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Weird Rash/redness When Given Morphine, What Could This Be?


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i ended up going to the er due to nausea, headache, bloating, belching, and after they gave me two "gi cocktails" and not feeling like it did anything they gave me morphine through the iv. it burned a lot which i thought was just normal as some meds burn, but this burned a lot. than my hand (where the iv was) turned bright red and my forearm had red spots on it, not big like hives but small dots all over. the nurse was a little concerned but since i didnt feel like it affected my breathing they werent too concerned. my question is do any of you know what type of reaction this is even though it was only ion my arm not breathing being affected. is this a mast cell reaction? any input would be helpful

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I know that morphine is considered one of the strongest medicinal mast cell degranulators out there. So, could it be a mast cell degranulation episode? Possibly. Yet, I have to think that if that were the case, you'd be itching all over. I don't respond to morphine that way, but I've been with patients who do, and they need Benadryl like...really, really badly because the itching all over is so overwhelming.

The last time I was given Zofran through an IV, it burned a great deal, and had never burned like that before. I then got hives all over my right hand, the one that had the IV in it, and down my arm, especially my wrist. I took Claritin and it went away within half an hour.

I honestly think my skin was reacting more to the burning that took place in my vein from the medicine than that I was having an allergic reaction, but I'm also one who doesn't take chances when I see hives, as I've been in anaphylaxis a few times in my life and I don't push my luck.

If you're concerned, there are other pain meds that are not mast cell degranulators, so you may have better luck with one of them next time. But, since this has happened, I would make sure that medical personnel know about it the next time you may be given any pain medication, just in case.

I hope I didn't ramble too much to be understood. I'm still in the hospital and am on a new medication and am experiencing some pretty good brain fog.

Take care. I hope you're better

Linda

Oh, and if you do find yourself reacting to morphine in the future, I've been told that, since morphine can degranulate mast cells even in healthy people, don't automatically think you have a mast cell condition. There's a lot more to having a true MCAD than that. I know you're not going head over barrel with this. Just thought I'd mention it, in case you have a bit of concern. Take care.

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well i already had benadryl in me as i am pretty sure i might have something with mast cells. i have been on benadryl and zantac for almost 2 months. before that i was so nauseous i coukdnt even eat and i would get flushing really really bad and i would get tremors. ever since starting those meds i am doing better i havent had one tremor since. the upper body flushing has only happened a couple of times instead of almost all day long. and the nausea still ahs its ups and downs but for the most part is better. i just didnt know what this reaction was. i have only had morphine one other time and that was years ago and i dont remember too much of a reaction maybe a little bit of breathing problems but i thought that was due to pots symptoms as i hadnt been dx'd yet. i usually do some other pain med

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A lot of the pain meds like morphine and delaudid (sp?) can cause respiratory problems (actually failure) if given in too high doses, or even if just given to someone who cannot tolerate them due to underlying conditions, like your POTS, for example. Could be that you can't tolerate it with your compromised autonomic system. Also, with the rash starting, it could be a localized (for now) mast cell reaction that could become bigger and bigger the more you have of the medication.

After my localized hives with IV Zofran, I said, "Forget it," and I've put it down on my medication allergy list (which grows by the minute, I think) just in case the reaction becomes more systemic with use of the drug like happens so many times with so many things I come into contact with.

Hope you feel better and can find a pain medication alternative so, should you need one, you can get relief.

Lindajoy

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Since the IV morphine burned going in, I wonder if your IV wasn't fully patent, causing the morphine to be extravasated into the tissues, causing the redness and rash.

But I also wanted to share that flushing and a rash is on the list of adverse reactions to IV morphine, so you may want to consider your redness and rash an allergic reaction instead of/in addition to mast cell degranulation.

Lyn

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This is interesting I had recent surgery and they came in to give morphine post-op I asked is it common to be allergic and they said NO so I allowed them to give me some, instantly I had extreme burning that was spreading up my arm then itching and then huge welts with lines going up my arm!!!! When I first felt the burn I let the nurse know and she said oh thats normal....and then the rest started and luckily a more experienced nurse was in the room witnessing and I told her "HURRY UP AND GIVE ME Benadryl" and the nurse said YES hurry up!!!!! And can you believe I stayed totally calm and how Benadryl makes most people groggy it did nothing but stop the reaction I thought that was so weird!

Anyway the more experienced nurse then called a bunch of other nurses on the floor into my room to SEE this reaction to let them know if it happens again they know what to do isn't that a shame.

So no more morphine for me ever again!
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When I had my gallbladder removed I broke out into hives every time I pushed the button on my morphine pump. I'm apparently allergic to it, but I didn't get any burning and luckily no respiratory reactions. My IV did infiltrate later that night and when they put the benadryl in it, it burned like crazy.

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that would make sense that it wasnt in properly. because this nurse blew another vein first, and i have never had a blown vein ever. as he was putting it in, it almost poked through the otherside and than he did this one in my hand. and his relieve nurse came in and kept checking on it because she thought this one was going to blow too. and now this vein sticks out and is bubbly almost like it feels like clots. and the vein he blew doesnt even feel like this. so i dont know what happened but it did burn all over the hand when they put the morphine in not just in the vein like normal meds that burn. so that makes sense.

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