Morphine for Heart Attack

Examples

Generic Name	Chemical Name
morphine

How It Works

Morphine is an opioid. It acts upon specific receptors in the brain and spinal cord to decrease the feeling of pain and to reduce the emotional response to pain.

Why It Is Used

For a heart attack, morphine is used in the emergency setting to relieve pain.

How Well It Works

Morphine effectively treats moderate to severe pain.

Side Effects

Morphine is given in the hospital. So a person is watched closely for any side effects.

Common side effects of morphine include:

• Trouble breathing.
• Feeling lightheaded or tired.
• Nausea.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

What To Think About

For a heart attack, morphine is given for a short time to relieve pain.

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By:	Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: April 29, 2011
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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