Plugging Morphine | Side Effects, Risks, And Dangers

Morphine is a narcotic drug derived from opium that healthcare professionals in the United States use for pain relief and pain management. Like other opioid medications including oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and codeine, morphine can be highly addictive when misused. While morphine is legal and safe when prescribed by a doctor and taken as directed, people sometimes abuse it in dangerous ways to intensify its effects.

If a person is “plugging” morphine, that means they’re using rectal administration to abuse the drug by inserting it into the rectum rather than taking it orally or through other prescribed methods. This form of substance abuse may not be as commonly discussed as injection drug use or swallowing pills, but inserting drugs rectally can be equally dangerous and carries serious health risks.

The biggest dangers of plugging morphine include seizures, damage or death of rectal tissue from direct contact with the drug, decreased blood flow to the small intestine and surrounding organs, increased risk of developing addiction due to faster and more intense effects, and significantly increased risk of overdose because the drug bypasses the digestive system and enters the bloodstream more quickly.

Why People Plug Morphine

People who plug morphine do so primarily to intensify and speed up the drug’s effects compared to taking it orally. When morphine is inserted rectally, it bypasses the digestive system and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through rectal tissue, leading to a faster and more intense high. The rectal route has higher bioavailability than oral administration, meaning more of the drug reaches the brain quickly, producing stronger euphoric effects.

Some individuals turn to plugging morphine after developing tolerance to oral doses, finding that pills no longer produce desired effects. Others may have heard that rectal administration gets them more high from the same amount of drug. People trying to hide drug use may choose this method because it doesn’t leave visible track marks like injection. Some who can’t swallow pills due to nausea may resort to plugging as an alternative.

Dangers And Risks Of Plugging Morphine

Morphine sulfate, an opioid agonist, may be prescribed as an immediate-release or extended-release pill for oral administration to treat chronic pain. If a person is plugging oral morphine, they may insert the pill like a suppository or crush the pill into a powder for other methods of drug administration.

Unfortunately, these methods of ingestion can lead to an increased risk of potentially severe side effects that may include:

• changes in heartbeat
• nausea or vomiting
• hallucinations
• fever
• sweating
• confusing
• shivering
• loss of coordination
• hives or rash
• swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, lips, or throat
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• severe muscle stiffness or twitching

There’s also an increased risk of overdose when morphine is being plugged or abused in other ways.

Morphine Overdose Risk

Morphine, when administered rectally, has higher bioavailability. The bioavailability of morphine affects a person’s high.

When plugging morphine, a person may feel the high more intensely, but it may fade faster than the drug is able to leave the person’s system. This can cause a person to take high doses of the drug, which may lead to an increased risk of overdose.

A morphine overdose may produce the following side effects:

• cold and clammy skin
• low blood pressure
• sleepiness
• slowed breathing
• slow pulse rate
• coma

Sudden death is also possible from a morphine overdose. In some cases, naloxone can be used to treat an opioid overdose.

If you suspect a morphine overdose, call 911 immediately.

Other Dangers Of Plugging Morphine

In addition to the potential risks listed above, other dangers could come from the rectal administration of morphine.

These may include:

• passing blood
• rectal pain
• constipation
• tears in the colon
• inability to control bowel movements

Of course, the risk of these issues is increased if a person has been plugging drugs for an extended period of time.

Side Effects Of Morphine Abuse

While morphine is commonly prescribed as part of pain treatments, it can also be habit-forming. Whether morphine is being taken as a prescription drug or recreationally, there may be some noticeable differences.

Common side effects of morphine abuse may include:

• drowsiness
• sedation
• stomach pain and cramps
• dry mouth
• headache
• nervousness
• mood changes
• small pupils
• difficulty urinating or pain while urinating

If morphine is being taken with other drugs such as tramadol, benzodiazepines, and/or antidepressants, these side effects may be more severe.

Effects On The Brain And Body

While accurate dosing of morphine can be used for effective pain control, the drug can have serious effects on the brain and body. Morphine is an opioid analgesic, which means it interacts with the opioid receptors and serotonin blockers in the brain. There, it interacts with the central nervous system to change the way pain is perceived.

After an extended period of time, this can permanently alter how the brain works. Extended exposure to morphine can lead to physical dependence. Perhaps some of the biggest effects on the brain and body occur during morphine withdrawal, which can resemble flu-like symptoms.

Common morphine withdrawal symptoms may include:

• nausea and/or vomiting
• sweating and chills
• muscle aches
• increased heart rate
• runny nose
• watery eyes
• fever
• diarrhea
• increased blood pressure
• irritation
• anxiety
• depression
• confusion
• trouble sleeping

Because these symptoms and side effects can have potentially severe consequences, it’s best to contact a treatment specialist to figure out the best route to recovery.

Treatment Options For Morphine Abuse

If you or a loved one may be plugging morphine or abusing opioids in any way, reach out to a healthcare provider immediately to determine the best course of action. When it comes to morphine abuse and addiction, there are a variety of treatment options available including inpatient and outpatient programs. Generally, inpatient treatment programs are more immersive, intensive, and effective when it comes to treating morphine addiction.

With this treatment option, a person will stay full-time at a detox facility to receive the support and resources they may need for a successful recovery process.

Morphine addiction treatment may be treated with any or all of the following practices:

• individual or group therapy
• reward-based incentives
• gradually reduced dosages
• medication-based treatment
• analysis and treatment for other mental health illnesses

Alternatively, outpatient treatment programs are available for people who aren’t able to stay at a treatment facility full-time. In an outpatient program, a person may visit an addiction treatment center several times weekly for counseling, support, and other resources.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff