Kapanol
Kapanol is a form of morphine sulfate or morphine. The medication is an opioid analgesic, which means it acts on opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.
While morphine is available in the United States, Kapanol is not a brand traditionally available in the United States. Instead, the medication is available by prescription in Australia, Canada and Japan. However, people will order the medication from offshore pharmacies or obtain it illegally.
Street names for drugs like Kapanol that contains morphine include dreamer, first line, God’s drug, Mr. Blue, Vitamin M and Lady M.
Intended Usage
Doctors prescribe Kapanol for chronic pain relief when a person’s pain does not get better when treated with non-narcotic pain medicines. The medication isn’t given for as-needed or post-surgery pain.
The medication is a sustained-release pill, which means it should always be taken whole and not crushed. The medicine is intended to last for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours after taking it. Doctors prescribe the pills in increments of 10-, 20, 50- and 100-milligram concentrations.
Side Effects
Side effects associated with taking Kapanol include:
- Constipation when taken regularly
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Small or constricted pupils
- Trouble urinating
- Vomiting
More serious side effects can include:
- Confusion
- Flushing
- Hallucinations
- Hives
- Hypothermia (extreme cold)
- Severe stomach pain
- Slowed heart rate
Abuse and Addiction
Because it is a morphine-type drug, Kapanol would be classified as a Schedule II drug if sold in America. This means the drug has known medical uses, yet is highly addictive.
While Kapanol should only be taken whole, those who abuse it will often crush and snort it as a means to cause euphoric or “high” effects to the people who use it.
Kapanol addiction and abuse can have deadly consequences because one of the major side effects associated with the drug is respiratory distress or respiratory depression, meaning a person may stop breathing when taking the medicine. This can result in death if a bystander does not act quickly.
Signs and symptoms a person may be addicted to Kapanol include:
- Blurred vision
- Experiencing hallucinations
- Jerking muscles
- Neglecting personal, relationship or school responsibilities
- Obsession with taking Kapanol or getting Kapanol
- Poor memory
- Seeming “out of it” or spaced-out when in public.
Kapanol is a very powerful opioid that doctors only prescribe to people who are accustomed to taking a lot of pain medicines. If a person who isn’t used to taking this level of medicine takes Kapanol, he or she may have a severe reaction to the medicine.
Withdrawal Symptoms
If a person suddenly stops taking Kapanol, he or she may start to experience withdrawal symptoms anywhere from 12 to 30 hours of the last pill taken. The first symptoms of withdrawal may include:
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Muscle aching
- Sweating
- Tearing
- Yawning
These symptoms may give progress to later symptoms, which include:
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea
- Stomach cramping
- Vomiting
While these symptoms are not life-threatening, they can be very uncomfortable and easily trigger relapse if a person is not receiving support for withdrawals.
Treatment for Kapanol Addiction
Although Kapanol is an international drug, its availability in the United States on the black market mean that centers provide treatments for Kapanol addiction. Treatments can include those for the symptoms associated with withdrawals. These include anti-nausea medications and medications to keep a person’s blood pressure from getting too high.
If a person wants to beat a Kapanol addiction, yet still requires pain-relieving medications, a doctor may prescribe medications designed to help a person living with an opiate addiction. These include methadone and Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Taking these medicines does not create the “high” associated with Kapanol, yet can provide some pain relief.
For more information on Kapanol abuse or if you think a loved one is suffering from Kapanol abuse, please call our drug treatment center at 877-855-3470.