What does it do?

Morphine is used to reduce breathlessness and cough.

How should you take it?

Take morphine as directed with a glass of non-alcoholic drink.
Measure the liquid carefully with an oral syringe. Leave at least four hours between doses.

It takes at least 20 minutes to start working. Try taking it before activities that you know make you breathless like showering, or before you go out.

Your dose is: ____________________________________________ Date: __________________

What if you forget a dose?

If you are taking morphine regularly for your breathlessness, take the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and carry on as normal. Do not take two doses at the same time.

If you are only taking it when you need it for breathlessness, then you don't need to take it.

Can you take other medicines?

Tell your pharmacist or doctor about all medicines or treatments that you may be taking, including vitamins, herbal products or recreational drugs.

What side effects might you notice?

The doses used for breathlessness are much smaller than those which would be used for pain, so the side effects are usually minimal. Side effects that can happen with morphine used in doses for pain relief are listed below.

Side Effects	Recommended action
Slow or shallow breathing, hard to wake up Change in heartbeat	Tell your doctor immediately
Constipation, confusion, dizziness, agitation, mood swings	Tell your doctor
Drowsiness, weakness, headache, trouble sleeping Nausea, vomiting, stomach upset Dry mouth or throat, changes in vision, trouble peeing Swollen feet or legs Sweating	Tell your doctor if troublesome

If you notice any other effects, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.

Other information:

• The small amount of morphine used to treat breathlessness isn't likely to cause addiction if you haven't had problems with addiction before.
• Tell your doctor if you have lung, bowel, liver, kidney, bladder or heart problems, if you have ever had a seizure, or have had a recent head injury.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• Morphine can impair your ability to do tasks such as driving or using machines. Alcohol makes this worse. Discuss your risk with your health professional. (search NZTA - Are you safe to drive?)