I have 60mg morphine sulfate tablets and no sure how much to take to not feel "drugged"?

Question

I was recently put on morphine sulfate for pain..and the doctor said they will make me feel drowsy and etc.
a friend told me that the effects are simalar to herion.
i do not want to feel drugged or like im on herion how much should i take to feel less pain, but not drugged..?

Would half a tablet be ok?

Answer 1

If your doctor gave you a prescription for morphine sulfate you should take it exactly as the doctor prescribed. The doctor (and the pharmacist that dispensed it to you) should have checked to be sure that the dose prescribed is appropriate for your body and medical condition. Morphine is dosed based specifically on your age, weight and medical conditions, and medications can affect different people in different ways. This being said, it is difficult to say just how much will make YOU drowsy. You should know that a few of the most common side effects of morphine are drowsiness, upset stomach and constipation. So, if you are going to be on this medication in the long term you may adjust to the drowsiness. However, in the short term, it is a good idea not to drive, operate machines, or try to do anything important (ie: big business meeting) the first few times you take the medication. This is until you get to know how it will affect you. For stomach upset, you may want to take it with food. For constipation, be sure you drink plenty of water daily and have fruits, veggies, and whole grains daily. If you are going to be on this medication for a long time and constipation becomes a problem, you may want to ask your doctor or pharmacist about a stool softener or a laxative. As far as being "like heroin"-well, morphine is a cousin of heroin, but because it is regulated by the FDA and prescribed by doctors it should not give you a "high" like heroin if you take it as it is prescribed. When used correctly and under a doctor's supervision, it is a very effective pain medication. If you take the morphine as prescribed and you cannot tolerate the way it makes you feel then it is important (and it is your RIGHT) to call your doctor and ask for an alternative (ie: a lower dose, different medication, etc.). If you are still nervous to take the medication after reading this, I suggest you call your pharmacist/doctor/nurse, and discuss your fears further with them...they should have a lot of experience with this. Lastly, do not live in pain. Severe pain can also be harmful to you emotionally and if it can be avoided, it should be. My point is...follow the doctor's orders, pay attention to what your body is telling you, and utilize resources (ie: medical professionals) as often as you need to-that's what we are here for. Good luck!

Answer 2

You may have a prescription for 12-hour Extended Release tablets. In this case, DO NOT break the tablets in half, DO NOT crush them, etc. If you break the tablet in half, the extended release mechanism is broken and you are potentially getting too much medicine at once. If the tablet is immediate release, it may be OK to take half a tablet, but ask first. Morphine is a very powerful narcotic, so if you have ANY questions, consult a pharmacist (call any drugstore and ask to speak with a pharmacist...they'll be happy to help) or consult your physician.

People react to medicine differently, so it is difficult to say how it will make you feel. Just remember, do not feel guilty about legitimate pain management. If you are concerned that your dose is too high, you might want to ask your doctor to reduce your dosage or to switch to a less powerful drug (i.e., Lortab or Tylenol #3). However, based on your prescription, it sounds like you are in a lot of pain and may require a dose like this in order to get adequate relief.

Anyway, just remember that I am NOT a medical professional so don't rely on my advice. Be sure to read your prescription information carefully and call your doctor or a pharmacist! Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Honey - this is a question that would be perfect for your own doctor. Apparently you are in some pain and this is to help you be able to handle it. I know that it sucks feeling drugged all the time. Honestly I do - I've got a condition that keeps me down and it's hard to do anything - and just as hard to try to live a normal life on drugs.

The one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of these types of medicines are time released now. They are made this way for two reasons:

1. To decrease abuse by someone taking multiple tablets to get high.

2. To help the pain killing propreties be sustained over a period of time.

If your tablets are time-released (usually you can tell because they are coated) do not crush or split them! Even splitting them can cause them to degrade much more quickly in your stomach and cause them to hit you very fast.

There are smaller doses - 15 and 30 mg pills and you may be able to talk to your doctor about getting a lower dose if possible. But, on this type of medication will make you feel out of it. I've been on 5 and 10 mg of morphine before. It's no fun. And you will be pretty out of it.

Answer 4

You should ask your doctor, not people on the internet. If the doctor prescribed these tablets for you, just follow the instructions given by the doctor. Some pills cannot be split so you need to ask doctor about this also. This medication is nothing to mess around with-it can kill you if you misuse it. I'm sure your friend means well but listen to the doc.

Answer 5

Your friend is right about the heroin part; heroin is diamorphine, very similar to morphine. You could test and see the minimum dose that would work for your pain but not make you feel out of it.