MS Contin
MS Contin is an analgesic or pain reliever that also happens to be a powerful narcotic. It is used to treat severe chronic pain that is often a result of cancer or traumatic injury. MS Contin was specifically designed to offer round the clock pain relief. That is why it is only available in controlled or time-release form that can be taken once every twelve hours. Its technical name is morphine sulfate.
What you need to know about MS Contin
It can only be prescribed by a medical doctor. If you are taking other pain medications, it is unlikely that your doctor will prescribe this medication. Since the body can become tolerant to pain medications, especially when they are narcotics, over-medicating patients may not only be harmful to their health, but it may also cause them to become addicted to these substances.
In fact, MS Contin and its cousin OxyContin are extremely popular with recreational drug users and are the motivation behind hundreds pharmacy robberies each year in the United States. These drugs, especially MS Contin, are considered extremely dangerous to drug addicts, who are often unaware the time-release mechanism in the drug is actually wax inside of the pill. So, when a drug addict who uses needles heats the drug, the wax inside of the pill expands, and once it is injected it can be harmful to their health.
The drug is so sought after by recreational drug users that it is actually a DEA Schedule II substance in the US.
But you don’t need to be a drug addict to fall under the spell of powerful analgesic narcotics. These drugs are habit-forming, which is why medical doctors are extremely careful about who they prescribe them to. If your doctor does go ahead and prescribe the drug, he will undoubtedly attempt to impress upon you the many dangers of the drug.
For starters, you should never give the drug to another person, especially if they have a problem with addiction, any kind of addiction. It is also important that you not leave the drug out in the open. MS Contini is not like the allergy medication you leave out on your bureau, it is a powerful drug, and although its cousin OxyContin is probably more popular, most teenagers are well aware of the fact that it is a narcotic. So, simply leaving it out on your dresser is probably not a good idea, especially if you have children in the house.
Taking MS Contin
You should not imbibe any alcohol when you are using this drug. We know that many medications have alcohol warnings on their labels and many people simply ignore them and have a glass of wine, or two. But in this case, drinking any alcohol could be hazardous to your health. Again, your medical doctor will inform you of the dangerous side effects of drinking alcohol while using MS Contin, which include coma and death.
Another simple but extremely important piece of advice is that you should never, ever take more than the prescribed dosage of MS Contin. This will not only have an effect on your health, but it may also lead to addiction.
You also need to let your medical doctor know if the drug stops working on your pain. This means that your body has become tolerant and your medical doctor will need to prescribe a new different medication.
But do not stop taking MS Contin without consulting your doctor first as you may experience serious withdrawal symptoms. Your medical doctor will explain how to avoid the worst of these symptoms.
Before using
If you have ever had an allergic reaction to any narcotic medication, such as codeine, Vicodin or Percocet, you should not use MS Contin.
In fact, before your medical doctor prescribes MS Contin, you need to let him know if you are allergic to any drugs.
It is also a good idea to tell him if you have any of the following disorders:
*Asthma or sleep apnea;
*underactive thyroid;
*liver or kidney disease;
*epilepsy or a history of seizures;
*low blood pressure;
*gallbladder disease;
*Addison’s disease;
*problems with urination or an enlarged prostate;
*metal illness; or
*a history of addiction.
Lastly, because MS Contin is a drug and because it is habit-forming, it should not be taken by women who are pregnant. The medication can be extremely harmful to the health of unborn babies and may result in addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. After a patient has given birth, she still cannot use MS Contin because the morphine in the pill will show up in the breast milk and affect the baby’s health and development.
