Hi,
Any tips for dealing with the unpleasant taste of liquid morphine? It's so unpleasant that it's making the person I'm caring for feel sick and more inclined to endure the pain rather than take it as needed.
Thanks.
Hi,
Any tips for dealing with the unpleasant taste of liquid morphine? It's so unpleasant that it's making the person I'm caring for feel sick and more inclined to endure the pain rather than take it as needed.
Thanks.
Hi Magdred,
Thank you for getting in touch and welcome to our Online Community.
I’m Elise, one of the cancer information nurses.
We know that some people struggle with the taste of liquid morphine and often describe the taste as “bitter” or “sour”
While there are no specific clinical guidelines about masking the taste of liquid morphine we do know that in situations where the taste is a problem people will mix it with a small amount of juice or something like apple sauce or yogurt to disguise the taste.
It’s essential to still use the correct measuring syringe or spoon to measure the dose and that the additional sauce or juice is a small enough quantity that the entire dose can be taken in one or two mouthfuls.
You should NEVER combine liquid morphine with a glass of fluid or add it to a meal or snack.
Your local pharmacist can also discuss this with you as they are experts in medication.
You can also speak to the GP or the healthcare professional that prescribed the morphine, they may want to know about the current problems and the impact on getting pain under control.
We’d also suggest discussing if any sickness medication or a change of current anti sickness medication would help control the nausea.
I hope this information is helpful but please get back in touch if you have any other questions.
Best wishes,
Elise
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us.
Ref: ED/AM
