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Pain management

Morphine slow release tablets

Patient Information Leaflet

Introduction

Welcome to The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust pain management service. This leaflet will provide you and your relatives with information about a medication called morphine slow release tablets. It includes what the tablets are for, how they are taken and the benefits and risks.

This leaflet is not meant to replace discussion between you and your doctor, but as a guide to be used in conjunction with what is discussed.

What are morphine slow release tablets?

They are used in the treatment of severe pain when weaker pain relief medications have not worked. One of the brand names of the tablets is MST. Slow release tablets work slowly through the day and night to help keep pain away.

These tablets help some people to control their pain but not everyone. Not all types of pain are sensitive to morphine and side effects can make it difficult to use.

What are the benefits?

Morphine slow release tablets are used to treat severe pain that has not responded to other weaker types of painkillers.

What are the risks?

Morphine slow release tablets can cause side effects. The most common side effect is nausea (feeling sick) which usually improves as you get used to the medication. You can have anti-sickness tablets to relieve this, if needed. Some people get constipation, sleepiness and itching.

Rare problems are described in the leaflet that comes with your tablets.

Important: do not drive or operate heavy machinery if you feel drowsy.

The medication can also cause long term side effects that you need to discuss with your GP or the doctor who started you on this medication.

Recent evidence suggests that high doses of morphine are not suitable for long term pain conditions. Therefore, if this medication is not helping you, we may advise you to reduce your dose and then stop them altogether.

How do I take them?

For the best effect, you have to take the tablets every day, not only when the pain is bad. The usual dose is to take one tablet twice a day (every 12 hours). The medication will be released slowly over 12 hours.

Your GP or pain consultant may also recommend that you take paracetamol, if you can take it. Studies have shown that a dose of two paracetamol tablets, up to four times a day, can help the pain-relieving effect of the morphine considerably (do not exceed the recommended dose).

When you need more tablets, you will need to get these from your GP.

Dose

Your dose will be calculated, and may need to be changed gradually over time by your GP. Never take more than your prescribed dose.  Do not increase the dose or stop your medication suddenly without consulting your GP or the pain management team.

You may also be given a medicine called Oramorph (liquid morphine) that you can take if you experience any pain between the doses of morphine slow release tablets. This is known as breakthrough pain. The dose of Oramorph is 5mg to 10mg (one or two teaspoons). You can take this every two to four hours, if you need it.

Please keep a record of your pain, especially if you need to take Oramorph as well. This will help us, or your GP, to find the right dose of morphine slow release tablets for you, so it is important that you know how much Oramorph and how many times a day you need to take it.

What if I have problems?

You can contact the clinical nurse specialists in the pain management team (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) by:

Out of these hours, you will need to contact your GP or NHS 111.

Can I find out more?

The following website has more information about managing pain:

British Pain Society

https://www.britishpainsociety.org/british-pain-society-publications/patient-publications/

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Candice Baker, Ruth Carter, Kumar Vasappa. Review date January 2023. Next review date: October 2025. Version: 4. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/01238.