Morphine addiction does not have to mean poor outcomes.

Date:   5/19/2008 12:24:43 PM ( 16 y ago)

There are some hardened attitudes towards opiate drugs like morphine, and I want to explore some of these attitudes and the issues of morphine.

When a Doctor prescribes a patient morphine, they both know it is addictive. They also know that "tolerance" will develop, where the same size of dose will not produce the same painkilling effect.

Despite that, the College [of Physicians and Surgeons] has told doctors not to give patients increases in the morphine prescr*iptions. To some people, this makes sense because they think those patients would be harmed by taking ever increasing amounts of morphine - yet this is completely false! I know!! Surprising as it seems, there is actually no more physical damage done from taking doses of 30mgs or 300 mgs. - in fact, patients who have been on morphine for 15 years show no physical damages at all, and they are taking daily amounts up to 500mgs.

Half a gram [500mgs] or a gram [1000mgs] seem to be just artificial limits. Nobody gets more than 300mgs, unless they are "terminal cancer patients".

One way to look at this situation is that doctors get patients started on morphine, the patients become addicted, and then the medical profession ensures that they begin to suffer due to the growing tolerance to this drug!!

These patients generally will start looking for morphine sources elsewhere -"from the street". There, they will find that they have to pay $15 or $20 per 100mg pill. We should ask why the price is so high... and the conclusion will be that the prices are driven up by the realities of prohibition and restrictions in the medical supply of morphine. The actual cost of producing one of these 100mg pills is much lower, probably just pennies per pill.

Morphine is made in a very few specially designated factories - in France, Turkey, and a few other places. These factories are governed, I believe, by a United Nations body. Most of their production goes to developed nations.

There is no reason that there could not be much more produced, to meet the large demands of the world. Also, the cost of morphine could be much less, even after distribution and retail costs are added in. Those patients who run up against the medical profession's restrictive attitude could be buying there "supplemental supply" for a few dollars a day, instead of $50 or $100 a day. And no, they would not be harmed more, that is a falsity.

What happens to patients who ask their doctors for an increase? - they are told that there is one possibility to get and increase: only if they also start to take antidepressants. Isn't that nice for the pharmaceutical corporations who produce the antidepressants!!

There is not much money to be made for "pharma-giants" from prescribed morphine, but there is a lot of money to be made from anti-ds. So, we see a strong motivation there to restrict dosages of morphine, once patients become addicted - they will be desperate and in agony due to being addicted, and having developed tolerance to those smallish doses that doctors prescribe, and might be willing to take an anti-d. [even if they are not actually depressed].

When I say that there is no physical damage done by taking morphine, I am sure some people shake their heads in response, having seen so many addicts become shells of themselves. The fact is, that is due to the lifestyle that goes with being addicted and not having adequate supply - the addicts have to spend all their money on street morphine, or heroin [which does the same thing as morphine], and so they do not eat, they become homeless, and that is why they are suffering.If morphine were just $1 a pill, they would not have these problems, and they would be as healthy as....

As ME. I ride my bike for exersize, my body weight is near ideal, and I am eating a good diet. My bowels move regularly, I remain hydrated, and I read library books and stay up on the daily news and events of the world... I beat most of the backgammon opponents I play online... ALL THIS DESPITE HAVING A CHRONIC PAIN CONDITION AND A 15 YEAR MORPHINE ADDICTION. I am the living proof that morphine addiction does not have to be harmfull.

Since I am that proof, what else could I think? Mind you, I have to be carefull never to take a large dose "just for the thrill of it", because that would cause my tolerance to skyrocket to levels I could not sustain. Also, that I have an understanding doctor and family.

Morphine is not physically damaging. Morphine addiction does not have to mean poor outcomes.



 

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