Short term use of opiates, such as for acute pain following regular surgery or an accident or dental surgery, can usually be stopped without any problems. I have been always able to stop opiates following short-term use for acute pain.
Long term use for chronic pain is a different situation. When being used therapeutically for long-term relief of chronic pain, at doses necessary to relive pain, one becomes physically dependent on them. When one uses more than they need for pain relief, or uses them recreation-ally to get a “high”, one is addicted. Those with addiction cannot usually treat their addiction without some form of medical intervention. Dependency can be reduced by the patient themselves, using a step-down of doses.
I’ve never been addicted, but due to long-term use for chronic pain, I do have a dependency. I have both stopped use after many months of use, and also reduced the amount I need and went to lower doses. I did it on my own, did not need any medical intervention. Addiction and dependency are not the same thing. I went cold turkey off of percocet, over 15 years ago. I used an OTC drug, diphenhydramine, to mask the side effects of stopping the percs. Worked very well. I’ve also gone from being on Fentanyl patches 50 mcg/hr to 25 mcg/hr, down to Kadian 50mg 2zs a day, to morphine sulfate 10mg 2xs a day, to morphine sulfate 10mg evening with hydromorphone 4mg 1 or 2xs a day, to now taking hydromorphone 4mg 3xs a day. I was on the Kadian 18 months ago as my pain levels went up prior to moving. 6 months later I stopped and went to morphine sulfate 10 mg 2xs a day, then once a day (at night), with hydromorphone 4mg daytime.
Now I just take the hydromorphone. I go to a pain clinic for pain management, but I did it it on my own, and just told them what I didn’t need. I have never been high, always took the minimal I needed for pain, never engaged in drug-seeking behavior, and have never had addiction problems. But because I have been on them for so long, i could not stop cold turkey due to becoming dependent. So I will need to gradually cut back if I get to the point I no longer need opiates. And to minimize side-effects, diphenhydramine OTC works very well. Prescription Catapress (a blood pressure patch) also helps. I am actually now using Catapress, as I have been gradually reducing my need for pain meds post procedure (I have had several out-patient procedures done).
To answer the OP, it is perfectly acceptable to use morphine or other opioid-type drugs for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. Palliative care for chronic pain is an act of charity. Opioids can make it possible for a person to have an ability to function without pain interfering. Make it possible for a terminal patient with cancer or AIDS to not suffer as much as their days come to an end. The Church even allows for the fact that the use of palliative care, even with the side-effects of opiates at high doses such as causing the suppression of respiration, can be prescribed even if it hastens the death of the patient.
