More than 2 million people suffer from opioid use disorder in the United States each year. The opioid morphine is one common source of addiction. Substance abusers and their loved ones face a serious struggle to reclaim their lives from this highly addictive drug. Even if an addict takes back their life, they must often worry about long-term consequences.
“How long does morphine remain in your system?” is one common internet search phrase. This guide outlines everything an addict or someone who cares for them needs to know about usage, addiction, withdrawal and physical elimination of the drug.
Table of Contents
What is Morphine?
For thousands of years, humans have created drugs from the milky fluid of the unripe opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) seed. When dried, this form of latex contains codeine, morphine and papaverine alkaloids that act as powerful narcotics.
In healthcare, doctors prescribe morphine and similar opiates as pain relief for severe pain because the drugs block signals to the brain that make people feel pain in scenarios in which no other drugs have previously worked to alleviate suffering. Medical morphine usage examples include treatment of pain after a major heart attack, injury or surgery, or when dealing with late-stage cancer or palliative care for someone who has a life-threatening or terminal condition.
Physicians prescribe the drug in different forms (i.e., capsule, tablet, epidural, liquid, nebulized inhalation and rectal suppository). With injections, a person might receive morphine intramuscularly, intravenously or subcutaneously. The federal government treats morphine as a Schedule II controlled substance because it affects the brain’s pleasure areas and carries with its usage a high risk for addiction. Brand names include MS Contin, Kadian, Morphgesic, Roxanol, Sevredol, Arymo ER, Kadian ER and Oramorph SR.
Factors Affecting How Long Morphine Stays in Your System
Since morphine is highly addictive, most doctors help their patients manage pain by starting with small doses that lead up to the right level to alleviate a person’s unique pain. The drug takes approximately a half hour to an hour to work when taken by mouth. That said, patients and others who become addicted need more and more of the drug to feel the pleasant, euphoric, pain-relieving effects, especially since morphine stops providing the best pain relief within 4 to 6 hours unless a person takes an extended-release (ER) version that provides 8 to 12 hours of relief.
Morphine’s Half-Life: Explaining the Concept
A lot of different things affect how long morphine stays in a person’s body. The drug has a half-life (i.e., the amount of time it takes for the body to expel or eliminate half a dose) of approximately 2 to 4 hours on average, but it takes several half-life events equal to approximately 12 hours for the body to remove it entirely. Even then, people often metabolize it via their liver and kidneys at different rates.
Detection Windows for Morphine
Some drug tests can still detect morphine long after usage. For example, morphine is still in blood and urine for up to 3 days, saliva for up to 4 days, and hair follicles for up to 90 days. With different tests, factors like the use of other drugs from the opium poppy, consumption of poppy seeds, and environmental contamination can affect the results and cause false positives. Additionally, many people who no longer have morphine showing on these tests might still have it in their body fat or experience lasting side effects from their usage of it, especially addicts who have abused it for a long time.
| Test Type | Detection Window | Notes |
| Urine Test | Up to 3 days | Most common test; detects morphine and its metabolites. |
| Blood Test | Up to 3 days | Short detection window; useful for recent use detection. |
| Saliva Test | Up to 4 days | Can detect morphine slightly longer than blood and urine tests. |
| Hair Follicle Test | Up to 90 days | Longest detection window; useful for detecting long-term use but not recent intake. |
Other Factors Influencing Half-Life and Elimination Time
- Age: People metabolize morphine at different rates based on their physical state at a specific age. As people grow older, their kidney function can slow, which results in decreased elimination.
- Body Mass and Composition: The human body stores morphine in fat for a long time. Any extra body weight and a wide distribution of fat can cause decreased elimination.
- Dosage and Frequency of Use: The body of any addict who takes higher or more frequent doses will take longer as well to expel morphine in waste.
- Kidney and Liver Disease: Any illness that impacts the kidneys and liver reduces the body’s ability to process toxins and excrete the drug in urine.
- Route of Administration: The body processes morphine at different rates depending on the method that a person uses to take the drug (i.e., oral, IV, etc.). If they use a method that takes longer for the drug to circulate in the bloodstream, then the elimination period will also take longer.
- Use of Other Drugs: Alcohol and some medications can force the kidneys and liver to work more to break down toxins. When this happens, a person’s body can’t break down and excrete morphine as quickly as the average for people who aren’t using other drugs.
Important Additional Considerations
Many people who abuse morphine don’t understand the risks of their habit. Elimination of the drug shouldn’t be their top concern. Consider the following:
Risks of Dependence and Addiction
The potential for misuse of morphine is high, especially for people who have a predisposition, be it from their physical or mental health, to becoming codependent easily. When someone becomes addicted, they often start taking the drug in ways that increase the rate of its release (i.e., breaking, chewing, crushing, cutting or dissolving it). This action also increases the risk of an overdose, coma and death.
An addict might take street versions mixed with other drugs or even hazardous chemicals not meant for human intake. For example, in the 2010s, many addicts began using a morphine derivative semi-synthetic opioid drug called desomorphine, which was known on the street as krokodil (i.e., crocodile) because of how badly it harmed the body. Some people would create a version made with solvents like paint thinner, gasoline and even battery acid. The impurities would cause sores, tissue damage and necrosis.
Outside of this extreme, morphine on its own can cause overdose depending on dosage and other factors. The signs of overdose include:
- Cold, clammy skin
- Coma and unresponsiveness
- Constricted pupils
- Decreased or slow heart rate
- Extreme fatigue
- Loose, soft muscles
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slow, shallow breathing
Dangers of Combining Morphine with Other Substances
Other substances can increase the potency, rate of absorption and side effects of morphine. Normal morphine side effects include constipation, cramps, difficulty urinating, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, mood changes, nausea, nervousness, stomach pain and vomiting. More serious side effects include agitation, bluish or purplish skin, chest pain, fainting, hallucinations, hives, itching, seizures and swelling.
Overdose is extremely likely to happen when morphine is taken with any type of depressant (i.e., alcohol or benzodiazepines). Other substances that can cause extreme outcomes include:
- Antacids combined with antihistamines (i.e., cimetidine or Tagamet HB, etc.)
- Antihistamines (especially ones that cause sedation like diphenhydramine or Benadryl)
- Central Nervous System depressants (i.e., alcohol, alprazolam or Xanax, diazepam or Valium, etc.)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (i.e., isocarboxazid or Marplan, phenelzine or Nardil, selegiline or Carbex, Eldepryl, Emsam and Zelapar, tranylcypromine or Parnate, etc.)
- Other Opioids (i.e., fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone or Vicodin, methadone, oxycodone or OxyContin and Percocet, etc.)
- Painkillers that contain codeine (i.e., acetaminophen with codeine, codeine sulfate, fiorinal with codeine, etc.)
- P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors (i.e., erythromycin, quinidine, etc.)
The Importance of Medical Supervision
When an addict attempts to detox on their own, they risk serious complications that can end in permanent physical damage, coma or death. Withdrawal symptoms include:
- Abnormal tear secretions
- Anxiety, irritability and other mood changes
- Back pain, muscle cramps, spasms and twitching
- Extreme constipation or diarrhea
- Fast breathing and heart rate
- Fatigue or insomnia
- High blood pressure
- Profuse sweating
- Restlessness
- Uncontrollable yawning
- Vomiting
- Wide pupils
An addiction treatment center can offer them options for medical detox from caring, trained healthcare professionals who can help them taper off safely from morphine. Without medical supervision, they’re also more likely to allow cravings for morphine to take control again to alleviate their symptoms.
Given Morphine’s Variable Duration, It’s Time to Consult a Professional.
A person struggling with morphine addiction or another opioid use disorder won’t end the habit easily without intervention. Residents of Long Island and the surrounding New York area can find personalized options with help from a drug and alcohol rehab center that specializes in addiction interventions, referrals and resources.
The team at Long Island Interventions knows that diverse, evidence-based treatment options work best to help addicts. Those options usually include intervention services, custom treatment plans, medically supervised, IV or rapid detox, and rehabilitation via counseling and a wide range of personalized therapies, programs and services. Common therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, couples therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, family therapy, holistic therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, motivational interviewing, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide therapy, teletherapy and wilderness therapy.
They understand not everyone responds the same way to treatment. For this reason, they also provide referrals and support resources for 12-step, faith-based, inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient, long-term, medically-assisted, partial hospitalization, residential, sober living and aftercare programs. Most of these options offer a holistic approach that addresses not only the elimination of morphine from the body but also underlying causes of addiction, including chronic medical conditions, mental health issues, and even lifestyle changes.
If you or a loved one need help with addiction to morphine or another opioid drug, now is the right time to start a journey toward sobriety. For more information or to talk with a caring team member, contact Long Island Interventions by calling us today or using their confidential and convenient Contact Us page.
Published on: 2025-03-06
Updated on: 2025-03-06
