The timeline of morphine effects depends on several factors, including how a person takes the drug, how much of it they take, and whether they have developed a tolerance to it. Injectable morphine relieves pain within 5—20 minutes. Pain relief peaks around 60 minutes , and lasts for a total of 3—4 hours. The other effects of the drug generally follow a similar line.
Oral morphine takes slightly longer to work, but pain relief peaks by about 60 minutes after taking the drug. Pain relief and other side effects usually wear off within 4—6 hours.
People undergoing morphine drug testing should ask about the sensitivity of the test. The more sensitive the test is, the more likely it is to detect morphine. Highly sensitive tests may also produce false positives.
Blood tests for morphine show a negative result more quickly than other tests. This is because morphine reaches peak blood concentrations within 1 hour or so of use.
The body quickly metabolizes the drug, and the half-life, or the time it takes for the body to metabolize half of the dose, is just 1. The half-life length of morphine means it will usually exit the blood within several hours, and a blood test will almost always be negative within a day or two. Morphine exits the urine relatively quickly. Urine morphine samples test for all opioids and are very sensitive. False positives are common.
Some evidence suggests that consuming even a single poppy seed may trigger a positive test result. Morphine can enter breast milk, but the quantity of the drug and the length of time it remains there depends on the dosage and other factors.
An analysis of lactating mothers who received morphine in an epidural found that concentrations of the drug peaked 30 minutes after the last drug dose. The half-life in milk was 3 hours. Another study of women who received morphine in their epidurals assessed breast milk levels of the drug at various intervals. Morphine concentrations were highest 3.
By 24 hours, there was no detectable morphine in the milk. According to the product label, morphine reaches peak concentrations in the bloodstream in roughly 60 minutes after you take it orally.
Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dose and then increase the dose slowly until your pain is well managed. Over time, you may build up a tolerance to morphine. This means it may take longer to feel the pain relief, or the relief may not feel as strong. When this happens, your doctor may want to increase your dose or switch you to a different type of pain medication. If your doctor prescribes you an extended-release formulation, the effects will last for 8 to 12 hours.
Some extended-release brands include:. One way to find out how long a drug will last in the body is to measure its half-life. The half-life is the time it takes your body to eliminate half of the drug. Morphine has an average half-life of 2 to 4 hours.
In other words, it takes between 2 and 4 hours for your body to eliminate half of the dose of morphine. The half-life fluctuates from person to person.
This is because everyone metabolizes medications differently. It takes several half-lives for a drug to be fully eliminated from the body. For most people, morphine will fully clear the blood in 12 hours. However, morphine can still be detected in the saliva, urine, or hair for a longer period of time. According to American Addiction Centers , morphine can be detected in:. A number of factors can influence the time it takes for morphine to clear the body.
These include:. The effects of morphine are increased if you consume alcohol. Combining alcohol with morphine can also lead to dangerous side effects, including the possibility of a fatal overdose. Taking cut, broken, chewed, crushed, or dissolved forms of morphine may lead to increased drug release into the body , which can increase your risk for overdose or even death. These medications have been shown to interact with morphine and potentially increase its effects:.
Disclose your prescription to the testing lab so they can interpret your test accurately. A morphine overdose can happen when it interacts with other medications, when doses are given too close together, or too much morphine is taken. Never crush or cut an extended-release tablet or capsule as that may deliver too much morphine at one time.
Some symptoms of morphine overdose include:. Bystander training to reverse an opiate overdose with naloxone is available in your area. By administering naloxone, sometimes referred to by the brand name Narcan, someone experiencing a morphine overdose may regain consciousness and the ability to breathe.
They may also begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. Taking additional opiates at this point will cause a second overdose and is not recommended. Naloxone is available over the counter many places and from the local health department. In case of a morphine overdose, call or the poison control center at First-responders should be able to revive the victim with Narcan but only if they are notified soon enough.
Morphine depresses the respiratory system and slows the heart rate. A previous history of breathing problems, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD , are reasons to be even more cautious with the use of morphine.
Symptoms of morphine withdrawal include muscle aches, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting, and can begin as early as six hours after the last dose.
Some people compare the symptoms to those of the flu. Symptom severity varies according to the frequency of use, tolerance, and overall health and metabolism.
The acute physical effects of morphine withdrawal last for three to five days, but the psychological effects may persist for several weeks. Persisting patterns of binge and withdrawal can exacerbate problematic substance use. There are many treatments available, including medication-assisted treatment MATs with methadone or buprenorphine, which can help with withdrawal. A review details the efficacy of MAT in the treatment of opioid use disorder.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, discuss this with your doctor as there is a risk of dependence and withdrawal in newborns of mothers who have prolonged use of morphine.
Don't breastfeed while you are taking morphine. According to the NIH, morphine will pass through your milk to your child and your child can also become dependent. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of morphine addiction, help is available. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life.
Balch RJ, Trescot A. Extended-release morphine sulfate in treatment of severe acute and chronic pain. J Pain Res. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
World Health Organization. Published Detection of morphinesulfate and morphinesulfate in human urine and plasma, and formation in liver cytosol. Pharmacol Res Perspect. Drug interactions with new synthetic opioids. Buprenorphine for managing opioid withdrawal. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind.
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