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Morphine Addiction
Healthcare providers who prescribe or dispense morphine often watch for certain signs of addiction, such as:
- Going through a morphine prescription too quickly (and needing refills before they are due).
- "Doctor shopping," which is seeing several different healthcare providers to obtain numerous morphine prescriptions, or switching from one provider to another.
- Repeated reports of losing a prescription, having a prescription stolen, or needing a prescription early to go on vacation.
Friends and family can also keep an eye out for other signs of addiction, such as:
- Secluded behavior, often needing to spend large amounts of time alone
- Stealing, lying, or other dishonest behavior
- An unexplainable lack of money
- Changes in social circles, such as abandoning good friends and replacing them with new ones
- Unexplained changes in mood or behaviors.
If you suspect that you might have a problem with morphine addiction, please seek help. An addiction to morphine can be very dangerous, even life-threatening. Your healthcare provider is a great place to start when searching for help for morphine abuse or addiction. He or she will be able to help you deal with such problems (hopefully in a nonjudgmental way) or may suggest other resources for you. In any case, do not stop taking it abruptly, as morphine withdrawal symptoms could occur.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD