Ethylmorphine is a drug in the class of both opiates (representing a minor synthetic change from morphine) and opioids (being effective in the CNS's opioid reception system) . Its effects in humans mainly stem from its metabolic conversion to morphine.
Metabolism
After ingestion, ethylmorphine is converted to morphine in the human liver by the CYP450-isozyme CYP2D6, similarly to codeine. Morphine is an extremely potent analgesic and the main active compound found in naturally occurring opium. Ethylmorphine's metabolism is hindered by ethanol [1], which, being a CNS depressant, also boosts the drug's sedative effect on the central nervous system - creating a potentially dangerous combination as both drugs cause repression of the respiratory system that can be mutually amplified.
Medical uses
Ethylmorphine is used as a antitussive to treat dry cough . It is also a strong analgesic.
Dosage
Ethylmorphine is 'less potent that morphine' but 'more potent than codeine'. Medical oral dosages vary from 5 to 30, even 50 mg. Naturally, all doses are much lower in intravenous use.
The lethal dose is unknown. One source (in Finnish), however, suggests it to be as low as 500mg.
Problems
Tolerance to the drug's effects develops fast. That is why ethylmorphine is normally used only as a temporary medicine to treat eg. cough. Patients may develop addiction. Side effects, which are rare on the medical doses but normal on the recreational doses, include the classical opiate side-effects: nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, miosis and constipation. Also, some people are hypersensitive or allergic to ethylmorphine and should never take it. There are also large individual differences in metabolism, which can cause the same dose of ethylmorphine to have completely different effects between two people.
Opioids are known of causing bad physical addiction, in addition to psychological addiction. This type of addiction is hard to treat.
Taking ethylmorphine in combination with alcohol or other drugs that have a suppressive effect on the central nervous system boosts both drugs' effects, creating a dangerous combination. Possible outcome is death through respiratory arrest.
In recreational use the most common problem, however, is liver damage and other effects caused by other compounds besides ethylmorphine. Some analgesics with ethylmorphine also contain indometacin (eg. Indalgin ), which is toxic in big doses.
It should be noted that antidepressants such as fluoxetine (prozac) inhibit the enzyme that metabolizes ethylmorphine. Taking ethylmorphine while using such an antidepressant may therefore lead to major changes in ethylmorphine's effects. Conversely, barbiturate compounds such as Phenobarbitone induce the same enzyme, which rapidly increases the metabolism of ethylmorpine. Other current medications therefore always have to be taken into account when using this compound.
Brand names
Analgesics
Antitussives
See also
External links
Last updated: 08-19-2006 14:43:24
