What Does Morphine Look Like?

Morphine is an opiate prescription drug that is FDA-approved to treat severe pain. It can be found under the brand names MS-Contin, Oramorph SR, and Kadian.

What the pain medication looks like depends on a variety of factors including the manufacturer and how you obtain the drug (through a healthcare provider or from a drug dealer). Drug manufacturers produce morphine tablets in many different colors and shapes.

It’s important to know what legitimate morphine looks like so you don’t take a counterfeit version that may have other dangerous substances like fentanyl mixed in.

Morphine comes in two different formulations: immediate-release or extended-release. 

Immediate-Release Morphine

As an immediate-release tablet, it usually contains morphine sulfate, is either white or brown, is usually round in shape, and can have several different imprints depending on the manufacturer.

Immediate-release morphine can look like:

15 mg Immediate-Release

• white, round, 54 733 imprint
• brown, round, 15 ETH imprint
• white, round, L V 915 imprint
• white, round, 15 273 imprint

30 mg Immediate-Release

• white, round, 54 262 imprint
• brown, capsule-shape, 30 ETHEX imprint
• white, oval, L V 930 imprint
• white, round, 30 274 imprint

Extended-Release Morphine

Extended-release tablets and capsules are long-acting and can be found in many different colors and shapes. Just like the immediate-release formulation, what the imprint says on each pill can depend on the dosage and who the manufacturer is.

This morphine formulation can look like:

15 mg Extended-release

• blue, round, 15 M imprint
• white, round, 54 782 15 imprint
• blue, round, M MS 15 imprint
• green, oval, 15 E imprint
• blue, round, 15 E652 imprint

20 mg Extended-Release

This dose of morphine is yellow, comes as a capsule, and has Kadian 20 imprinted on it.

30 mg Extended-Release

• purple, round, 30 M imprint
• white, round, 54 409 30 imprint
• purple, round, M MS 30 imprint
• green, round, E653 30 imprint
• light purple, capsule, Kadian 30 imprint
• yellow and white, capsule, Avinza 30 imprint

50 mg Extended-Release

The 50 mg extended-release morphine is blue in color, comes as a capsule, and has Kadian 50 imprinted on it.

60 mg Extended-Release

• orange, round, M 60, PF imprint
• white, round, 54 933, 60 imprint
• white, oval, 60 E imprint
• orange, round, ABG 60 imprint
• pink, capsule, Kadian 60
• green and white, capsule, Avinza 60 imprint

90 mg Extended-Release

This dose of the extended-release morphine is a red and white capsule and has Avinza 90 imprinted on it.

100 mg Extended-Release

• gray, round, 100 PF imprint
• white, round, 54 862 100 imprint
• teal, capsule, Kadian 100

200 mg Extended-Release

One of the highest doses in this formulation is 200 mg. It’s blue, oval, and has M 200 PF imprinted on it.

Side Effects Of Morphine Abuse

Whether you‘re taking this chronic pain medication as directed or abusing it, it’s also important to be aware of potential side effects. 

The most common side effects of morphine may include:

• drowsiness
• stomach pain
• headache
• dizziness
• some sedation
• nervousness
• small pupils
• difficulty urinating
• low blood pressure

These effects can become more intense with higher doses of the drug.

Morphine Overdose

A morphine overdose can happen for any number of reasons. Sometimes it occurs because someone is looking for more pain relief. Other times, it happens when someone is looking for a greater high or takes a counterfeit pill. 

Whatever the reason, a morphine overdose can be life-threatening. Knowing the signs and symptoms may save a life:

• blue fingernails and lips
• coma
• constipation
• respiratory depression
• drowsiness
• breathing problems
• pinpoint pupils
• nausea
• vomiting
• seizures

If you or a loved one is experiencing an opioid overdose, call 911 immediately. If you have Narcan (naloxone) on hand and are trained to use it, this is the time. It will reverse the effects of the overdose and give first responders more time to get to you.

Morphine Addiction Treatment

There are many different treatment options for morphine addiction, but the first step is likely to detox for opioid withdrawal. 

When in detox, you’ll be medically supervised to better handle physical dependence and any accompanying withdrawal symptoms. Medical professionals may also provide medication to make the process as comfortable as possible.

Many treatment centers in Ohio, including Ohio Recovery Center, provide medical detox and inpatient treatment at the same location. For more information on our treatment options, please contact us today.