How Long Does Morphine Stay in Your System?

How Long Does Morphine Last in the Body and by Type of Drug Tests?

To determine "how long does morphine stay in your system," testing methods (under medical supervision) are currently employed. Hair tests, blood tests, urine testing, and saliva tests are the most common drug testing options used to detect morphine in the body. Let's look at each one of them in further detail.

Morphine in Urine Tests

Unlike other pain medications, morphine can be detected in the urine three days after use. However, it's important to take note of the half-life of the drug to ensure the validity of the results of urine tests.

Morphine in Hair Follicle Tests

As with other drugs, hair follicle tests yield the most reliable result in terms of any drug test. Regardless of your last use, morphine stays in the hair follicle for up to 90 days.

Morphine in Saliva Tests

Saliva drug tests share the same result as urine or blood drug tests. You can find traces of morphine in the spit lasting for up to 4 days. This is comparable to the urine test mentioned earlier with a difference of at least 24 hours.

Morphine Detection in Blood Tests

A blood test shares the same detection time as urine tests. A blood drug test may detect morphine substances in your bloodstream up to three days post-usage. This is one of the lesser-used variables for testing to determine how long pain relief drugs such as morphine stay in your system.

Always remember that there are other factors affecting the detection of the substance in your body, with one of them being the half-life (or relatively short half-life) of the drug inside your body.

When testing, always consult with a licensed professional to determine the best testing method to use, especially if you are in the mode of rehabilitation. As standard testing is done at the workplace and in school, the legitimacy of test results may only be determined if these were conducted and issued by government-regulated and authorized laboratories and testing centers.

What is Morphine?

Morphine is a drug belonging to a group of medicines referred to as "narcotic analgesics." These pain prescriptions interfere with the central nervous system to relieve moderate to severe pain.

In the US, it goes under many brands such as Kadian, AVINza, Morphabond, and MS Contin. It may be taken in various forms orally or via a liquid solution (morphine injection).

The substance is currently a Schedule II drug belonging to the Controlled Substances Act. It simply means that the substance must comply with regulations and control as to how it is prescribed or used. As the drug tends to become habit-forming, morphine abuse is rampant and may be mixed with other street drugs.

Determining Factors on How Long Morphine Stays in Your System

There are many key factors to consider in identifying "how long does morphine stay in your system." It’s close to impossible to determine a precise timetable to detect the substance in your bodily fluids, such as urine, blood, or saliva. However, there are many variables to consider that will directly impact how your body processes morphine.

These may include body mass, hydration, morphine tolerance, amount & frequency of use, and urine acidity. Let’s go through every factor one by one.

• Body mass & hydration – Our bodies are made up of a huge percentage of water, therefore levels of hydration play a key role in retaining the drug, or in finding out “how long does morphine stay in our system.” People with fattier tissues may have a slower digestion rate as metabolites tend to clump in those tissues.
• Morphine tolerance – As earlier stated, this may vary when it comes to general morphine use. Those who engage in substance abuse with prescribed morphine will understandably create higher tolerance in their body resulting in more build-up of the substance in their body.
• Amount & frequency of use – People who constantly abuse other drugs (such as alcohol abuse) alongside morphine (co-occurring disorders) are at risk of having higher content and duration of the substance within their system. Drug addiction plays an important role in this as both pain relief and recreational users of the drug are more likely to ingest it in higher dosages and frequencies compared to prescribed morphine.
• Urine acidity – A drug test may identify morphine presence in the urine, particularly with the acid-base balance in urine. Always remember that the more acidic the urine fluid, the shorter or quicker is its actual detection period.
• Liver and kidney health – Our liver and kidney play a crucial role in keeping the balance within our system in check. As one of the main drivers in our excretory and digestive system, they break down chemicals and substances. Therefore, people with weaker liver and kidney function will automatically metabolize slower which equates to longer detection inside the body.

What Are Morphine Withdrawal Symptoms?

Withdrawal signs of morphine addiction vary from person to person. The reason is that our bodies are built differently and uniquely. Therefore, it won’t come as a surprise that some people may be severely affected physically and mentally by their withdrawal symptoms, while other people taking morphine may withstand these better.

Aaron Sternlicht of Lin & Aaron Consulting shares that on average these withdrawal symptoms may last for up to 10 days with their peak occurring 24 hours to 5 days from the last dose. Those who misuse morphine may feel general feelings of unwellness accompanied by painful and often excruciating feelings of discomfort brought about by their withdrawal symptoms.

Here are the following withdrawal symptoms that an individual must watch out for before morphine use.

• Flu-like symptoms
• Fever
• Chills
• General malaise
• Lethargy
• Acute pain
• Gastrointestinal issues, such as:
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Psychological effects, like:
• A depressive state
• unstable blood pressure
• Anxiety
• A general feeling of panic
• Others including:
• Strong desire to use morphine
• Uneasiness

It’s important to inform licensed medical professionals before treatment of your last use because a single dose, may alter your body and the way you respond to therapy. When that happens stricter medication-assisted treatment might be applied alongside a strong relapse prevention program.

About Morphine Misuse and Addiction Treatment

People who suffer from a substance use disorder from illegal drugs like heroin or hydrocodone, share an experience no different from those who suffer from morphine abuse. It's always important to have the support and guidance of a trusted mentor, such as a sober escort, to ensure that people who have suffered from morphine misuse attend to their programs diligently.

But before focusing on treatment for opioid addiction and the general detox process offered by rehab centers, it's crucial to first understand how and why morphine misuse happens within the person. To further understand that, it's best to check the various factors that may influence a person to succumb to substance abuse.

We can categorize the reasons into three core factors namely emotional (the need to "fill the gap" caused by trauma, family or relationship troubles, and low self-esteem), physical (the urge to feel "high" or "low" to feel better), and psychological (a perceived notion that taking drugs will improve their confidence level and overall self-esteem, and better discernment and awareness of their surroundings).

However, there are more specific and common causes that drive an individual to engage in drug misuse. These may be any of the following:

• Experimentation
• Isolation
• Quick gratification
• Abuse (in all forms: physical, verbal, emotional)
• Peer pressure
• Work-life balance issues
• Self-medication
• Financial woes
• Defiance or rebellion
• Sadness
• Environment
• Mental illness (such as depression, anxiety, trauma)

An individual suffering from abusing these illicit drugs must seek help right away and seek professional medical advice to avoid any fatalities from morphine overdose or adverse side effects.

How To Get Help from Morphine Addiction?

Seeking aid from drug addiction may seem like a hard thing to do, especially if you feel helpless and alone in your journey. However, there are many ways for you to regain control of the life that you've once lost from addiction and continue your sober living life.

Many addiction outpatient treatment programs, such as those offered by Transcend Recovery Community, offer a holistic approach to maintaining long-term sobriety. Individuals may partner with a medical provider in finding the best one that may fit their case. This may involve not only a detoxification program, but behavioral therapies, and alternative therapies such as (equine, music, and art).

Transitional housing may also ensure the safety of each individual post-rehabilitation when surrounded by a supportive network of people, including specialists, caregivers, family, friends, and people who, like them, once gone through the same path and empathize with their needs and feelings.

Are you or someone close to you suffer from morphine addiction? Don't be scared to reach out. Message our recovery specialists today and help will surely be on its way.

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