Allergic Reactions to Morphine and Codeine

Morphine and codeine are common pain medications used in hospitals or prescribed to patients. Both are derived from opium and their pain relieving qualities are very effective. That is of course, unless you have an allergy to morphine and/or codeine. Then the allergic reaction can be worse than the original symptoms you were given these pain medications for. I personally am allergic to morphine and codeine and have experienced terrible reactions.

Given Morphine in the Emergency Room

A couple of years ago, I somehow got a staph infection in my leg. It started out as a very small, somewhat painful bump, like a small pimple. It quickly spread through my upper leg and became so painful and inflamed that I couldn't walk and had to be taken to the emergency room. After examining it, the doctor said the infection was very deep in my skin and that they were going to have make an incision in my leg to it out. They gave me a shot of morphine to ease the pain I was already in and to help with the pain I would have when they had to cut my leg open. I instantly felt the morphine rush through my body and had to grab onto the examination table I was sitting on because I felt dizzy and light headed. The nurse was concerned that I would fall over so she had me lie down on a bed.

An Allergic Respiratory Reaction to Morphine

A few minutes after I laid down on the bed, I started to feel a uncomfortable tightness in my chest and around my rib cage. This tightness soon became a very intense, painful constricting that made it difficult to breathe. It was so bad that it actually hurt worse than the infection in my leg had. I had never experienced a constricting pain in my chest or difficulty breathing before and it honestly scared me. I really thought I was going to stop breathing. In tears, I tried to tell the nurse I was having difficulty breathing and had tightness and pain in my chest and rib cage. She told me to try to relax and breathe calmly to see if that would help. I don't think she even realized I was having an allergic reaction to the morphine, which she should have recognized. I did as she instructed, but it didn't help. I continued to do my best to stay calm and relaxed until the pain finally started to ease up about forty-five minutes later, just in time for me to get my leg cut open and deal with that pain.

An Allergic Respiratory Reaction to Codeine

When I was released from the hospital the next day, I was given a prescription for codeine for the pain in my leg. I knew that morphine and codeine were both opiates, so I was leery about taking the codeine. At first I tried to just use acetaminophen and ibuprofen for the pain, but they weren't strong enough. I was afraid to take a whole codeine pill, but I finally gave in that night and took half of one so I could try to get some sleep. I soon regretted it as the same respiratory reaction I had with the morphine happened with the codeine. Fortunately, I hadn't taken the whole pill, so the reaction wasn't quite as intense, but I still had difficulty breathing and the experience was frightening. At one point, I thought I may have to go to the emergency room, but after about a half an hour it finally eased up little by little.

Symptom of Anaphylaxis

Now when I'm asked by medical staff if I have any allergies, I make sure they know I'm allergic to morphine and codeine. The two experiences I had with respiratory reactions to those medications was enough and I know that next time it could be much worse. I was fortunate that the allergic reaction eased up after a while in both cases and that I didn't actually stop breathing. If you have a respiratory reaction to morphine or codeine, let your doctor know right away. A respiratory reaction is a symptom of anaphylaxis and can be very dangerous as you could go into anaphylactic shock.

Sources

Drugs.com - Morphine

WrongDiagnosis.com - Morphine

Drugs.com - Codeine

MayoClinic.com - Anaphylaxis