MS Contin Side Effects

Generic Name: morphine,morphine sulfate

Please note - some side effects for MS Contin may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.

Side Effects of MS Contin - for the Consumer

MS Contin Sustained-Release Tablets

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using MS Contin Sustained-Release Tablets:

Constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; headache; lightheadedness; nausea; restless mood; sweating; vomiting.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, throat, or tongue); confusion; disorientation; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; mental or mood changes (eg, agitation, exaggerated sense of well-being); seizures; severe or persistent constipation or stomach pain; severe or persistent dizziness, drowsiness, or headache; shortness of breath; slow or shallow breathing; sudden chest pain; swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet; trouble urinating; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness; vision changes (eg, blurred vision).

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.

MS Contin Side Effects - for the Professional

MS Contin

The adverse reactions caused by morphine are essentially those observed with other opioid analgesics. They include the following major hazards: respiratory depression, apnea, and to a lesser degree, circulatory depression, respiratory arrest, shock, and cardiac arrest.

Most Frequently Observed

Constipation, lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dysphoria, and euphoria.

Some of these effects seem to be more prominent in ambulatory patients and in those not experiencing severe pain. Some adverse reactions in ambulatory patients may be alleviated if the patient lies down.

Less Frequently Observed Reactions

Central Nervous System: Weakness, headache, agitation, tremor, uncoordinated muscle movements, seizure, alterations of mood (nervousness, apprehension, depression, floating feelings), dreams, muscle rigidity, transient hallucinations and disorientation, visual disturbances, insomnia, increased intracranial pressure

Gastrointestinal: Dry mouth, biliary tract spasm, laryngospasm, anorexia, diarrhea, cramps, taste alteration, constipation, ileus, intestinal obstruction, dyspepsia, increases in hepatic enzymes

Cardiovascular: Flushing of the face, chills, tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitation, faintness, syncope, hypotension, hypertension

Genitourinary: Urine retention or hesitance, amenorrhea, reduced libido and/or potency

Dermatologic: Pruritus, urticaria, other skin rashes, edema, diaphoresis

Other: Antidiuretic effect, paresthesia, bronchospasm, muscle tremor, blurred vision, nystagmus, diplopia, miosis, anaphylaxis, malaise, thinking disturbances, vertigo

Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals

Nervous system

Central nervous system side effects may be either depressant or excitatory. Excitatory symptoms are sometimes ignored as possible side effects of morphine. Severe adverse effects such as respiratory depression can be treated with the opiate antagonist, naloxone.

Patients receiving continuous infusion of morphine sulfate via indwelling intrathecal catheter should be monitored for new neurologic signs or symptoms. Further assessment or intervention should be based on the clinical condition of the individual patient.

Myoclonic spasms may occur in patients receiving high dose morphine, particularly in the setting of renal dysfunction. Hyperalgesia has also been reported with high doses.

Nervous system side effects have been frequently reported and include drowsiness and sedation. Inflammatory masses including granulomas (some of which have resulted in serous neurologic impairment including paralysis) have been reported to occur in patients receiving continuous infusion of opioid analgesics including morphine sulfate via indwelling intrathecal catheter. Delirium, seizures, tremors, dizziness, muscle twitches, malaise, and confusion have also been reported.

Respiratory

Respiratory side effects including respiratory depression have been reported frequently. Bronchospasm has been reported in patients with underlying pulmonary disease.

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, constipation, dry mouth, increased gastroesophageal reflux, intestinal obstruction, and increased biliary pressure have been reported.

Morphine may cause constriction of the common bile duct and spasm of the sphincter of Oddi, thereby increasing intrabiliary pressure and worsening, rather than relieving, biliary colic.

In addition, morphine may cause intense but uncoordinated duodenal contraction and decreased gastric emptying.

Other

Withdrawal symptoms have been reported to have included agitation, restlessness, anxiety, piloerection, insomnia, convulsions, tremor, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, vomiting, and sweating.

Other side effects include a withdrawal symptoms after either abrupt cessation or fast tapering of morphine.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects including hypotension related to a transient decrease in systemic arterial resistance has been reported, particularly in the setting of myocardial infarction.

Psychiatric

Psychiatric side effects have included fearfulness, agitation, thinking disturbances, paranoia, psychosis, hypervigilance, and hallucinations.

Genitourinary

Genitourinary side effects including acute urinary retention have been reported.

The risk of acute urinary retention is very high when morphine is administered by epidural or intrathecal injection. Clinicians should be attentive to the increased risk of urosepsis in this setting, particularly if instrumentation of the urinary tract is necessary.

Hematologic

Hematologic side effects including immune thrombocytopenia has been rarely reported.

Endocrine

Endocrine side effects such as menstrual irregularities including amenorrhea have been reported. Reduced male potency and decreased libido in both men and women have also been reported.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal side effects including opioid-induced involuntary muscle hyperactivity has been reported with chronic, high doses.

Dermatologic

Dermatologic side effects including sweating, flushing, pruritus have been reported frequently. A case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis has also been reported.

Ocular

Ocular side effects include keratoconjunctivitis and allergic conjunctivitis associated with lid urticaria. Visual disturbances and miosis have also been reported. A study has reported a temporary 26% decrease in pupil diameter following the administration of IV morphine.

Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactoid reactions have been reported to occur very rarely.

General

Droperidol (2.5 mg intravenously) has been used successfully to reverse the pruritus associated with epidural morphine 2 or 4 mg dosages. A larger dose of droperidol (5 mg) unexplainably does not appear to reverse the pruritus.

General side effects including a sense of warmth has been frequently reported.

Hepatic

Hepatic side effects including increases in hepatic enzymes have been reported infrequently.

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