Mixing Morphine and Alcohol

Mixing morphine and alcohol can have serious consequences ranging from the immediate to the long-term. The effects of mixing morphine and alcohol include both behavioral and physiological repercussions. Addiction to these two substances should be resolved with the help of a professional and under medical supervision. For help overcoming a dependence on morphine and alcohol, call us for free and confidential help.

How Does Morphine Affect the Body?

Morphine is a member of the narcotic opioid pain relievers’ drug group, and morphine addiction can easily develop. It works be affecting the way that the brain processes nerve signals related to pain. It is typically used for nonsurgical pain that is unresponsive to other types of pain medication. Even when morphine is prescribed by a doctor for a legitimate medical reason, morphine addiction can easily develop. Morphine is dispensed as long-acting, extended-release tablets and pills, and it also comes in liquid form.

How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?

Alcohol is a depressant that blocks certain nerve impulses from reaching the brain, similar to the way that morphine blocks pain signals. Alcohol intoxication can range from mild, characterized by slurred speech, to extreme, characterized by blackouts. Long-term alcohol abuse can result in damage to the liver and brain, including cirrhosis and dementia.

What is the Result of Combining Alcohol and Morphine?

Because alcohol and morphine are both depressants, combining them is particularly dangerous. At best, a combination of these two drugs can result in extreme drowsiness, lack of coordination, motor skill impairment, and delayed responsiveness. Either drug alone, but especially the combination, will impair thinking and cause problems completing tasks. Too much of both alcohol and morphine in combination can cause a coma or death.

Taking both alcohol and morphine together increases the likelihood of an accidental overdose, especially because both drugs disrupt the way that information is received and interpreted by the brain. Effects of taking too much of this combination can include seizures, confusion, slowed heartbeat, delayed reactions, weakness, or cold and damp skin. Using any combination of alcohol and morphine is extremely dangerous when operating machinery or swimming and should be avoided. Because both alcohol and morphine alone can cause nausea and vomiting, taking the two together can increase the likelihood of an upset stomach. Because morphine is usually metabolized within two hours, the likelihood of taking too much morphine increases as the user attempts to sustain the intoxication.

The Long-Term Health Effects of Alcohol and Morphine Abuse

Using either alcohol or morphine during pregnancy can result in severe birth defects, including fetal alcohol syndrome. The infant also may be addicted to morphine at birth. Both morphine and alcohol are metabolized in the liver. That means that the liver is the primary location in which the drug is processed and cleansed from the body. Using morphine and alcohol alone in excess can damage the liver, and the combination of the two increases the likelihood of that effect. Liver damage can lead to cirrhosis, severe stomach bleeding, an inability to tolerate other necessary medications, impaired blood clotting, and eventual death. For help avoiding these and other negative consequences of morphine and alcohol addiction, call us for complementary help finding an appropriate treatment program.

Concerns of Mixing Alcohol with Other Opiates

• Codeine
• Dilaudid
• Fentanyl
• Heroin
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Lortab
• Methadone
• Norco
• Oxycodone
• Oxycontin
• Percocet
• Tramadol
• Vicodin

Getting Help for Morphine and Alcohol Addiction

If you are addicted to morphine and alcohol, you should seek help as soon as possible to minimize the negative effects that this combination will have on your body. Treatment for addiction to morphine and alcohol is available. Sudden cessation of taking a either morphine or alcohol after long-term or repetitive use can be uncomfortable. Whenever possible, withdrawal from alcohol and morphine addiction should be supervised by a facility or program experienced in the effects of mixing morphine and alcohol.

If you’re concerned that the co-abuse of alcohol and morphine is impacting your health, or that of someone close to you, substance abuse treatment programs can help. Call us to speak with a treatment support advisor about your recovery options.