Doctors' Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" - Dilution


These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.

Dilution
Question: I have been diluting liquid morphine for a patient (1:1) with cranberry juice. A nurse insists that there may be an interaction, and that the cranberry juice may degrade the morphine, further reducing the potency. I felt that the cranberry was probably close enough to the cherry flavor used to compound the original and that it was a good choice. Is there any reason to stop this practice?

Answer: I'm not aware of any interaction that would reduce the potency. It is true that taking narcotics with food changes the absorption characteristics (generally slower), but this is true for any food.

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Last modified August 5, 1997