Prescription medication · Opioid Analgesic
morphine
Also sold as MS Contin, Kadian. Morphine is used to manage severe pain in adults and children who weigh at least 110 pounds.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 72,146
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 30
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
morphine (MS Contin) is a prescription Opioid Analgesic, more reported than most tracked drugs (72,146 FDA reports), with 30 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
morphine (MS Contin) is a prescription Opioid Analgesic. Morphine is used to manage severe pain in adults and children who weigh at least 110 pounds.
Morphine is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe pain that needs an opioid medicine when other treatments don't work well enough.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
morphine is currently listed as in shortage by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Piramal Critical Care Inc.. Status: Available.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.04/unit
Generic Available
Yes (24 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Morphine is used to manage severe pain in adults and children who weigh at least 110 pounds.
Common side effects
Constipation, Nausea, Feeling sleepy
Key warnings
Morphine can cause addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from morphine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Morphine works by attaching to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. These receptors are involved in sending pain signals. By binding to these receptors, morphine blocks pain signals and reduces pain.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 72,146 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for morphine, by number of reports
- Pain
Pain
5,858 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
5,536 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
4,337 reports
- Death
Death
4,306 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
4,130 reports
- Toxicity To Various Agents
Toxicity To Various Agents
4,086 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
3,619 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
3,476 reports
- Headache
Headache
3,038 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
2,938 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for morphine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where morphine sits
morphine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 81% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is morphine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 72,146 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1998–2025.
Total Reports
72,146
Reports Mentioning Death
19,827
27.5% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
29,772
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAIN | 5,858 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 5,536 |
| 4 | VOMITING | 4,337 |
| 5 | DEATH | 4,306 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 4,130 |
| 7 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 4,086 |
| 9 | DIARRHOEA | 3,619 |
| 10 | DYSPNOEA | 3,476 |
| 11 | HEADACHE | 3,038 |
| 12 | PNEUMONIA | 2,938 |
| 13 | PYREXIA | 2,878 |
| 14 | DRUG ABUSE | 2,754 |
| 15 | MALAISE | 2,582 |
| 16 | ASTHENIA | 2,483 |
| 17 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 2,414 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Morphine can cause addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. It can also cause life-threatening breathing problems, especially when you start taking it or after a dose increase. Accidental ingestion, especially by children, can cause a fatal overdose. Taking morphine with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (including alcohol) can cause severe sedation, breathing problems, coma, and death. If you use morphine for a long time during pregnancy, your baby could have withdrawal symptoms after birth.
Known Drug Interactions
Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that effect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).
Mechanism: Both drugs can increase a brain chemical called serotonin, which may lead to a rare but serious reaction.
Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that effect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).
Mechanism: Both drugs increase the amount of serotonin in your brain. Taking them together can cause serotonin levels to rise to an unsafe level.
Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that effect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue). Examples: Cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone Cimetidine Clinical Impact: The concomitant use of morphine...
Mechanism: This muscle relaxant affects the serotonin system in your body. When combined with morphine, it can increase the risk of a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome.
Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that effect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).
Mechanism: These medications both change how serotonin works in your nervous system. Using them at the same time can cause too much serotonin to build up.
Examples: Quinidine, verapamil.
Mechanism: Verapamil can change how your body processes and moves morphine. This may lead to higher levels of morphine in your blood than usual.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drive while taking morphine?
Can I drink alcohol while taking morphine?
What should I do if I accidentally take too much morphine?
Can I take other medications with morphine?
How do I know if I am becoming addicted to morphine?
What are the symptoms of morphine withdrawal?
Can morphine cause constipation?
Will morphine cure my pain?
How long will I need to take morphine?
Is it safe to share my morphine with someone else?
What are the common side effects of morphine?
Does morphine interact with other medications?
What drug class is morphine?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for morphine?
Has morphine been recalled?
Is morphine currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Correct Labeled Product Mispack-Size stated on carton label did not match the size of the bottle in the carton.
Winder Laboratories, LLC
Related Medications in Opioid Analgesic
Other drugs grouped near morphine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
abatacept
Orencia
Orencia is a medicine that helps to reduce inflammation.
Compare with morphine →
acetaminophen
Tylenol
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medicine that can relieve pain and reduce fever.
Compare with morphine →
acetaminophen/hydrocodone
Vicodin, Norco
This medicine contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone.
Compare with morphine →
acetaminophen/oxycodone
Percocet
Percocet is a strong pain medicine.
Compare with morphine →
adalimumab
Humira
Idacio is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for morphine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 72,146.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 27.48%.
- atomoxetine Δ 0.25 pts · 3,228 reports · Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor 27.23%death share
- tigecycline Δ 0.31 pts · 5,878 reports · Glycylcycline Antibiotic 27.17%death share
- buprenorphine Δ 1.19 pts · 90,121 reports · Partial Opioid Agonist 28.67%death share
- rifaximin Δ 1.95 pts · 19,891 reports · Non-Systemic Antibiotic (IBS-D) 29.44%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for morphine
The FDA label for morphine (sold under brand names such as MS Contin, Kadian) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Opioid Analgesic class. Morphine is used to manage severe pain in adults and children who weigh at least 110 pounds. Official labeling lists 8 commonly reported side effects, including Constipation, Nausea, Feeling sleepy.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 72,146 voluntary reports. The database also lists 30 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.04.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 10, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages