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Suggest Treatment For Side Effects Of Morphine

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Posted on Mon, 4 Jul 2016
Question: I got sick a couple of days ago from taking a Morphine 30 mg. I didn't have much on my stomach when I took it. In my first round of vomiting I threw up one dark purplish/black capsule looking thing (along with what appeared to be my last food and drink). I fished it out and cut it open. The outside was kind of sticky and it was kind of spongy cake looking brown inside. It was about as long as my little finger and as big around with rounded ends on both sides. What was this?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ronald Schubert (52 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Ghost pill

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for contacting HCM with your health care concerns

I am sorry to hear that you were not able to tolerate your medication. When you vomited you noticed a capsule in the vomitus. This is called a host pill. Several medication are long acting capsules that are made to deliver medication slowly over time. They do this by having a plastic like coating that does not dissolve in stomach acid. It has a small hole in it and on the inside a sponge like material. When in the stomach the stomach juices enter the small hole and the sponge soaks up the juices and releases the medication which is inside the capsule. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about.

I hope I answered your question. Please contact us again if you have any additional questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Follow up: Dr. Ronald Schubert (15 minutes later)
It wasn't a capsule as in medicine capsule. The Morphine was not the time released kind nor are any of my other medications. It was a small round white pill. The thing I threw up was every bit of 1-1/2 inches long and as big around as my finger. It was purple/black in color and perfectly rounded on each end - no breaks, no holes - but spongy and sticky (which I assume came from being in my stomach for so long) I might had I had taken the morphine around noon that day and did not throw up until around 11:30 that night. Everything else I threw up was milk and toast which was basically all I had eaten that day.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ronald Schubert (7 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Not a time released capsule

Detailed Answer:
I would not be able to tell you what the large piece of material was. I is way too large to be a capsule or medication. It must have been some plant material. There is a condition called bezoars which are a collection of material that collects in the stomach. You known them as hair balls in cats. You may have developed a plant bezoar.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Ronald Schubert

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1984

Answered : 2407 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Side Effects Of Morphine

Brief Answer: Ghost pill Detailed Answer: Thank you for contacting HCM with your health care concerns I am sorry to hear that you were not able to tolerate your medication. When you vomited you noticed a capsule in the vomitus. This is called a host pill. Several medication are long acting capsules that are made to deliver medication slowly over time. They do this by having a plastic like coating that does not dissolve in stomach acid. It has a small hole in it and on the inside a sponge like material. When in the stomach the stomach juices enter the small hole and the sponge soaks up the juices and releases the medication which is inside the capsule. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about. I hope I answered your question. Please contact us again if you have any additional questions