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Morphine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of morphine include drug dependence, overdose, and pain, based on 141,650 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Morphine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for morphine.

1
Drug Dependence27.4%38,847
2
Overdose18.3%25,915
3
Pain16.1%22,798
4
Death12.9%18,228
5
Emotional Distress12.6%17,806
6
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome10.2%14,512
7
Toxicity To Various Agents8.7%12,325
8
Drug Hypersensitivity7.4%10,427
9
Dependence3.9%5,535
10
Nausea3.9%5,504
11
Drug Ineffective3.7%5,283
12
Drug Abuse3.3%4,738
13
Fatigue2.8%4,035
14
Anxiety2.7%3,880
15
Vomiting2.7%3,855

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that morphine caused these reactions.

Report severity

84.7%Serious119,937 reports
19.6%Hospitalizations27,759 reports
27.1%Fatal38,441 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Morphine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside morphine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Oxycodone48.2%68,309
2
Acetaminophen37.5%53,114
3
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride34.1%48,334
4
Hydrocodone29.6%41,926
5
Buprenorphine23.8%33,656
6
Fentanyl21.8%30,896
7
Oxymorphone-hydrochloride19.2%27,146
8
Aspirin17.5%24,783
9
Tapentadol16.0%22,702
10
Tramadol-hydrochloride11.3%15,983
11
Ibuprofen5.9%8,292
12
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate3.1%4,459
13
Methadone-hydrochloride3.0%4,262
14
Pregabalin2.2%3,094
15
Adalimumab2.1%3,006

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen10.2%14,472
2
Oxycodone5.7%8,044
3
Gabapentin5.0%7,066
4
Omeprazole4.9%6,892
5
Ondansetron4.7%6,682
6
Aspirin4.2%6,020
7
Albuterol4.0%5,705
8
Furosemide4.0%5,671
9
Levothyroxine-sodium3.8%5,315
10
Dexamethasone3.7%5,267
11
Pantoprazole-sodium3.4%4,858
12
Ergocalciferol3.3%4,670
13
Lorazepam3.1%4,431
14
Prednisone3.1%4,408
15
Pregabalin2.9%4,120

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports morphine side effects

41.0% of morphine adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 62%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.0%
Male36.9%
Unknown22.1%

Age group

< 23.4%
2–111.3%
12–171.3%
18–6462.4%
65+31.6%

What is morphine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking morphine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal OperationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal RigidityAbdominal TendernessAbdominal Wall DisorderAcarodermatitisAccidentAccident At WorkAccidental Drug Intake By ChildAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To Product

Showing 15 of 1,231 indications

Morphine brand names and reporting trend

Morphine is sold under the brand name Avinza.

Brand names

Avinza97,616

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking morphine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.