Morphine and other opioid medicines are for improving life — not hastening death.
Some people fear that being prescribed opioid medicines means that they’re closer to the end. However, relieving your pain changes your quality of your life — not its length.
All medicines can have side effects. The side effects of opioid medicines are manageable
Sometimes people worry that the side effects of their opioid medicines will be worse than their pain. However, not everybody experiences side effects, and most of the side effects are temporary or manageable. Being aware of the possible side effects will help you cope with them if they occur.
Possible side effects of opioid medicines include:
- constipation — can be relieved by taking laxatives regularly
- nausea and vomiting — is often only temporary or can be alleviated with medicines
- drowsiness or confusion — may occur for only a short time after starting treatment or increasing the dose
- dry mouth — may improve with time
- itchy skin — may improve with time.
Tell your doctor promptly about any side effects, their severity and when they occur. Your doctor may be able to alleviate them by changing the dose or the medicine.
Opioid medicines are not addictive when used for pain
When your doctor chooses the right dose of opioids for your pain, you will not become addicted. Addiction only occurs when people have no pain and they abuse opioid medicines.
Opioid medicines don’t stop you from knowing how your illness is progressing
Some people stop taking their pain medicines because they are worried that they will ‘cover up’ the progression of their illness so they won’t know how they’re really going. However, pain medicines will not stop your doctor monitoring the progress of your illness because they have other ways of doing that.
It is often easier to relieve pain in its early stages
Some people only tell their doctor about their pain when it gets bad. However, it is usually easier to manage pain in its early stages, so the sooner you share information about your pain, the more manageable it is likely to be later.
If your pain medicines are not working as well as they used to, they can be adjusted to give you good pain relief again.
People often worry that their pain medicines will become less effective. Over time, your body may become used to an opioid medicine. This is called ‘tolerance’. If your medicine is not working as well as it used to, tell your doctor so they can give you good pain relief again by:
- increasing the dose
- prescribing a different medicine
- choosing a different mode of administration
- prescribing a combination of medicines.
Having breakthrough pain doesn’t always mean that your pain management plan is not working
Breakthrough pain is pain that occurs while on a pain management plan. It may mean that your opioid medicines have not been taken as prescribed, or it may mean that your doctor needs to review your plan.
Managing pain can improve many aspects of your life
Some people worry that using opioid medicines will limit their lifestyle. However, it is the pain, not the medicines, that limit your enjoyment of life. Without pain, you will probably feel better, have more energy, have a better appetite, and be more independent.
Morphine facts source, Palliative Care Australia document.