| Amorphinism | |
|---|---|
![alt=Chemical Structure of Morphine IUPAC ID: (4R,4aR,7S,7aR,12bS)-3-methyl-2,4,4a,7,7a,13-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinoline-7,9-diol](view_image.php?q=Amorphinism&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Morphine_structure.svg) | |
| Morphine | |
| Pronunciation |
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| Symptoms | Tremors, insomnia, anxiety, gastrointestinal disturbances |
| Treatment | Withdrawal Management |
| Medication | Buprenorphine, Methadone, Clonidine |
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Opioid withdrawal. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2024. |
Amorphinism refers to the mental and physical symptoms arising when a morphine-addict is deprived of morphine. Morphine is a potent opioid agonist derived from poppy plants and was originally used as a painkiller before being abused for euphoric and relieving purposes. It gave rise to morphine dependence, which caused the development of morphine withdrawal symptoms when morphine is reduced or stopped.
Two of many possible mechanisms that give rise to morphine addiction and withdrawal symptoms include changes to the dopaminergic pathway, which gives drug craving behaviours and withdrawal symptoms, and neuronal adaptations, which gives withdrawal symptoms as well.
Symptoms of morphine withdrawal may include tremors, insomnia, anxiety, gastrointestinal disorders and more. While no diagnostic tests are done specifically for morphine withdrawal, urine toxicology tests, electrocardiogram, complete blood count, basic metabolic panel, and blood alcohol level tests are conducted for differential diagnosis.
To treat morphine withdrawal, the severity of morphine dependence is measured, via scales, to determine the appropriate withdrawal management. Examples of scales used include the Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) and the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS). Patients with mild severity of dependence are given medications for symptomatic relief, while more patients of more severe dependence are give opioid agonists like methadone, opioid partial agonists like buprenorphine, or alpha-2 adrenergic agonists like clonidine. Psychosocial therapy may also be conducted in addition to drug therapy, where interventions differ based on lower or greater severity of morphine dependence.