MS Contin

Generic Name: Morphine sulfate
Product Name: MS Contin

Indication

Morphine is indicated in for the following:

Relief of moderate to severe acute and chronic pain
Cough suppression
Relief of severe shortness of breath
Treatment of acute pulmonary oedema
Treatment of diarrhoea

Action

Morphine is an opioid medication. Opioids act on opioid receptors in the nervous system to reduce the sensation of pain. As well as relieving pain, Morphine also decreases breathing and causes constipation.

Dose advice

Patients should be given the lowest dose of morphine, which will keep them free of pain at all times. Dose adjustments should be based on the patient’s degree of pain relief.

MS Contin tablets

Adults:

The dose given to an individual patient will depend on age, weight, and severity of pain, medical history and previous pain medications.The usual initial dose is 30 mg every 12 hours.
Patients aged over 50 years tend to require much lower doses than younger patients.
Elderly patients and patients with impaired lung or kidney function or impaired renal function should have an initial dose of 15mg every 12 hours.

Children:

Children weighing over 25 kg: The initial dose will depend upon the patients degree of morphine tolerance and should be adjusted depending on the patient’s needs.
There is no information on the use of MS Contin is children weighing less than 25 kg or in children with chronic severe pain not caused by cancer.

MS Contin Suspension

Adults:

The dosage is dependent upon the severity of the pain, the patient’s age and previous history of analgesic requirements.
The usual initial dose is 30 mg every 12 hours.