Morphine without nausea?

May 6, 2019 4:39 AM

I have an extremely painful but minor health issue right now. Along with antibiotics I was prescribed morphine. I took the recommended dose and then took the next dose. The morphine worked great in that the pain was gone but I spent the next twelve hours unable to move or eat/drink (even sips of water) without throwing up.

I have switched back to ibuprofen/acetaminophen but would like to try the morphine again as the pain is diminished but still there. Has anyone who is prone to nausea with morphine managed to avoid nausea by taking it with more food or with Gravol or some other anti-emetic? I'm hesitant to try.

posted by biggreenplant to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

Best answer: I was going to say that you want ondansetron/Zofran, because it's basically magic for me while dimenhydrinate just knocks me out for an hour, but apparently in the overall population it's a toss-up, so if Gravol normally helps, go for it. Call whoever prescribed the morphine and tell them what's happening though! It's a very common side-effect but definitely worth documenting.
posted by teremala at 5:27 AM on May 6, 2019 [8 favorites]

I think you should tell your doctor what happened when you took it and ask them for something else, because I can tell you for sure that that's not supposed to happen.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:04 AM on May 6, 2019

I can't speak specifically to morphine, but probiotic yoghurt often works well to reduce the nausea of medications.

If you stick with the OTC meds, alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 2 hours will provide considerably better relief than taking either of them every 4. They have unrelated actions in the body, and it is perfectly safe to take them both at the same time.
posted by ubiquity at 6:15 AM on May 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

It's a common side effect, and lots of people end up in that same spot. They usually have to find alternatives, unless the nausea is preferable to not having the pain handled sufficiently. I don't know if adding an anti-emetic is an option. Good luck!
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 6:24 AM on May 6, 2019

Pot is often used to combat nausea. Ginger beer is a good one too.
posted by h00py at 6:39 AM on May 6, 2019

I have the same reaction to opioids. Anti-emetics are effective for me, but I have to be really insistent to get them prescribed.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:48 AM on May 6, 2019

I can't take Zofran because it turns my GI tract into concrete, but Phenergan worked for me.
posted by all the light we cannot see at 8:01 AM on May 6, 2019

you could bring this up and request another pain med, but you my be one of those people like myself that barfs uncontrollably in response to opioids, even small amounts of codeine in cough syrup. I personally prefer to deal with slight pain and use tylenol / ibuprofen to manage, but if you want to pursue getting anti-nausea meds to see if that helps handle the morphine, you will likely need to start with zofran and try that then "graduate" to phenergan if that doesn't work. phenergan will likely knock you right out. when i had not pain related barfy issues doctors seemed a bit hesitant to give phenergan unless they were certain the zofran was just not cutting it and then the phenergan that was prescribed was a refridgerated suppository so just a heads up there too. get on the mend!
posted by WeekendJen at 8:25 AM on May 6, 2019

It's common to prescribe anti-emetics along with narcotics for short-term use. After a recent surgery I was prescribed generic Zofran along with Percocet.

There is some weird side effect profile for phenergan that makes them reluctant to use it first-line. I can't remember what it is but the issue came up many years ago after another surgery.
posted by praemunire at 9:25 AM on May 6, 2019

praemunire, you may be thinking of the black-box warnings for both Phenergan (promethazine) (warning for IV administration) and Zofran (ondansetron) (warning for IV administration). In general, you'll want to consult with your physician to see what they suggest for your specific situation, biggreenplant, since you're unable to take the morphine as frequently as prescribed due to the nausea.
posted by limeonaire at 10:36 AM on May 6, 2019

Response by poster: THANK you to everyone. Some great tips and experiences in here. I went back to talk to the pharmacist where I got the meds and she suggested to eat more. I may however try to take some anti-emetics tonight and one morphine tablet in order to get a good sleep. Right now I am feeling nauseous only by being on ibuprofen/acetaminophen + antibiotics, so perhaps I am particularly sensitive. Thanks again everyone.
posted by biggreenplant at 11:57 AM on May 6, 2019

FYI when this happened to me I experimented and wound up taking a lower dose of the medication. I realized I could use a pill splitter and cut the tablets in order to take 3/4 to 1/2 of the pill instead of a full pill and that would still give me the same pain relief without the nausea. (Ibuprofen/acetaminophen was really doing very little to reduce the pain, which the Percocet was great for the pain, but was giving me nausea/migraines at the full dose.)
posted by gudrun at 1:18 PM on May 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

Benadryl helps me with nausea and is known to prevent vomiting. Also, maybe try ginger candies. I think Gin-gins are the most popular brand, but I get some at my local Asian market for $1 per package of 10 and they contain more ginger, so they're more effective.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:24 PM on May 6, 2019