Even though it has been around for a long time and many newer opiate-based pain relievers exist, there are still many doctors who prescribe morphine for pain management purposes, especially in certain situations. Morphine has been tested extensively, which means doctors understand it better than many newer drugs. Research has shown that it is also extremely potent in its pain-relieving effects, and it can be given in many different forms, including both oral and intravenous versions. Morphine is considered especially useful for situations where pain is very intense, and is often prescribed for patients who only need short-term pain relief. Addiction is always a concern when using this drug, and for this reason, some doctors avoid any use of morphine for pain management in long-term situations.
One of the main advantages of morphine for pain management is that it is a fairly intense drug that acts very quickly to reduce even the most severe pain. It also reduces anxiety, promotes drowsiness, and causes an intense state of relaxed euphoria. This combination of physical and mental effects can be very helpful for patients who’ve suffered some sort of extreme trauma or those with a terminal condition.
Another major advantage of morphine for pain management is that it is one of the oldest pain-relief drugs. It was discovered during research on the properties of the opium poppy in 1804, and has been used commercially since 1827. This means that there is a lot more overall data available about morphine than there is for many other pain-relief drugs on the market. Doctors have a good understanding of both the positive and negative aspects of the drug, which means that they generally know exactly when it is appropriate to use it and when it isn’t appropriate.
Morphine is also a very versatile medicine in terms of the ways it can be introduced into the body. There are morphine pills, liquid forms of morphine that can be taken orally, and intravenous morphine. The method used will generally depend on the reason it is being administered, the amount of the dosage, and the overall condition of the patient.
Even though morphine is very powerful, versatile, and well-tested, there are also some major disadvantages that make it less-than-ideal for many situations. For one thing, the drug is known to be highly addictive, both physically and psychologically. This is the reason that many doctors are hesitant to prescribe drugs with morphine for certain chronic pain conditions on a long-term basis. It is also potentially very dangerous if there is an overdose, and it can cause constipation, shallow breathing, and temporary physical impairment, which can make it very unsuitable for many patients.
