve heard of morphine. As a popular painkiller, it is used in hospitals all over the world to alleviate pain. On the streets, it is used to alleviate pain of another kind. Addictive and harmful, many people question its mainstream application due to the fact that it leads to dependency and eventually to loss of life. Still, many argue if it is beneficial or if the effects are merely temporary. There is a current debate right now as to its effectiveness and its side effects, both positive and negative. But before we can pass judgment, we first have to ask, what is morphine?


Morphine


An opioid pain medication, it is sometimes called a narcotic and is found naturally in some plants and animals. It acts on the central nervous system to decrease the feeling of pain and can be used for both acute and chronic conditions. Discovered by German pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner and named it after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, as it made people sleep. A lot of controversy surrounded this drug when it was discovered to be more addictive than opium and alcohol and resulted in over four hundred thousand addictions in the American Civil War more commonly known as soldier’s disease. In 1914, it became a controlled substance in the United States where possession without prescription is considered a criminal offense. One of the most abused narcotic analgesic in the world, it maintained its status until heroin was synthesized, another narcotic extracted from the opium poppy.


Now, we understand that morphine helps those who are in pain, but addiction can form just after a few uses. This happens because it lifts anxiety and fear and causes a sense of euphoria, and the tolerance builds until the user needs more and more, making them slaves to this narcotic and increasing the chances of a fatal overdose. This addiction is dangerous because it triggers the brain’s pleasure centers and causes the addict to focus all energy and efforts to getting more morphine, leading to dangerous and illegal behavior.


Unfortunately, telling an addict to quit taking morphine is not only difficult; it is also dangerous. The side effects of morphine withdrawal are severe and sometimes fatal. Chills, excessive sweating, severe body aches and pains, shaking, strokes, and heart attacks are just some side effects that morphine addicts experience, fueling their desire to obtain more to avoid these negative feelings.


But as in anything, prevention is better than a cure, so before you allow morphine to be given to you or your relative in the hospital, make sure you know what you are getting into. Choosing morphine alternatives is better for those who have any past addictions or addictive personalities. But the best way, really, is to follow doctor’s orders.


Although hard, addiction to morphine is treatable within a controlled environment, and it must be done with professional help. But it can’t begin until the addict admits they have a problem. But it is possible, and if you or someone has an issue with morphine addiction, there is no shame in asking for help. Remember, there is always hope.


 


Reference


Wikipedia. 2017. “Morphine.” Date modified January 4. Last accessed January 10, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine#History.


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Published on January 26, 2017 17:08
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