Side effects of morphine

Morphine decreases the activity of the entire gastrointestinal tract in that it reduces the secretion of hydrochloric acid, diminishes the motility of the stomach, and increases the tone of the upper part of the duodenum. These actions may delay passage of the stomach contents into the duodenum. Both pancreatic and biliary secretions are diminished, which may also hinder digestion. In the large 

Morphine by releasing Histamine causes Orthistatic Hypotension 

---

It will be recalled that a common side effect of morphine is the induction of constipation. This property of the drug has often been exploited in the design of preparations used to control diarrhea. 

A major side-effect of morphine is respiratory depression. Opiates are believed to cause this effect via actions in brainstem nuclei, fi receptor immunoreactivity and mRNA were detected in neurons of the nucleus of the solitary tract, nucleus ambiguous, and parabrachial nucleus. mRNA was detected in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis which projects to the nucleus of the solitary tract, fi receptor immunoreactivity is found in the nucleus of the solitary tract and dorsal rhizotomy reduced receptor immunoreactivity in the nucleus suggesting a presynaptic localization of the receptor. 

Like <5 selective agonists, k agonists have few of the side effects of morphine and recent studies have suggested that k selective agonists may be effective analgesics [2]. However, a limitation to the clinical use of k agonists is tolerance development. 

Tile general pharmacological action of codeine is similar 10 that of morphine, but as indicated above, it does not possess the same analgesic potency. Studies indicate that a dose uf. fO to 120 mg of ctxleinc is considerably less efficient uninterally than 10 mg of morphine, and the usual side effects of morphine—respiratory depression, constipation, nausea, and such—occur. Codeine is less effective orally lhan pareiitemlly, and Houde and Wallenstein stated that a do.se of. 52 mg of codeine is about as effective as 650 mg nf aspirin in relieving terminal cancer pain. Combinations... 

The goal of identifying potent analgesics free of the side effects of morphine and other narcotics has remained elusive. As more information has become available about opioid receptor structure, opioid pharmacology, and related systems (i.e., the ORLl receptor), this has provided new challenges to medicinal chemists to prepare compounds with unique pharmacologicalprofiles. With the diversity of... 

In animal models, these k agonists had potent antinociceptive effects and could eliminate the undesirable side effects of morphine-like drugs. They all had very similar structures that included the N-C-C-Nfv/ 2) pharmacophore sequence (shaded parts in Fig. 4), because they were derived from U-50,488H. Moreover, they lacked the tyrosine moiety that is essential for opioid activity from the viewpoint of endogenous opioid chemistry (Fig. 5). 

The dangerous side-effects of morphine are those of tolerance and dependence, allied with the effects morphine can have on breathing. In fact, the most common cause of death from a morphine overdose is by suffocation. Tolerance and dependence in the one drug are particularly dangerous and lead to severe withdrawal symptoms when the drug is no longer taken. 

Morphine binds strongly to this receptor and produces analgesia. Receptor binding also leads to the undesired side-effects of respiratory depression, euphoria, and addiction. We can now see why it is so difficult to remove the side-effects of morphine and is analogues, since the receptor with which they bind most strongly is also inherently involved with these side-effects. 

O Connor lingered in the room for a few minutes to check Gunther s condition and give the boy s stunned father a chance to recover and ask more questions. After asking O Connor to explain more details about the side effects of morphine and about how an infusion pump works, Jeff had no more questions. O Connor reminded Jeff that he could page him anytime, and he left the room. 

---