How Long Does Morphine Sulfate Stay in Your System?

Morphine sulfate can be given in pill form, liquid form, or intravenously. The different pills doses are colored coded, so it’s hard to mistakenly receive the wrong dose. The rate at which this prescription affects each person varies, depending on previous opioid use, age, and general medical condition. On average, morphine sulfate starts working within 30 to 60 minutes when taken orally and it works quicker if it is given intravenously. The effects of pain relief start to wear off after 4 to 6 hours, so most prescriptions intend for the medication to be taken at those intervals.

Inform your doctor if you are experiencing any side effects from morphine sulfate and avoid any interaction medications or substances, including alcohol, while the drug remains in your system. If you’re unsure about the safety of taking other medications or drinking alcohol after taking morphine sulfate, talk to your doctor.

Morphine is derived from the poppy straw of the opium poppy flower. Morphine sulfate is an opioid analgesic, which alters the way that your body feels and responds to pain. It can be prescribed for acute pain or for chronic pain, and it is highly addictive. Morphine sulfate works by affecting certain receptors in the central nervous system that change the way the body perceives pain.

As with any other prescription drug, morphine sulfate carries a risk of side effects. These side effects can include:

1. Nausea
2. Vomiting
3. Constipation
4. Lightheadedness
5. Dizziness
6. Drowsiness
7. Sweating

Serious side effects can also occur, including mental/mood changes, severe stomach pain, difficulty urinating, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, and weight loss. If you experience any of these side effects, contact your doctor right away. Your doctor can help you decide if morphine sulfate is the right choice to treat your pain.

Morphine sulfate is listed under the Controlled Substance Act in the United States as a Schedule II controlled substance. Schedule II controlled substances have a high potential for morphine sulfate addiction and abuse. Refills of prescription drugs on this list are not allowed, and only a doctor who is licensed to prescribe opiates can prescribe morphine sulfate.

Morphine sulfate is available under multiple brand names, including Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph SR, Zomorph, Morphgesic, Arymo ER, MorphaBond ER, MXL, Sevredol, and Roxanol.

Morphine is used to make other drugs, such as hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and heroin.

In addition to affecting receptors in the central nervous system that regulate how you feel pain, morphine sulfate also affects the gastrointestinal and immune systems.

Studies have shown that morphine sulfate has a negative effect on cognitive abilities and it diminishes motor abilities as well.

A single dose of morphine sulfate has been shown to alter certain genes in your body -mainly two major groups of genes involving respiration and cytoskeleton-related proteins.

Do not abruptly stop taking morphine sulfate as you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Consult with your doctor so that they can assist you in weaning off of this prescription medication.

The half-life of a medication is the time that it takes for its effectiveness to be cut in half after taking the last dose. The half-life for morphine sulfate is 2 to 4 hours.

There are several factors that influence how long morphine sulfate will stay in your system. These factors include age, weight, body fat, metabolism, liver and kidney function, dosage, length of time taking the medication, medical condition, other medications, and alcohol intake.

Since there are so many factors that influence the length of time morphine sulfate remains in your system, consult with your doctor before taking any other medications or drinking alcohol after you’ve stopped taking morphine sulfate

Morphine sulfate will show up in a drug test screening, so it’s important to inform your drug test administrator that you are taking or have recently taken this prescription. Morphine sulfate will stay in your urine and blood for up to three days but will show up on a hair test for considerably longer. Drug tests can show traces of morphine sulfate in the hair for up to 90 days after the last dose.