Morphine: Potentially Addictive Pain Medication With High Risk of Abuse - Essay Sample

Introduction

Morphine belongs to the opiate family found naturally in some plants and animals. It is a pain medication that is used to decrease the feeling of pain and specifically acute and chronic pain (Care, 2020). Morphine is potentially a highly addictive schedule II medicine. It can also be applied in relieving pain for significant surgeries or for the treatment of cancer as well as the problem of difficulties in breathing during the end of the patient's life. It ensures a higher risk of abuse because the effects it has on the human body are severe. The essay includes a structure, physical properties, and what makes morphine interesting.

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Morphine as a Drug and Its Effects

It is a narcotic substance that is often abused and misused for medication-taking of the essence in the body, increasing the chances of disorders in the human body. Morphine pills have to be added to deterrent coding because the substance cannot be crushed or injected (Care, 2020). It is likely to sleepiness and unusual drowsiness, false and extraordinary sense of well-being, calm anxiety, and euphoria. The use of morphine without a doctor's prescription is considered abuse and is heavily related in most countries. Signs for the benefit of morphine include elevated blood pressure, inattention, and a decrease in responsiveness. It is difficult to overcome addiction to morphine.

Morphine derives products like heroin, which is a natural substance that could be extracted from the seedpod of some poppy plants (Razzaque et al., 2017). The heroine is chemically known as injectable diacetylmorphine, can be smoked, but reacts strongly with human brains. The reactions are likely to cause physical and psychological effects on the human body. Research done in 2017 in the United States has shown that the largest heroin users in the country have prescription opioids. Some of those who abuse morphine usually ignore negative consequences it is likely to cause in their bodies. Morphine usually causes depression in the central nervous system for human bodies (Razzaque et al., 2017). Research further has shown that at least 10% of US population abuse opiate drugs during their lifetime. In the years 2004 to 2008, 106% of patients admitted in the emergency room were addicts to morphine (Razzaque et al., 2017).

Morphine Structure

Morphine is an alkaloid benzylisoquinoline with additional rings. The rigid structure is made of tetrahydrofuran, unsaturated cyclohexane and a piperidine ring. The bond between the rings is flexible. It is described by the formula C17H19NO3 (Razzaque et al., 2017).

Physical Properties

Chemically, morphine belongs to organic compounds with four ring skeleton. It is found in human beings who are used to taking the drug. It is alkaloid opium and is a narcotic drug. It mainly likely affects the central nervous system of humans, especially on the smooth muscle (Razzaque et al., 2017). The mechanism action of morphine is not known even though the opiate receptor identified to play an excellent task for the expression of analgesic effects. The human brain is involved in the mechanism in which brain nerves are required to sense respiratory depression as it enters together with carbon dioxide (Razzaque et al., 2017).

Hypotension and pulmonary edema are some of the signs caused by the excessive taking of morphine (Blakemore, 2002). Therefore, patients taking morphine need to be monitored because they might experience development hardships physically in breathing leading to death. There are other causes of changes for morphine, including changes in body weight, density.

Interesting Facts About Morphine

There are interesting facts about morphine. Even though morphine is used to take away pains in patients, it is essential to note that not everyone experiencing terminal illness would have a problem, although the pain might be different (Care, 2020). Therefore, a patient is advised to share information about pain so that appropriate medication can be used. The first morphine is an opioid medicine not much different from fentanyl and codeine. The difference between morphine and other opioids is in the length of time before they start working in the human body (Care, 2020). For morphine, the onset action is immediate.

Secondly, the length of time they last in the human body. Morphine is released in humans slowly by slowly hence take a long time when acting in the body. This could be a whole day or at least 20 hours (Care, 2020). Thirdly, the mode of taking morphine is different from other opioids. Morphine is sometimes injected and also can be taken by mouth through a tablet or in liquid form. Finally, possible side effects when taken in the body. Depending on the body's hormone and enzymes, a doctor will choose the medicines appropriate for particular patients (Care, 2020). The general rules for medicine prescription must be strictly followed. For instance, measuring doses should be accurate.

Conclusion

Conclusively, morphine is only helpful when taken inappropriately small amounts with the aid of providing pain relief in patients. It is available in IR ad ER formulations, and the two versions offer analgesia adequate for body titration. The preferred dosage that can break pain through is 15mg every 5hours. The titration can then take place satisfactorily, and the side effects can be controlled.

References

Care, P. (2020). Facts about morphine and other opioid medicines in palliative care - Palliative Care. Retrieved 1 May 2020, from https://palliativecare.org.au/resources/facts-about-morphine-and-other-opioid-medicines-in-palliative-care

Blakemore, P. R., & White, J. D. (2002). Morphine, the Proteus of organic molecules. Chemical communications, (11), 1159-1168.

Razzaque, S., Cai, C., Lu, Q. W., Huang, F. Z., Li, Y. S., Tang, H. B., ... & Tan, B. (2017). Development of functionalized hollow microporous organic capsules encapsulating morphine-an in vitro and in vivo study. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 5(4), 742-749. https://pubs.rsc.org/ko/content/articlelanding/2017/tb/c6tb02497a/unauth#!divAbstract