Mental clouding is minimal after the initial doses. Pain control can be obtained with doses which are below those which cause the patient to be stuporous. Respiratory depression occurs in opioid naive patient. Tolerance to respiratory depression develops rapidly. Morphine can be safely used in patients with lung disease.
Constipation is a universal side effect of narcotics.
Patients should receive stool softeners and laxatives along with their first doses of morphine. The patient is the best judge of the presence of pain and the severity of the pain. Successful pain control depends on relief of pain as perceived by the patient. Traditional programs that prescribe fixed doses of anagelsics at fixed intervals consistently fall short of adequate relief. Opiodophobia is the word which has been coined for the traditional fear of giving outpatient narcotics.