Morphine is used to treat pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. Morphine belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.
Morphine extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets should not be used if you need pain medicine for just a short time, such as when recovering from surgery. Do not use this medicine to relieve mild pain, or in situations when non-narcotic medication is effective. This medicine should not be used to treat pain that you only have once in a while or "as needed".
When morphine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using narcotics to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is not likely to occur when narcotics are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.
This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Tablet, Extended Release
Tablet
Capsule, Extended Release, 24 HR
Solution
Capsule, Extended Release
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Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of morphine in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of morphine oral liquid 20 milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL) in children and morphine oral liquid 2 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL in children younger than 2 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of morphine in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related lung, liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving morphine.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Isocarboxazid
Linezolid
Methylene Blue
Naltrexone
Ozanimod
Phenelzine
Procarbazine
Rasagiline
Safinamide
Samidorphan
Selegiline
Tranylcypromine
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Abrocitinib
Acepromazine
Aclidinium
Adagrasib
Alfentanil
Almotriptan
Alogliptin
Alprazolam
Alvimopan
Amantadine
Amifampridine
Amiloride
Amineptine
Amiodarone
Amitriptyline
Amitriptylinoxide
Amobarbital
Amoxapine
Amphetamine
Anileridine
Aripiprazole
Aripiprazole Lauroxil
Asenapine
Asunaprevir
Atorvastatin
Atropine
Azithromycin
Baclofen
Belladonna
Bemetizide
Bendroflumethiazide
Benperidol
Bentazepam
Benzhydrocodone
Benzphetamine
Benzthiazide
Benztropine
Berotralstat
Biperiden
Boceprevir
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Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Desflurane
Esmolol
Somatostatin
Yohimbine
