Topic: Potentially fatal combination...Morphine and ethanol
"Spirochetes have a limited metabolism and can only ferment a few types of organic molecules.
They ferment carbohydrates to acetate,*** ethanol***, CO2, and H2 as major end products.
All spirochetes so far examined use the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway to take glucose to pyruvate.
Under anaerobic conditions this is converted to acetate and ethanol using common fermentative pathways.
Interestingly, the facultative anaerobes in the group use both oxidative phosphorylation and substrate level phosphorylation in the presence of air and seem to be dependent on at least some fermentation. The TCA cycle has not been detected in these microbes, and it is unclear how they get their ATP by oxidative phosphorylation.
B. burgdorferi will also move away from ethanol and butanol."
THE ROLE OF ETHANOL ABUSE IN THE ETIOLOGY OF HEROIN-RELATED DEATHS Ruttenber, A. J., Kalter, H. D., and Santinga, P. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol 35, No. 4, July 1990, pp 891-900
p. 891 "Our data suggest that ethanol enhances the acute toxicity of heroin, and that ethanol use indirectly influences fatal overdose through its association with infrequent (nonaddictive) heroin use and thus with reduced tolerance to the acute toxic effects of heroin."
[Ruttenber, A. J. and Luke, J. L., "Heroin-Related Deaths: New Epidemiologic Insights," Science, Vol 226, Oct 5, 1984, pp 14-20] "found that blood ethanol concentrations in excess of 1000 mg/L raised by a factor of 22 the odds of a heroin user experiencing a fatal overdose."
"The concomitant use of heroin and ethanol is well recognized and considered dangerous..."
"The phenomenon of combining ethanol and opiate use and the resultant toxic effects were noted as early as 1881 [Hubbard, F. H., The Opium Habit and Alcoholism, Barnes, New York, 1881, pp 3-14]."
Possibilities examined: 1. Ethanol and heroin act additively or synergistically on the central nervous and respiratory systems, producing cardiopulmonary arrest that is more often fatal than that produced by heroin alone. 2. Ethanol interferes with the metabolism of heroin, prolonging toxic effects. 3. Ethanol consumption is commonly associated with infrequent (nonaddictive) use of heroin, [Greene, M. H., Luke, J. L., and Dupont, R. L., "Opiate 'Overdose' Deaths in the District of Columbia," Medical Annals of the District of Columbia, Vol 43, #4, April 1974, pp 175- 181] which results in reduced tolerance to acute toxicity of heroin.
Decedents with toxicological evidence of drugs other than heroin/ethanol were excluded from the study.
p. 895 "We determined that HE [High Ethanol] decedents had significantly lower blood morphine concentrations than LE [Low Ethanol] decedents and identified a significant inverse correlation between concentrations of ethanol and morphine in the blood. These findings suggest that there is a dose- response relationship between consumption of ethanol and the acute toxicity of heroin. However, blood ethanol concentrations explained only 11% of the variation in blood morphine concentrations, indicating that additional factors are probably involved in the etiology of fatal overdose by users of heroin and ethanol."
"There is no evidence from our study that ethanol interferes with the metabolism of heroin." (This is in response to possibility 3.)
p. 897 "Our data suggest that decedents who consumed large quantities of ethanol before death also had used heroin infrequently in the days before death."
"Data presented here and in other studies [Ruttenber, A. J. and Luke, J. L., "Heroin-Related Deaths: New Epidemiologic Insights," Science, Vol 226, Oct 5, 1984, pp 14-20; and Kalter, H. D., Ruttenber, A. J., and Zack, M. M., "Temporal clustering of Heroin Overdoses in Washington, DC," Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 34, No. 1, Jan. 1989, pp. 156- 163.] indicate that fatal heroin overdose can be influenced by the toxic effects of other drugs and by other risk factors and is not merely the consequence of injecting unusually high doses of heroin. Our results suggest that simply discouraging the practice of drinking and injecting heroin may not be effective in preventing fatal overdose. Combining chronic ethanol abuse with infrequent (nonaddictive) heroin use should also be discouraged. Since fatal overdoses are commonly associated with ethanol use, public health measures directed towards those who use both drugs may help reduce the incidence of these deaths."
"Address requests for reprints or additional information to A. James Ruttenber, Ph.D., M.D. Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control Centers for Disease Control Mail Stop F-28 Atlanta, GA 30333"
posted
I'll add my experience with opioids/opiates causing acute pancreatitis to alert others to this painful possibility:
Diagnosed with Lyme, babesiosis, and CPn. Two years ago was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. Had been on morphine, oxycontin, oxycodone, and lortabs for about 3 years.
Had several warning attacks prior. For about 15 to 30 minutes each time, it felt as if my entire GI tract had frozen.
After release from the hospital I read the insert for oxycodone from Mallinckrodt, Inc. It said, "Oxycodone can cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi and should be used with caution in patients with billiary tract disease... Oxycodone can cause increase in the serum amylase level."
My diagnosis of pancreatitis was made via a blood test for amylase level.
Didn't look at the inserts for the other drugs, but I have read that morphine and opiods are contraindicated for patients with pain of pancreatitis.
Hope this may alert a few people to possibilities the drs won't warn about. Because many with Lyme, etc., have GI disturbances, this may be an indirect connection to the morphine/Lyme problem.
Posts: 175 | From Colorado | Registered: Feb 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
That is an eye-opener.
After the birth of my son (c-section) they came in and put me on a button type pain release.
Morphine.
When I hit the button the first time.....nothing.
No pain relief at all.
Second time I hit the button (about 6-7 minutes later) the sky came crashing down.
Boy was I sick. I had my baby in my arms and was about to pass out.
Called the nurses. They came and asked me what the problem was.
I said I don't know. Maybe my pressure dropped??
They put the cuff on my arm, inflated it and within 30seconds all the bells and whistles
On the unit were going off. They grabbed my IV fluids and began squeezing the bags frantically.
Boy was I sick.
I never had a problem with morphine before.
Never.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
This is very interesting! I have had no problem with taking oxycontin. I take very, very small doses - like 1/2 of a 5 mg pill.
It helps me quite a bit to get through painful times.
I guess it's a small dose.
On a side note - I can see this is probably how Jim Morrison of the Doors died...
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djf2005
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11449
posted
morphine and percoset are different i hope?
i take percoset for pain.. doesnt seem to be hurting me.
interesting tho when i take ms contin (morphine) i have a terrible reaction.
so, are they different? ie- if morphine is bad for lyme are opieds?
thanks
derek
-------------------- "Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you."
posted
I think you confused what was written. The post Marnie made was just saying that morphine and ethanol (alcohol), were potentially fatal. e.g. Don't get drunk and eat too much morphine or you'll die. Nothing to do with morphine being contradicted in lyme disease.
-------------------- "You know, the worst, meanest, nastiest, ticks in the world are politicks," - Steve Nostrum Posts: 242 | From South NJ | Registered: Dec 2006
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Hi Catalyst,
I hope you are right. That's why I posed this question.
The article says ethanol is one of the substances spirochetes make from carbohydrates.
Will we have reaction when we take morphine if we already have ethanol produced in our body by the spirochetes? ...regardless of consuming alcohol.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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