Why isn't Fenadryl used, instead of Morphine, to ease dying patients into painless deaths?
477986
They do use fentanyl.  It's called "Duragesic patch" and is applied topically.  As far as I know, fentanyl is not available orally.  Duragesic patch is for long acting pain, and oral morphine may be required in addition.  Plus, morphine is much cheaper than fentanyl patch.  That may be the real answer to your question.
321428
Morphine can be a peaceful drug , but it can depend on the amount and what its being used for . Also what kind of morphine ? oramorph? diamorph? for pain relief ? Or something else . It is the drug of choice post surgery and post injury ....however it can also depend on your systems reactions to it . In general small doses are addequate to relieve pain and give a peacefulness , in larger doses they can kill .
236874
Well, if you look throughout times when drugs were legal, they would give morphine to soldiers during early wars, beginning with the civil war. When the war was over we had a country full of drug addicts. Mothers would take laudanum to calm frazzled nerves and some scientists believe this caused such high birth and infant mortality. Mothers also gave it to their children to settle them down.Seriously! Think about how our morale standards have changed since the 30's and imagine what could happen now. However, a little puff on the pipe now and then is okay.
379558
It doesn't. Painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen or the newer drugs like celecoxib and rofecoxib belong to the group called NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs). These act by inhibiting an enzyme called Cyclo-oxygenase, which plays a role in the production of Prostaglandins, which are the mediators of pain in the body. The opiates (morphine/pethidine/codeine/methadone etc.) relieve pain by the means of their action on the receptors in the Central Nervous System (either in the brain or the spinal cord) that are responsible for the transmission of and interpretation of the pain sensation. Thus, neither group targets a specific type or site of pain. The only reason for the difference in their efficacy of treating pain (opiates being more efficient) is because of the different mechanism of action.
138223
The gas was based on derivatives of fentanyl, Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko said Wednesday.\n\nFentanyl is an opiate-based narcotic 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. It is used for pain relief in surgeries, and is the most common narcotic used for anesthesia in surgeries done in the United States.\n\nFentanyl can cause extreme drowsiness, but American anesthesiologists do not use it in doses meant to put patients to sleep. It's used in the United States to stop breathing during surgery when breathing is mechanically supported.\n\nIn high doses it can not only knock people unconscious but also cause them to stop breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in such doses fentanyl can be fatal.\n\nOther potential side effects include liver, heart, and kidney problems as well as nausea and vomiting. A person who vomits while unconscious may choke -- another way fentanyl can lead to death.\n\nOne reason Russian forces used derivatives of fentanyl probably was how quickly the drug works. "People have less time to react," Dr. James Cottrell, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, told CNN. "It kicks in within a matter of minutes."
773181
That's a very generalized question. What is the cause of the pain? What pain management alternatives have been used...there are many that you may not have heard about? What is the emotional status of the patient...pain is perceived a lot more acutely in depressed patients...and depression can be treated, thus reducing the pain?\n\nIN THEORY...unremittant pain "could" be a valid justification for euthanasia, but I certainly wouldn't just say "yes" without knowing a whole lot more than what you have told us.
338562
I would image somthing like, people can get addicted to a pain killer, yet people can be dependent on a blood pressure medicine.\n\nThe pain killer they "have to have" but because of their addiction; and  the pressure medication they "have to have" but really only for medical reasons.
278265
Morphine is a painkiller. The rest is self-explanatory.
852424
Actually, the sucrose solution (Sweet-Ease) that is commonly used in hospitals realeases endogenous opiates to relieve pain.  It works tremendously well for infants up to 6 months as a pre-med before minor procedures:  IV starts, occ. catheterizations, etc.  I have used this many times for babies in the Peds ICU where I used to work.  \n\nIt is a 24% solution, though, so probably a lot stronger than a dum dum!\n\nEd C., RN, BSN, CCRN
497686
Euthanasia is not a drug. It´s the name of the process of putting down someone to end his/her/its suffer. Vets use a highly concentrated general anaesthetic (tipically a barbiturate derivative) that provokes a respiratory and cardiac arrest. Pets don´t feel anything at all.
697413
I'm so sorry you are going through this. I hope you have contacted Hospice as they can guide you through this final journey.\n\nHere is some information for you inregards to the end of life (I answered this for another cancer patient):\n\nNo one really knows exactly when anyone will die, even cancer patients. The last days of life can be different for every patient. However, there are some 'physical signs' that the end of life is close.\n\n1. Drowsiness, increased sleep, and/or unresponsiveness (caused by changes in the patient's metabolism).\n\n2. Confusion about time, place, and/or identity of loved ones; restlessness; visions of people and places that are not present; pulling at bed linens or clothing (caused in part by changes in the patient's metabolism). \n\n3. Decreased socialization and withdrawal (caused by decreased oxygen to the brain, decreased blood flow, and mental preparation for dying).\n\n4. Decreased need for food and fluids, and loss of appetite (caused by the body's need to conserve energy and its decreasing ability to use food and fluids properly).\n\n5. Loss of bladder or bowel control (caused by the relaxing of muscles in the pelvic area). \n\n6. Darkened urine or decreased amount of urine (caused by slowing of kidney function and/or decreased fluid intake). \n\n7. Skin becomes cool to the touch, particularly the hands and feet; skin may become bluish in color, especially on the underside of the body (caused by decreased circulation to the extremities). \n\n8. Rattling or gurgling sounds while breathing, which may be loud; breathing that is irregular and shallow; decreased number of breaths per minute; breathing that alternates between rapid and slow (caused by congestion from decreased fluid consumption, a buildup of waste products in the body, and/or a decrease in circulation to the organs). \n\n9. Turning the head toward a light source (caused by decreasing vision). \n\n10. Increased difficulty controlling pain (caused by progression of the disease). \n\n11. Involuntary movements (called myoclonus), changes in heart rate, and loss of reflexes in the legs and arms are additional signs that the end of life is near.
1067664
Generally when someone dies of old age, but has no major medical problems, they simply go to sleep and do not wake up. \n\nPain can be a problem when there are medical concerns such as a major organ failure or cancer. In this day and age the hospice system in the United States is there for the terminal patient and when it is known that a patient has 6 months or less to live, hospice steps in and assists that person to be as pain free as possible until they pass.\n\nI was with 2 terminally ill people who were under hospice care and both passed away very peacefully. Both had painful medical conditions (one cancer, the other complications of diabetes)  and hospice was absolutely wonderful in eliminating their pain so they could die in peace.
99259
As it takes over, your whole body starts to shut down.  Blood pressure drops.  There are so many complications that can occur that it's hard to say, as each case is different. Many times if pain is unbearable Morphine will be given and that helps a lot and keeps the patient calmer.
137236
In Japan, a majority of people end their lives in hospital, surrounded by high-technology equipment. Yet in a recent survey over half the respondents said they would prefer to die at home. There has been a tradition of not explaining to terminally ill people the true nature of their condition, on the ground that this is the kindest way to proceed. However, views about this matter are changing. In a recent nationwide opinion poll (1), 65% of the participants said that if they were terminally ill they would like to be given full diagnostic information about themselves. Only 22% of the people questioned, however, said they themselves would definitely be prepared to disclose such information to a member of their family.\n\nThe same survey indicated that 78% of people considered palliative care desirable, even though it might shorten life; 16% thought life should be sustained as long as possible, irrespective of the pain that patients might be suffering.\n\nThe National Matsudo Hospital is one of the few hospitals in Japan with a palliative care unit. The use of morphine has significantly reduced pain levels for a high proportion of the patients in this establishment; in 1987, 75% of cancer inpatients were given end-stage fluid therapy but in 1990 the proportion had dropped to 12.5% because many families realized that the treatment shortened patients' lives.\n\nA special task force on terminal care, set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, issued a report in 1989 which encouraged the disclosure of diagnostic information to patients, provided that consideration was given to patients' life histories, personalities, relationships with family members, and other factors. The use of drugs for pain control was favoured, and the report also dealt with various additional matters touched on by Dr. Abiven, including spiritual requirements and the care of family members.\n\nPeople should not have to accept without question the authority of doctors in the treatment of disease.\n\nThe view is gaining ground in Japan that people should not have to accept without question the authority of doctors in the treatment of disease. Unfortunately, there are still too few trained people to cope with the many problems associated with dying. Responsibility for the care of the dying should be shared between health professionals and other carers. Changes are needed in the mentalities of both health care providers and patients, and it has to be recognized that medical system and institutions are not immutable.\n\nEfforts have been made to improve the care of the dying by some volunteers and hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka and elsewhere. There are signs of public approval for such work and the government has begun to provide financial support for palliative care through the national health insurance system.
131853
I think there should be alot more suicides, assisted or otherwise. How about some mandatory suicide. A person's life is their own to do with what they will. If someone is too ill to want to live through morbid pain, they should have that choice to make. Bible or no bible. Sorry if my answer wasn't properly formatted to your question. Rants aren't often pretty.
763519
I would want it released, because it can help 99% of sufferers, but I would want a "black box" warning to be attached, qualifying this risk.\nThere are many medications out now that have a known risk of causing severe reactions, including death.  I wouldn't use it as first-line therapy; instead, I would use it as a last resort, if the patient fails other standard therapy regimens.\nThe final decision should lie in the hands of the patient and their educated physician.  How old is the patient?  How severe is there disease?  What is the end goal?  \nThere would have to be more sufficient data about the warning signs of the fatal reaction (might we be able to possibly stop the medication in time?  how soon does the reaction occur?).\nI wouldn't be anxious to prescribe it until it was on the market for several years, and I had a chance to review the data on it.
858446
That's quite a mixture of drugs.\n\nDilaudid is an opiate; benadryl is an antihistamine; promethazine is an antipsychotic (but is used for other things) - all 3 of these cause drowsiness.\n\nMix that with alcohol, and the effects will be increased.  Citalopram (Celexa) is an antidepressant.\n\nMy guess is that the person overdosed on some or all of these meds.  The actual cause of death?  Maybe he/she stopped breathing, or the heart rate slowed down so much that there wasn't enough blood being pumped to support life.\n\nJust a guess, I'm not a pathologist.