Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking morphine as follows:
- Morphine use can induce dry mouth and significant constipation. Sucking on a sugar free hard candy can help with symptomatic relief of dry mouth. Proper hydration measures and compliance with daily fluid intake recommendations can help with relief from constipation. If you are not prescribed any laxative/stool softener, check with your physician for a recommendation on the same. Observe strict compliance with recommendations made on laxative/stool softener use, to prevent constipation and episodes of stool impaction. If you experience any further bothersome constipation, report it to your physician for further recommendations. Observing compliance with fiber intake recommendations in the diet can also help with preventing episodes of constipation with the medication.
- Morphine use, while exerting depressive effect on the brain and central nervous system, can also cause depression of the respiratory center in the brain. This induces slowing down of respirations and the breathing pattern can become irregular. This can result in reduced gas exchange with elevated carbon-di-oxide and reduced oxygen levels in the body. Morphine should be administered with extreme caution in individuals with history of respiratory disorders, such as, asthma and COPD, as they stand high risk to present with depression of respiratory center with morphine. Low oxygen levels in the body with elevated carbon-di-oxide levels can contribute to altered levels of consciousness, sedation, slow & shallow breathing, severely compromised endurance and exercise tolerance, extreme fatigue, and development of seizures. Report any new development or exacerbation of the above mentioned findings to your physician, to facilitate an appropriate change in your plan of care.
