Der Anaesthesist
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In a prospective study 60 patients receiving morphine for treatment of mostly neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain of non-malignant origin were investigated. The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of responders to morphine therapy and the frequency and severity of side effects. METHODS. ⋯ The study showed many problems with the patients' compliance and acceptance of oral morphine due to side effects and lack of analgesia. The discrepancy from other, positive reports might be explained by the extremely selected patients of this study and by the fact that not only responders were included for evaluation. Patients' compliance seems to have been overestimated in previous studies because no urinary controls were taken.