Drug interactions
Morphine + Quazepam
Severity: Major
Morphine and Quazepam: major interaction.
Last updated Sources: US FDA label
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Benzodiazepines such as quazepam combined with opioids can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. This is a labeled boxed warning for the class.
What this interaction means in plain words
Morphine and Quazepam can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression via opioid receptors and GABA-A receptor potentiation.
What to do
Reserve concurrent use for patients without alternatives, using the lowest doses and shortest duration, and monitor for respiratory depression and sedation. Consider naloxone availability and counsel patients and caregivers.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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References
Other interactions of Morphine
- Alvimopan + Morphine Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Morphine Contraindicated
- Morphine + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Morphine + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Morphine + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Morphine Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Morphine with Quazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Morphine and Quazepam can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Benzodiazepines such as quazepam combined with opioids can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. This is a labeled boxed warning for the class.
How serious is the interaction between Morphine and Quazepam?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Reserve concurrent use for patients without alternatives, using the lowest doses and shortest duration, and monitor for respiratory depression and sedation. Consider naloxone availability and counsel patients and caregivers.
What other medicines interact with Morphine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Morphine with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Morphine page.
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