Cyclimorph injection contains two active ingredients, morphine and cyclizine. Morphine belongs to a group of strong painkilling medicines called opioids and cyclizine is an anti-sickness medicine.
Opioid painkillers work by mimicking the action of naturally occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors.
Morphine mimics the action of natural endorphins by combining with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocks the transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. Therefore, even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt.
Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of morphine and cyclizine is included in this injection to combat these effects.
Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness (nausea) and for the vomiting reflex.
Cyclizine prevents the vomiting centre from receiving messages from an area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ). The CTZ is stimulated by agents circulating in the blood, for example opioid painkillers such as morphine. Cyclizine helps prevent these agents from activating the vomiting centre and causing sickness.
Cyclimorph injection can therefore be used to relieve moderate to severe pain associated with a variety of medical and surgical conditions, while also preventing nausea and vomiting from the morphine.
Cyclimorph can be given by injection into a vein, into a muscle, or under the skin.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
This medicine should not be given to people who are taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI), for example the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine or isocarboxacid, or by people who have taken one of these medicines in the last 14 days.
There may be an increased risk of drowsiness and sedation if this medicine is used with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness):
There may be an increased risk of breathing difficulties if cimetidine is taken with morphine.
Morphine may oppose the effects of the following medicines on the gut:
The following medicines may reduce the amount of morphine in the blood and could make it less effective:
If cyclizine is used with other medicines that have anticholinergic effects there may be an increased risk of side effects such as blurred vision, dry mouth and constipation. Other medicines with anticholinergic effects include the following:
There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain both cyclizine and morphine, however both these medicines are available individually.
Valoid injection and Valoid tablets contain cyclizine.
Morphine injection and suppositories, Morphgesic SR tablets, MST continus suspension, MST continus tablets, MXL capsules, Oramorph, Sevredol tablets and Zomorph capsules all contain morphine.