Diamorphine for pain relief

Name: Diamorphine for pain relief

About diamorphine

Type of medicineStrong opioid painkiller
Used forSevere pain
Also calledDiacetylmorphine (in US)
Available asInjection, tablets and nasal spray (Ayendi® Nasal Spray)

Strong opioids (sometimes called opiates) are medicines used to treat severe pain. Diamorphine is a type of strong opioid. It is used in particular to treat pain after a surgical operation and pain caused by cancer. It may also be used following a heart attack, or for breathlessness caused by fluid in the lungs. It works on your nervous system and brain to reduce the amount of pain you feel.

Diamorphine is usually given as an injection. Tablets of diamorphine are available but rarely prescribed. This is because other strong opioids (such as morphine) are preferred as they are absorbed better by your body when taken by mouth.

A nasal spray called Ayendi® is available to treat severe pain in children. It is only given by a doctor or nurse in an emergency in hospital. A nasal spray is used because it is quicker to set up and less distressing than an injection. 

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