Quick info
Morphine (derived from Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams) is the strongest naturally occurring painkiller from the group of opiates and is extracted from the milky sap of the opium poppy. It serves as a prototype for all opiates, i.e. the potency of other opioid analgesics is given in comparison to morphine.
Due to its strong analgesic, antitussive and psychotropic properties, morphine is used to treat severe pain in emergency and palliative care.
Due to its depressant and sedative effect, the active substance is also misused as a euphoric intoxicant. In the context of opioid agonist therapy, morphine is used as a substitute for opiate/heroin addiction.
Onset of effect
Injected: after seconds
Swallowed: after approx. 20 minutes (for sustained release tablets after 1 - 1.5 hours)
Duration of action
approx. 3 - 6 hours
Swallowed:
Light: 5 - 10 mg
Medium: 15 - 20 mg
Strong: over 25 mg
When consuming for the first time, low doses should be used, as the risk of respiratory arrest is increased.
Risks
Gastrointestinal complaints such as constipation are common side effects after taking opiates. Nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, sweating, skin rashes, itching, dizziness, headaches and fatigue are other common complaints. On the psychological level, confusion, nightmares and hallucinations may occur. Rather rarely, there is a drop in blood pressure, breathing difficulties and allergic reactions.
Overdose
Overdoses with morphine are life-threatening, as the substance has a strong respiratory depressant effect (worsening breathing) even in low doses, which can lead to respiratory arrest and coma. Oral consumption of 0.3 - 1.5 g and intravenous consumption of 100 mg can lead to a fatal overdose. In opioid addicts, the lethal dose can be significantly higher. An overdose is treated by taking naloxone, an opioid antagonist.
Long-term risks/consequences
The consumption of morphine can lead to physical and psychological dependence after only a short time. Tolerance builds up quickly, which is why higher and higher doses have to be consumed. Strong withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, depression, insomnia, sweating, cold shivers, vomiting, diarrhoea and painful cramps may occur. Like all opiates, morphine can lead to chronic constipation.
Opiates are highly effective drugs that should only be used for a limited time and, at best, with a doctor's supervision.
Start with a low dose and wait for the effect and tolerance before adding more.
After a period of abstinence, use a much lower dose! The usual dose before the abstinence phase can otherwise quickly have life-threatening consequences.
If you inject opiates, dose even more carefully, as the range between desired effect (rush) and dangerous overdose is even more difficult to assess. Avoid injecting opiates; the risk of overdose is particularly high. Always use new (clean and sterile) syringe material! Never exchange syringes, filters, water, disinfection swabs to avoid transmission of hepatitis and HIV.
Do not rely on dosage information from colleagues who regularly use opiates. Due to habituation or dependence, their doses are significantly higher and can be fatal for new users.
Take longer breaks (at least several days) between consumption.
Refrain from citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) before or during consumption. The combination can lead to an increase in the effect of the opiate and/or respiratory depression
The simultaneous consumption of depressant substances such as alcohol, ketamine, GHB/GBL, nitrous oxide, benzodiazepines and/or other opiates is dangerous, as there is an increased risk of vomiting and unconsciousness. The risk of suffocation is great!
The combination with methoxetamine (MXE, Metha-Keta) increases the opioid effect.
Mixed use of opiates with DXM is generally not recommended - there is an increased risk of central nervous system disorders as well as cardiac and respiratory problems. In addition, DXM lowers the individual opiate tolerance, which is why the risk of overdose increases considerably.
The mixed use of opiates with stimulants (such as cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine) puts extreme strain on the body and the cardiovascular system. The effects can mask each other, so that they are subjectively felt to be weaker. If the effect of the stimulants wears off before the opiates, there is a risk of delayed overdose and even respiratory depression.
Morphine should not be consumed with medicines and substances that increase the serotonin concentration. These include, for example, MDMA, 4-FA, methamphetamine, methyltryptamine as well as migraine medicines from the group of triptans, tramadol, tapentadol, St. John's wort and MAO inhibitors. These combinations can trigger a life-threatening serotonin syndrome and lead to fever, rise in blood pressure, overheating, diarrhoea, seizures, increased reflexes, confusion and even coma.
LSD analogues are substances that are chemically very similar to LSD and can have comparable effects. Some of them have been known for a long time (e.g. ALD52, ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, PRO-LAD etc.) and have been studied pharmacologically as well as psychopharmacologically, at least in part. Others are newer "creations" (e.g. the derivatives 1P-LSD,1B-LSD, 1cP-LSD, 1V-LSDetc.), for which only few or no data are available. Certain LSD analogues can (still) be legally produced, traded and consumed in some countries, which is the main reason for their distribution.
Most LSD analogues are naturally different from LSD in their effect and/or potency (e.g. ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, LSZ etc.). In contrast, the so-called 1-acylated LSD compounds (e.g. 1P-LSD, 1V-LSD, 1B-LSD, ALD-52, etc.) are presumed, on the basis of pharmacological studies, to convert into LSD in the body (they function as so-called prodrugs) and thus have a comparable psychoactive effect to LSD.
In the case of prodrugs of LSD and LSD analogues, it has not been conclusively clarified whether, in addition to their psychoactive effect, they can produce other pharmacological effects. How potent these prodrugs are compared to the resulting substance (e.g., 1P-LSD to LSD), and to what extent a delay in onset of action occurs in each case, may be substance-dependent and cannot be generalized. Therefore, it is important to approach the dose/effect carefully to avoid overdoses.
If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or alcohol, call an ambulance on 144. Tell the emergency responders everything you know.
It could save lives.