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What Are The Withdrawal Symptoms Of Morphine And Oxycodone?
Question: I have been taking Morpine SR two times a day and Morphine 60 once a day. I also have and take oxycodone 30 for breakthrough pain if needed. I have taken my last Morphine 100 pill about 18 hours ago and have been seeing a pain specialist for chronic back pain. My RX is mailed to me and did not make it to me in time to keep me from running out of everything. I do not know when I will get refills and we are starting to taper down on the medication. What can I do to not have such severe withdrawal until I can get back to my Doctor and discuss why my refills did not arrive in time and how quickly we can get the drawn down pushed up?
Brief Answer:
You will need professional help
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
You are on opiate medications for pain relief. Mophine is an opiate drug and one need to taper slowly to prevent withdrawal.
You are on high dose of morphine. And withdrawal of this much dose is likely going to be severe. Only oxycodone can help if you have right now. You can take it 2 to 3 times a day and more required according to symptoms. If at all oxycodone is not available tramadol can help up to some extent and your GP can prescribe it. And last option is codeine which is the least potent opiate. However better to have it than nothing.
Tylenol may or may not help in withdrawal pain.Otherwise there is no OTC (over the counter) medicine which can help you in withdrawal. Last resort is to consult ER(emergency medical room) and take the treatment if withdrawal symptoms (pain and muscle ache, yawning, watering from eyes and nose, diarrhea, sleep disturbance and so on).
At ER with help of clonidine, benzodiazepine and some kind of oral or intravenous opiate your withdrawal can be treated.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
You will need professional help
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
You are on opiate medications for pain relief. Mophine is an opiate drug and one need to taper slowly to prevent withdrawal.
You are on high dose of morphine. And withdrawal of this much dose is likely going to be severe. Only oxycodone can help if you have right now. You can take it 2 to 3 times a day and more required according to symptoms. If at all oxycodone is not available tramadol can help up to some extent and your GP can prescribe it. And last option is codeine which is the least potent opiate. However better to have it than nothing.
Tylenol may or may not help in withdrawal pain.Otherwise there is no OTC (over the counter) medicine which can help you in withdrawal. Last resort is to consult ER(emergency medical room) and take the treatment if withdrawal symptoms (pain and muscle ache, yawning, watering from eyes and nose, diarrhea, sleep disturbance and so on).
At ER with help of clonidine, benzodiazepine and some kind of oral or intravenous opiate your withdrawal can be treated.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I live in a very small town and I do not know that I want everyone at the ER to spread the news about my situation . Everyone seems to know everything before it happens and I do not want to be judged. If I can hold on until tomorrow, what are my chances of dying. Can you die from withdrawal? That may seem stupid but I am trying so hard to g et off this medication, or at lest lower it as much as possible.
What are my chances that withdrawal will kill me.
What are my chances that withdrawal will kill me.
Brief Answer:
no chances of death due to withdrawal
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for follow up.
In general opiate withdrawals are not life threatening. In your case considering your daily intake of morphine pain and other symptoms will be severe enough to make you consult ER.
It is good that you are ready to stop/reduce. I recommend slow tapering of the dose. I suggest 10% dose reduction every 5 days or else you need to discuss with your doctor if she can provide buprenoprhine for faster reduction of morphine.
In my opinion if you do not have any opiate group of drug at home better to consult ER before withdrawal symptoms worsen much. Ultimately decision will be yours.
Feel free to discuss further.
no chances of death due to withdrawal
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for follow up.
In general opiate withdrawals are not life threatening. In your case considering your daily intake of morphine pain and other symptoms will be severe enough to make you consult ER.
It is good that you are ready to stop/reduce. I recommend slow tapering of the dose. I suggest 10% dose reduction every 5 days or else you need to discuss with your doctor if she can provide buprenoprhine for faster reduction of morphine.
In my opinion if you do not have any opiate group of drug at home better to consult ER before withdrawal symptoms worsen much. Ultimately decision will be yours.
Feel free to discuss further.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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