Chronic Pain Support Group

My doctor as me on 8 10/325 norco and 8 50mg tramadol a day and is going to switch me to morphine. Has anyone had experiance with morphine 12 hr or 24 hr and can tell me the pros and cons of each. Also which one they would recommend.

When they switch you to morphine sulphate..MS Contin, it's usually in the ER ( extended release formula ). I've been taking MS Contin ER for over 6 years with very little side effects. I do have some trouble sleeping and do get aggitated sometimes but that's easily countered with OTC sleeping pills when needed and, if you do find yourself getting panick attacks from time to time, they're easily controlled with Xanax. What's nice about OTC sleeping pills and Xanax is that they only work for the time you need them to and then are out of your system unlike some meds that DR's prescribe which you have to take everyday even when you're not having any side effects. You may not need either. Some ppl say they feel a bity sleepy at first, but that goes away. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING... DO NOT EVER split an Extented Release pill! Even if they're set up for 12 hour or 24 hour release, if they're not helping for that long, your DR can prescribe them so you take them more often and so that they over lap. I currently take 4 60 mg's of MS Contin ER/day. I don't have to take the full dose everyday but it took me a long time and working with my DR to figure out when I can skip a dose. I'm also prescribed to take 30 mg's of MS IR ( Immediate release ) as often as 2x's/day though my DR doesn't prescribe enough for 2x's/day since I rarely need it that often. It's only precsribed for breakthrough pain. I've done very well on this combination. I also get prescribed Ultram for lesser breakthrough pain and other pain unrelated to the bone disease. Some people get muscle spasms or cramps but these can be lessened by doing stretches, especially in your legs and feet before going to bed since the muscle spasms usually occur during long periods of immobility. I feel very optimistic in saying that I believe your DR is trying out a medication which has been tried and proven very reliable. Believe me that most of the side effects go away with time. You may find that your appetite is lessened after you've been taking it for a few months and you may have to force yourself to eat when you really don't feel hungry to keep your strength up. I believe that's partially the cause of the muscle spasms. I think some ppl who lose their appetite don't force themselves to eat and lose vital vitamins and minerals like potasium and calcium. If you do experience any side effects which may concern you, please feel free to send me a PM and definately contact your DR.

thank you I feel better about switching rxs

You're very welcome, that's what we're here for. Good luck and all the best to you and your's.

I'm on a low dose of Morphine ER at the moment since I'm allergic to higher doses. They make me super itchy. This low dose has no side effects for me but also does not help much at removing the pain. The morphine ER also doesn't usually have the ''high'' feeling that you can get from taking like 3-4 percocets for example. It's nice to not feel all drowsy.