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HomeAddictionPrescription DrugsOpioidsMorphine Withdrawal
Morphine Withdrawal Timeline

11 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team
Fact checked

Morphine withdrawal happens when the opioid user stops or cuts back on the dose. This can lead to a range of uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms, including anxiety, sweating muscle aches, or nausea. Withdrawal symptoms — which typically begin 6—12 hours after the last dose — usually peak between one and three days from the last dose. When severe, medical intervention to safely and effectively manage symptoms is needed.

Morphine withdrawal syndrome is a series of physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms that occur after people dependent on morphine have suddenly stopped or reduced significantly their use of the drug. Morphine is a powerful opioid analgesic that, when acting upon brain opioid receptors, reduces pain and induces euphoria. When used long-term, the body starts to need the drug. Once the drug leaves your system, your body fails to cope and you will experience withdrawal symptoms.

The Causes Of Dependency And Withdrawal

Morphine dependency in most cases starts from a legitimate medical use (such as pain management). Yet tolerance can build up over time and higher doses become needed to get the same effect. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 3 million people are thought to be addicted to opioids in the United States each year, and that risk rises with prolonged or improper use [1]. When the steady supply of morphine is cut off, the central nervous system will react to the drug’s absence which it has become addicted to.

Key factors contributing to dependency and withdrawal include:

Chronic Pain Management: Prescribing long-term for severe pain conditions.

Recreational Use: Taking morphine to get a high.

Genetic and Psychological Factors: Some people may be predisposed to become addicted.

Therefore, it is important to recognize withdrawal.

It’s important to know what withdrawal symptoms look like. If withdrawal goes untreated, it can result in serious health conditions, like dehydration, cardiac problems, and mental health breakdowns. Awareness allows people and their families to go to the right doctor and to start the fight back to recovery.

Physical And Psychological Symptoms

Symptoms of morphine withdrawal range in intensity, depending on factors such as how dependent a person is, how long they have taken morphine, and their general health. 

These symptoms can be categorized as physical or psychological [2]:

Physical Symptoms

  • Sweating
  • Chills and shivering
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Muscle aches and cramps
  • Dilated pupils
  • The result is an increased heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Abdominal pain and diarrhea

Psychological Symptoms

  • Anxiety and agitation
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Intense drug cravings
  • Insomnia, or a disturbance in getting to sleep, or staying asleep.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) studies show that these symptoms are at their highest within the first few days and typically taper off thereafter, but psychological effects may linger on for longer [3].

Morphine Withdrawal Timeline: Immediate, Early, Peak, And Delayed Effects.

The timeline of withdrawal can be divided into four stages:

Immediate Effects (6–12 hours after the last dose): The body starts to realize that morphine is being withheld, and produces early symptoms including sweating, yawning, and anxiety.

Early Effects (12–24 hours): Muscle aches, restlessness, and runny nose become more and more intense. The first phase can be uncomfortable but is rarely life-threatening.

Peak Effects (24–72 hours): The final hacking phase of the withdrawal is in play. It’s mostly vomiting, and diarrhea, but all accompanied by severe cravings. Mood swings, panic attacks, etc. are common emotional disturbances.

Late Effects (3–7 days): Your physical symptoms start to abate, but the psychological ones are still kicking — depression, and cravings.

How Long Does It Take To Get Morphine Out Of Your System?

It usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks. When the recovery process begins, the psychological effects can persist for weeks or months, and physical symptoms typically take between 7 and 10 days.

How long a drug will stay in the system depends upon the half-life of the drug and on individual metabolism. Morphine leaves the bloodstream within 48–72 hours, but the brain and body will take a while to recover from the drug, and it’s these lingering effects that bring on withdrawal symptoms.

Why Untreated Withdrawal Brings Physical Risks

Morphine withdrawal is not life-threatening on its own, but the physical symptoms can put you at risk for complications if they’re not treated. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea for several days is a high risk for dehydration and electrolyte imbalance that can in turn upset heart function. It can also worsen existing medical conditions including high blood pressure or other cardiovascular diseases.

The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment published a study that highlights the need for supervised withdrawal mostly for those who are facing co-existing disorders, diabetes, or chronic heart conditions [4]. If they don’t receive medical guidance, their risk for severe complications is much higher.

The Psychological Challenges Of Recovery

Withdrawal isn’t just a physical battle instead, it’s so much more and can affect mental health. 

Psychological challenges include:

Depression: Individuals who have a mood disorder background and are in withdrawal are likely to be embroiled with a sense of hopelessness that can affect their immediate and long-term lifestyle.

Anxiety: If morphine’s effects are suddenly missing, panic or anxiety can escalate.

Cravings: If the support system or coping mechanism isn’t strong enough, the intense craving can easily lead to relapse.

These psychological battles frequently reach beyond the initial withdrawal period and usually require long-term therapy and support to overcome.

The Dangers Of Quitting “Cold Turkey”

Quitting cold turkey off of morphine is very dangerous. This approach usually shocks the central nervous system such that the withdrawal symptoms that result are so severe that they discourage many people from continuing their recovery. 

Furthermore, sudden cessation increases the likelihood of [2]:

Cardiac Stress: Acute onset changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Relapse Risk: Withdrawal symptoms in those addicted can include intense pain, and make the addict return, sometimes with even greater strength, to morphine with an increased risk of overdose.

Medical experts strongly warn against quitting cold turkey. Rather they recommend tapering down gradually under medical supervision to pass through withdrawal symptoms and increase the likelihood of long-term recovery.

Coping Strategies And Home Remedies

While in the severe cases of morphine withdrawals, the patient should not be cared for at home, there are some methods and remedies that help in containing mild cases. These include:

Hydration and Nutrition: Diarrhea and vomiting dehydrate you and staying hydrated helps counteract this. Eating healthy balanced meals contains the vitamins and minerals to enhance overall recovery.

Hot Baths or Heating Pads: They can treat muscle aches and cramps.

Meditation and Breathing Exercises: One of the proven techniques is mindfulness meditation, which reduces anxiety and increases emotional stability.

Over-the-counter medications: Specific symptoms can be helped by loperamide for diarrhea and ibuprofen for pain.

However, it is critical to know that home cures work best in supplementing medical supervision.

Symptom Management Medications

Sometimes medical professionals will prescribe medicines to better manage withdrawal symptoms. These include:

Methadone: Long-acting opioid that mimics morphine’s effect in a controlled way and reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Buprenorphine (Suboxone): A weaker opioid, which is like morphine in that it can have some of the relaxing effects and can help withdrawal, but does not give the same euphoric rush of morphine.

Clonidine: It is primarily used in the treatment of high blood pressure but can reduce anxiety and sweating as well as muscle aches related to withdrawal.

Naltrexone: When given after the acute withdrawal phase, this drug blocks the euphoric effects of opioids and acts to prevent relapse.

These medications are usually components of a larger Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, which has been demonstrated to improve long-term recovery rates greatly. NIDA of the US Department of Health and Human Services found that MAT reduces opioid-related mortality by as much as 50 percent [1].

Professional Detox Programs

The safest and best courses of action for people who are moderately to significantly dependent on morphine are professional detoxification programs. These programs provide:

Medical Monitoring: The conditions under which rehabilitation and detoxification take place require continuous oversight by healthcare professionals, competent to manage withdrawal symptoms and take care of complications.

Counseling Services: Sessions that help patients cope with cravings, or diminish the emotional distress caused by them.

Structured Environment: One of the controlled settings with minimum access to opioids and no relapses.

People with co-occurring mental health disorders are particularly helped by inpatient detox programs, which provide integrated treatment for both conditions.

Luxury detox centers take the traditional recovery approach and add a layer of high-quality medical care and luxury amenities. Individuals looking for a calm and low-key setting to deal with withdrawal symptoms will find solace at these facilities. 

Key benefits include:

Personalized Treatment Plans: Medically tailored services based on the patient’s medical history, level of dependency, and preferences.

Advanced Therapies: Holistic treatments of acupuncture, yoga, and art therapy aimed at providing emotional well-being.

Privacy and Exclusivity: High-end Centers provide a confidential experience and are for anyone occupying a high-profile position or for those who simply want high-quality specialized expert care and premium accommodation.

Comfort and Amenities: During recovery private suites, gourmet meals, and recreational facilities such as spas and pools help to decrease stress and relax.

According to research in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, patients are much more likely to finish detox and progress on to further stages of treatment in an atmosphere where they feel at ease.

What Luxury Programs Do For Comfort And Care

Detox programs meant for luxury are supposed to take care of the physical part of withdrawal besides dealing with both the emotional and psychological challenges.

Round-the-Clock Medical Support: Severe symptoms and the safety of the patient are managed by the qualified staff available 24/7.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services: In addition, on-site psychologists and counselors help address any underlying issues, such as anxiety and trauma, which are too often the root cause of substance abuse.

Focus on Long-Term Sobriety: Workshops and skill-building exercises are used in these programs stressing relapse prevention.

Luxury Detox Vs. Standard Programs.

Luxury detox facilities are known for taking care of patients in a patient-centered way while providing a certain level of comfort.

Environment: Standard facilities tend to be pretty clinical in a way and perhaps less personalized, while luxury centers are more about providing resort-like heavenly confines for healing.

Resources: Usually, luxury programs have smaller patient-to-staff ratios for highly individualized attention.

Cost: Luxury detox is more expensive, but patients often feel the extra expense is worth it for the greater luxury and comfort of care.

For people looking for an unbeatable experience after getting off morphine, luxury detox programs are about as effective as they are supportive.

Counseling And Therapy For Long-Term Sobriety 

Overcoming morphine dependency is not achieved by detox only. Counseling and therapy are essential to any complete recovery plan to stay sober.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): It helps people learn what sort of negative thought patterns lead them to use drugs and reform them.

Motivational Interviewing (MI): It helps patients to find their internal reasons to stay sober.

Group Therapy: It gives a sense of both peer support and community, which can help offset feelings of isolation the recovery process often engenders to those isolated due to the nature of their addiction.

They also address co-occurring mental health disorders – as noted by The American Journal of Psychiatry, nearly 40 percent of those affected with opioid use disorder also have a comorbid mental health disorder.

How To Build A Sustainable Support System

Recovery is never done, and could never be done without a robust support network. Key components include:

Family Support: Inviting family members into therapy can repair relationships while making room for a firmer ground to recover from their loved one’s addiction.

Sober Communities: By joining support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) you get the accountability and the experience shared.

Recovery Coaches: People who help those struggling with things and offer sensible advice about maintaining sobriety.

Having a solid support system around helps someone overcome a trigger or some stress points and the risk of relapse is lowered.

Aftercare Programs And Their Role In Relapse Prevention

Post detox, maintaining progress is essential, and aftercare programs are important. All of these programs continue to offer unwavering support to participants so they stay on their sobriety track. Common aftercare services include:

Regular Check-ins: In conjunction with a therapist or counselor, scheduled appointments to see how things are going.

Relapse Prevention Training: Teaching strategies to identify and ignore triggers like high-risk environments or scenarios.

Sober Living Homes: This consists of structured living environments that provide accountability and a community to support this transition back to day-to-day life.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that aftercare programs improve the chances for long-term recovery, with participants remaining half as likely to relapse as those who do not pursue these services [1].

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Only 1 in 5 U.S. adults with opioid use disorder received medications to treat it in 2021. https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2023/08/only-1-in-5-us-adults-with-opioid-use-disorder-received-medications-to-treat-it-in-2021

2. Mayo Clinic. How opioid use disorder occurs. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prescription-drug-abuse/in-depth/how-opioid-addiction-occurs/art-20360372

3. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29393/2019NSDUHFFRPDFWHTML/2019NSDUHFFR090120.htm

4. National Institutes on Drug Abuse (US); 2020 Apr. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571451/#:~:text=46%2C52%2C53-,Environmental%20Influences,alcohol%2C%20drugs%2C%20and%20health.

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