Morphine Overdose: Morphine is the principal constituent of opium and can range in concentration
from 4 to 21 percent. Commercial opium is standardized to contain 10-percent
morphine. In the United States, a small percentage of the morphine obtained
from opium is used directly (about 15 tons): the remaining is converted to
codeine and other derivatives (about 120 tons). Morphine is one of the most
effective drugs known for the relief of severe pain and remains the standard
against which new analgesics are measured. Morphine is marketed under generic
and brand name products including "MS-Contin®," Oramorph SR®,"
MSIR®," Roxanol®," Kadian®," and RMS®."
Morphine is marketed in a variety of forms, including oral solutions, immediate
and sustained-release tablets and capsules, suppositories, and injectable
preparations. Morphine is highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses
to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological dependence develop
quickly. Morphine activates the brain’s reward systems. The promise of
reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave the drug and to focus
his or her activities around taking it. The ability of morphine to strongly
activate brain reward mechanisms and its ability to chemically alter the normal
functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. A Morphine overdose happens when you consume more Morphine than your body
can safely handle. Morphine users are constantly flirting with Morphine overdose,
and the difference between the high they're seeking and serious injury or
death is often quite small. Symptoms of a Morphine overdose include: