I had a doctor's appointment this morning and was given a prescription pain med that I have never taken before. He gave me 15mg Morphine Sulfate tablets. These are not the extended release version. It works really well on my Peripheral Neuropathy, Radial Neuropathy and my lower back pain. Yes, my body is falling apart lol. My problem is that they make me terribly nauseous to the point that I end up vomiting. I researched the side effects and nausea is one of them. I've never had this problem with any other pain medication in the past but I do not get to a point where I am totally pain free.

Is there something I can buy over the counter that will help/stop this. I'm sure the doc could give me a prescription for something that would work but funds are extremely limited.

The morphine is getting me to a point where I am actually pain free which is the first time in the past 3 years. I forgot what it was like to have a normal pain free day. I really don't want to stop taking it since it works so well.

Ken

The nausea arises in the brain. It sometimes comes when
The dose is too high. The extra drug spills over to
The apomorphine (nausea receptors). There are meds
For this. Also ginger extract capsules may work. You have
To take them with lots of water and not lie down for
about an hour as they sometimes reflux and burn.

The ginger is a good idea, as are any kind of dry snack like crackers. Nausea is common in the opiate naive and 15 mg is a large dose if not time release. Could you ask for something smaller or a time release ( MS Contin ) type? I am currently on 30 mg MS Contin x 3 daily but started at 10 mg. x 3 years ago. I have been stable at this dose for several years. I did have nausea in the beginning but it passed after a while.

Thank you for the information. I can split these pills in half for now and that would be 7.5mg. I just hope that I get the same amount of relief. Interesting that you said it was brain related and not stomach. The funny thing is....I don't feel nauseous at all and then all of a sudden I have to...well you know. Before and after, I feel fine. No nausea at all.

Would drinking ginger ale make any difference? Not sure how much ginger is actually in it. If it does/would help, do I drink some before, during or after the medication? I usually don't have the urge to (you know) until 2-4 hrs after taking the medication.

Thanks again.
Ken

The Vernor's brand of ginger ale may help. Try to drink it flat...as the carbonation may trigger more nausea.

But in my experience ginger extract (not expensive) works well and lasts several hours.

You should report this vomiting to your doctor, as well as how nicely the drug is working.

Sometimes switching to another drug reduces the vomiting in some people.

and if you are pain free you are taking too much. Two rules of thumb. I agree with Suzanne C. that a time release would be better or your idea about half-dosing. That may take care of the nausea. The pain may rise some but being pain free is not the goal IMO. Having pain that is at a tolerable level without terrible side effects is the sweet spot. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Thanks guys for all the great information. Unfortuntely for me after 2 days of not being able to keep anything on my stomach, I got my doctor to switch me to a different type of pain med. I tried the ginger extract and did not have any luck. I really wish it would have worked. They moved me to hydrocodone which is not near as effective but no side effects for me.

The doctors office made me feel like a drug addict. Before they would switch me to something else they made me bring my prescription bottle and pills to them so they could count them. I realize that some people would have just gotten them to sell them but it makes access to them harder for those of us that actually need them. I'm lucky if I can get my doctor to prescribe a pain med to me 3 times a year. So yea, I spend almost all of my days in pain. The funny thing is that I don't like them and if I had a choice, I would never take them.

Yea, I've heard people say that doctors have our well being as a priority blah, blah, blah, but after the last 5 years of seeing many doctors, I just don't believe it anymore.

Anyway, you guys are great and I have learned a lot from this website and it's members. Especially you mrsD. Many thanks.