How does morphine kill you?

Answer 1

Morphine and other opiates generally kill people by 4 ways:

1. Respiratory Arrest and Failure - Having experienced this myself after a major spinal operation, and due to the failure of the attending nurse to properly calculate my current morphine level at the time (I have an extremely high morphine tolerance level also), I can tell you that this is the most common problem that leads to death. Accidents like mine happen more often than the public realizes, and often goes unreported as well. In my case, my family was there and able to summon help before it was too late.

2. Morphine Intolerance/Allergy - Not everyone can tolerate opiates, and many are actually allergic to morphine and morphine derivatives. This can be a real problem if the person requires a major painkiller. Allergic reactions range from respiratory problems to anaphylactic shock.

3. Vomiting/Aspiration of Contents - This occurs more with drug addicts than opiate patients. The person using the opiate is typically asleep, and too under the influence to be awoken under normal circumstances. The person becomes nauseous and vomits, and then aspirates (inhales) the contents into the lungs, or the contents block the airway altogether. This leads to suffocation and death. This was the determined cause of Jimi Hendrix's death.

4. Accidental or Intentional Overdose - For long term opiate patients like myself, overdose isn't much of an issue as our opiate tolerance levels become very high. However, for those who aren't as tolerant, enough morphine can shut the respiratory system down - as I said in #1, Respiratory Depression/Failure is the most common cause of death from the careless use of morphine.

Answer 2

It really depends on if the user has a habit or dependency. The best way I could think of answering your question is by actually quoting a doctor trying to determine if Kurt Cobain was murdered or if it was suicide. I know it may seem irrelevant but the facts you're asking for are explained...

"One study involved a small group of severe addicts who used high doses ranging from 150 mg to 200 mg of morphine four times daily (75). This is equivalent to an intake of approximately 45 mg to 60 mg of heroin, four times daily. These addicts showed some signs of serious effects, but continued for several years without fatality and showing average blood levels of 0.3 mg per liter. Another study points to the potential lethality of even low doses, with 5 fatalities showing an average of a mere 0.021 mg per liter of blood, representing an approximate intake of 3 mg, i.e the average functioning dose. The average person without pain or addiction will overdose with 60 mg of morphine (18 mg heroin), yet a patient in serious pain will likely require the same dose, 60 mg of morphine (18 mg heroin) to relieve such serious pain symptoms. Platt also mentions a particular study where severe heroin addicts were monitored, and the maximum dose seen was a daily total of 260 mg heroin, taken in four divided doses, i.e. 65 mg heroin each dose (75). Again, the maximum lethal dose of heroin is shown to be 75 mg - 80 mg for a 150 lb. severe addict. Such a lethal dose, of about 75 mg - 80 mg heroin, will give the soon-to-be-dead individual a blood morphine level of approximately 0.5 mg of morphine per litre of blood."

Answer 3

not like I thought it could