MORPHINE vs HEROIN

[msdope]

Years ago I had several operations. They gave me morphine. I recall screaming my head off. They looked at me in recovery, and said I had a rash and I was allergic, and gave me Dilaudid, and I was just fine. Much later after I had been doing heroin I had an accident, and they gave me morphine. No good. It didn't help the pain a bit.

Now I put on medical records I am allergic to morphine. That's what the Doctor told me so I put it down. I am now told I can't be allergic to morphine if I used heroin for so long. I'd have broken out in a rash, and stopped breathing. Blah, blah, blah.

I've been clean now for a long time, but if I am in serious pain in a hospital the hell with clean, and sober. Is it possible to be allergic to the morphine and not to the dope? Just wondering. Thanks.

[ontario_opiophile]

Yah I think it's definitely possible to be allergic to Morphine but not allergic to Heroin. I know it sounds impossible because Heroin is converted into Morphine and other things so you'd assume that someone would have to be allergic to both but it's simply not true. All opiates are related and are converted into Morphine or other things when used. Codeine turns into Morphine when taken doesn't it? I may be wrong but I thought it is turned into Morphine. I'm allergic to Codeine, but not allergic to Morphine so that kind of similar to you being allergic the Morphine but not Heroin. Heroin is called Diacetylmorphine and Codeine is called Methylmorphine and they are converted into the same thing, Morphine. So fuck what the nurse or doctor told you! They say alot of things but they usually don't know what they are talking about. A nurse was giving me Hydromorphone and calling it Morphine and I told her it wasn't and she got all mad at me for telling her she was wrong. lol. Correct me if i'm wrong about what I said? I'm not a scientist or doctor, so I could just be talking out of my ass. I just speak what i've learned.

[chucky]

Both of you are correct heroin and many other opiate derived pain killers turn into morphine once in the blood supply, others such as oxy contin is turned into thebaine I believe. As far as I know it depends on which alkaloid the drug has been derived from. I don't know all the alkaloids but there are so many. Back to the subject if you have or are using heroin you are not allergic to morphine it is impossible, but you could be allergic to some other thing if it is not pure morphine. Then again I'm not a nurse nor Dr.

[Paregoric Kid]

morphine causes more of a histamine release than heroin and 6-MAM (heroin breaks down into morphine and 6-MAM). try taking an antihistamine before you take morphine sometime, it might solve your problem.

[SomniGod]

i have personally had a LOT of experience with allergic reactions to opiates...M being the killer. I once got a hold of a vial of morphine...IV grade...from a hospital. I ran 3 units and literaly watched welts pop up from entry point ...along the vein..to all over my body! Sucked.. luckily had an Epi-Pen (epinephrine auto-injector)!! I also react badly to raw pod grounds.... get flush...start to swell.... gotta be cooked. No bad reacts to H though..... except when doing a 'glory shot.' Benadryl (diphenhydramine hcl) is a MUST for me with opiates. It also enhances the effects for me. Gotta do what works!

~S~

[paesan]

Is it possible that someone may not be allergic to Morphine per say but alergic to how it is absorbed, or metabolised in your body??? For instance is there a certain ezyme that is released or increased when morphine enters the body on it's own??? I know that H has less side effects than morphine per how high you are meaning you can get much higher on H than you can Morphine and not feel as many negative effects such as nausea, dysphoria, aggression, etc.. If you were to get equally as high on M alone many of the unwanted side effects would be present. Doesn't this mean the two are processed differently???

[msdope]

Thanks all for the information. Supposedly I had hives all over my body. All I know is I woke up in pain, and this is years before I even took any drugs whatsoever.

The anastesia guy (whatever they're called) was very kind. He yelled at the wacko nurse saying morphine is not effective for pain in smooth muscles. It was a woman thing and a smooth muscle was definately involved. Looking back too I wouldn't doubt she stole my shot.

Now I put down that I'm allergic to it just in case it don't work on me. I tell them demoral only please. That goes over big. Thanks again all. I've learned that people not associated with that medical stuff know more than pharmacologists or Doctors.

[miosis]

Originally Posted by chucky

Both of you are correct heroin and many other opiate derived pain killers turn into morphine once in the blood supply, others such as oxy contin is turned into thebaine I believe. As far as I know it depends on which alkaloid the drug has been derived from. I don't know all the alkaloids but there are so many. Back to the subject if you have or are using heroin you are not allergic to morphine it is impossible, but you could be allergic to some other thing if it is not pure morphine. Then again I'm not a nurse nor Dr.

Ahem, Oxycontin is oxycodone. A pro-drug that is derived from the alkaloid Thebaine extracted from Tasmanian Poppies. Oxycodone is converted to oxymorphone by metabolic function.

[candy]

Morphine is used for moderate to severe pain. The anesthesiologist who told you that Morphine is not used for smooth muscle pain is, to qoute you a "Wacko!" Morphine does not go to site of your pain, like say something such as Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen goes right to the site of pain, whereas Morphine changes our perception of the pain. Morphine works by binding itself to opiate receptors in the Central Nervous System altering both perception of and emotional response to pain. Morphine does not just target one area alone. This anesthesiologist was either himself high or trying to pull one over on you. The only types of drugs commonly used that target muscle tissue are skeletal muscle relaxers; Baclofen, Soma, Flexeril.

All opiates/opioids work in the same way as I stated above. And anyone can have an allergic reaction to Morphine. Demerol is generally given to someone allergic to Morphine. It is not uncommon for someone given Morphine, especially I.V. to have skin flushing or raised areas on the skin. When this happens, as I said, Demerol is usually given.

[lolleedee]

Candy is correct...Anyone can be allergic to morphine and demerol or dilaudid are usually substituted in these patients. Also, some people, including myself find absolutely no pain relief with morphine(though it does give me the warm-fuzzies!!!) I have better pain relief with codeine, believe it or not! All of us humans are one big chemistry problem and when you add pharmaceuticals to the mix of naturally occuring body chemistry, you get all kinds of results. Some people are allergic to things, or don't find relief with certain medications that other people find work well. The doctor I work for always told me(and our patients) that the right pain medication is the one that works for YOU! He also suggests that if you have a problem with a medication that doesn't help your pain (such as the morphine we all have been talking about) to tell the treating Doctors and to write down on all your forms that you are allergic to it. That way they will give you other stuff. I had an incident in the hospital after my hysterectomy where they were pumping me with tons of morphine and i was screaming in pain. I finally convinced the doc to give me some tylenol #3 and in about 15 minutes I was resting comfortably. Just goes to show you how different our bodies are. Most people I know get no relief from t3's (not even for a simple headache! but it always workd for me!!!

[duke_nemmerle]

Yeah no doubt, with pain and with other things, a personalized care regiment is unbeatable. What works for one person almost never works the exact same way for another