hi jenna - oramorph does not mean have to mean loss of function (either physical or mental). I was on MST (long acting morphine) with oramorph for breakthrough pain for several years, during which time i drove myself to my full time job every working day, and even worked on call night shifts with no loss of anything, except pain! If you take morphine when you don't have pain, you may experience unwanted (and wanted!) side effects, but when you start with pain, you are already behind, and the morphine is just aiming to get you back to a "normal" rather than further on. Morphine can have side effects, buit so can co-dydramol and dihydrocodien (incidentally dyhyrocodiene is just codydramol without paracetamol) Also, dihy is in the same family of drugs as morphine anyway, so if you are taking top dose, it is equivalent to a certain dose of morphine. Why don't you say yes to oramorph and start it at a night, at a weekend in case you don't like it?