Is Morphine Safe For A Person With Low Blood Pressure And Chest Infection?

Posted on Sat, 15 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 15 Feb 2014 Answered on

Fri, 7 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : should morphine be prescribed for a person with low blood pressure and a possible lung/chest infection. She had major stroke 8 months ago but although left side paralysed her mind was completely there and she understood what had happened to her.

Answered by Dr. Kerry Pottinger (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer: It can be prescribed in some circumstances. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for using Healthcare Magic. If morphine is prescribed in the appropriate dose, it would be safe despite the presence of these conditions. However, it is unclear why the morphine has been prescribed. It can cause a reduction in the breathing if the dose is too high. It does not normally have a significant effect on the blood pressure unless the dose is extremely high. If the person has pain, then there would be other pain killers that may be more suitable that do not have respiratory side-effects. I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Dr K A Pottinger, MBChB FRCA

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar