Anybody have these side effects with morphine? What do you do?

[BusyGrl]

I thought I had a stomach flu because every time I eat for the past 3 days, I feel very nauseated and have lots of burping. Also have light-headedness increasing. The only change is I weaned off of Effexor under doctor's care over the past 3 weeks and am now off of it but still taking morphine 30 mg 3x daily plus Tramadol/Ultram 200 mg/day. I've been on these last 2 drugs 2 and 4 months, respectively. I also stopped trying to take Neurontin because it gives me terrible nerve twitches. My memory is becoming faulty to such an extent that I got up this morning and my kids were talking about a movie we watched last night and I had absolutely no recollection of what they described. My memory loss and inability to see things right in front of my eyes has been a running joke, but today it feels like a crisis. All I want to do is sleep to escape and right now, just cry. It seems that the Effexor was doing an important job after all. It's the weekend and my pain manager's voicemail message says you can call the doctor on-call, so I probably will do that, but I never seem to think my crises are quite important enough. I just wonder what in the world is causing these symptoms. I weaned off of Effexor because I haven't been able to have an orgasm in 4 months. Since weaning off the Effexor, other side effects seem much worse. No lesser evil to trade for, in my opinion. I think I need to get off of the morphine, but then I'm back to square one with the pain. Just wanted to get some feedback from others who have had these kinds of side effects. Light-headedness is also getting me way down. I thought these sides would all be gone by now. Without the Effexor, I feel like crying, my hands are cold, my head is very unclear, and I don't know what to do. I just feel miserable. What a nightmare. I need to know I'm not alone.

[Tuckamore]

Thank you for the update Busygirl. Medications can cause a multitude of issues for different ppl. We all can react differently.

I am glad you are feeling better. It does seem like the Effexor was the culprit in the majority of your symptoms. Otis offers a very good point. He has done his research. In the future remember you had some difficulties with the Effexor and you may want to try a different antidepressant if needed.

I hope 09 will be a better year for you. Take Care, Tuck

[OtisDaMan]

Hi there, and Happy New Year all.

Before I begin, please note that I am not a doctor, so please read my comments with that in mind.

The symptoms you related are known Effexor withdrawal symptoms. After the final dose has lapsed, the "victim" (aka patient) may experience a sudden return of depressive symptoms. This return is usually temporary, lasting from a few days to a few weeks. Any longer than that is rare. My personal view is that any withdrawal symptoms, *especially* depressive ones, justify a doctor visit. The doctor is there to assist you in managing your health generally, not just to help with crises.

In your case a complicating factor may have been the use of tramadol while on Effexor. This is a very individual thing, but in some cases tramadol may increase the effect of serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, such as Effexor - this might have made for a tougher withdrawal. If your original dose of Effexor was above 150mg/day, you may also have been getting (beneficial) norepinephrine re-uptake inhibition effects from Effexor prior to withdrawal.

To the best of my knowledge morphine is unlikely to cause most of the side-effects you've listed, except possibly a slightly upset tum. I would wager that it was Effexor withdrawal, however.

Neurontin (aka Gabapentin), and its partner in crime, Lyrica (aka Pentagabin) are anti-convulsants that may provide neuropathic pain relief. The ubiquitous side-effect of these two drugs is short term and overnight memory loss, often accompanied by "correct word forgetfulness." I personally have this dilemma with lyrica, which I use for iatrogenic nerve pain.

Finally, if you feel that you need to return to antidepressants and want to avoid anorgasmia, there are a number of antidepressants that have good profiles - wellbutrin (aka Bupropion or Zyban) is one I know of (it affects dopamine, rather than serotonin). If you do want to try another antidepressant, remember to first let your doctor know of every drug you use, including OTC medications.

All the best for the New Year.

[BusyGrl]

I saw my PM today and she offered to prescribe some lower dose MS pills. I decided to stay with my current dosage and see whether things continue to get better over the next 2 weeks without Effexor. I really want to get the nerve pain under control with the fewest number of prescriptions. The pain was magically absent right away when I started on MS Contin, then wasn't quite covered when I adjusted to it, hence the increase 3 weeks ago.

Yesterday (Sunday)  I thought there was no way I could stand another wasted day of withdrawal sickness, and today I am much better. I still experience some sweats and anxiety, but no more nausea. It seems pretty clear that Effexor was the problem. My PM said she had never heard of anyone having the other symptoms I was having, like teeth grinding and clenching, on morphine, and that's all gone now, too. She also mentioned that I could still be adjusting to the higher dosage of MS.

Thanks everyone for your concern and support. This forum is the best. And I wish no one else would suffer coming off of Effexor like I did. Who knew. I was careful and tapered off as directed and still had problems.

[sandee1818]

I am wondering if your dose is too high. The symptoms your having can be related to having too much in your system. When you have too much of this medication in your system it will cause the flu like symptoms and burping.
I would suggest you ask your doctor about it and maybe have your dosage adjusted to see if that helps. Of Course with tolerance issues you will need a readjustment later on.

[Tuckamore]

Toolmaker I think you may be correct as I said in my second sentence above. You would think the Morphine would be well tolerated by now.

If the only thing that has changed is the discontinuation of the Effexor it makes more sense than the symptoms are due to that. And Toolmaker it is not common for the w/d to last a year. I hope you are one of the very, very few that has experienced that lengthy of a w/d.

Again Busygirl, good luck to you.

[toolmaker]

I think its the effexor withdrawl.I tried to quit myself once upon a time and had a similar experience.I have been told that the withdrawl can last for a year.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Busygirl,

I am sorry to hear about your symptoms. Yes you should call the physician on call. It is my guess that your symptoms can contributed to the discontinuation of the Effexor. Antidepressants can take up to three weeks to clear completely out of your system. If you were on the Morphine while you were on the Effexor it could have blocked some of the side effects usually attributed to Morphine.

Some of the more common side effects of Morphine are: constipation; warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin; nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite; dizziness, headache, anxiety; memory problems; or sleep problems (insomnia). So your symptoms certainly "fit" that of Morphine side effects. And these can vary from person to person. While one person may only have the headaches another may experience nausea, headaches and lightheadedness and still another only memory loss. Our systems are all different.

Please let us know how you are doing. I will look forward with interest to your next update. Peace, Tuck