Withdrawal from Morphine

by LadyAmp~:~

I wish I had had someone to tell me at the time I was going through my withdrawal from Morphine what it was. But I didn't, and it's the lack of that knowledge that kept me on the edge of my wheelchair seat for about a month!

I'm not a nurse, so my perception of withdawal may be different than others. The only experience I can go by is my own.

If you were on a Morphine drip for any length of time, you will most likely experience the withdrawal symptoms. The most prevalent symptom was hot and cold flashes. These can last up to about 2 weeks or more, depending on the length of time you were on the drug. The other symptom was trying to keep food in my stomach. Everything I ate didn't stay down long. Those first couple of weeks out of the hospital I lost 9 pounds.

I was on Morphine for 2 weeks, 18 mg. every 15 minutes, which put a lot of the drug into my system. The last few days of the drip were decreased and I even stopped pushing my 'panic button' towards the end of my tether to the drug. But the symptoms I experienced afterward were real, and even uncomfortable.

In my case, 3 weeks after I got out of the hospital I was readmitted for an infected stump and two more surgeries were performed. The infection caused my temperature to rise to 103.2. I had hot and cold sweats and when my temperature spiked to 103.2, I knew I wasn't long for this world. Hubby called the doctor and he 'ordered' me to the hospital emergency room.

To make a long story short, I was back onto the Morphine again for another 5 days. My hospital stay was 7 days, but I had weened myself off the Morphine while I was there.

I was terrified of having another infected stump and having to go to the hospital again, so I was paranoid about any hot and cold flashes. And I was having plenty of them!! Every time I would have a flash, I would take my temperature and every time it was normal. I would shed clothes like it was 100 degrees outside, and as soon as I did, I'd end up freezing! I was dressing and undressing so many times during the day you would have thought I was a crazy! I could never understand why the flashes were so severe and so frequent!

As I mentioned, I couldn't eat anything without it upsetting my stomach, food became an enemy to me. My husband worried about me getting enough nutrients in my body to help the healing of my stump. My sister-in-law suggested Ensure. At least it stayed down and I only had to face the prospect of putting something in my stomach 3 times a day!

It wasn't until months later when I was researching amputee websites, that I found the information about Morphine withdrawals. Talk about a lightening bolt! It suddenly all came together! The hot and cold flashes, the upset stomach.....all were a part of withdrawing from Morphine.

So be prepared! You'll go through them, the hot and cold flashes, the upset stomach. But know at the end of those uncomfortable times is freedom. Remember they are only symptoms of something you needed at the time, but they will go away!!