Lorazepam vs Morphine: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Lorazepam | Morphine | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Benzodiazepine | Opioid Agonist |
| Brand names | – | Opium |
| FAERS reports | 178,697 | 120,577 |
| Serious | 77% | 86% |
| Death outcome | 25,768 | 34,831 |
| Boxed warning | Yes RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH OPIOIDS; ABUSE, MISUSE, AND ADDICTION; and DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL REACTIONS Concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids ma | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Lorazepam | Morphine | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lupus vulgaris | 490 · PRR 82.1 | 225 · PRR 40.4 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Bone erosion | 364 · PRR 13.3 | 287 · PRR 15.3 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
| Retinitis | 346 · PRR 30.5 | 304 · PRR 38.6 | Not in label — unassessed / No label text to screen |
Labeled signals distinctive to Lorazepam
- Drug tolerance decreased — n=250, PRR 11.4 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Morphine
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Lorazepam or Morphine?
Lorazepam has 178,697 FAERS reports and Morphine 120,577. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (77% vs 86%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Lorazepam and Morphine share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for lupus vulgaris, bone erosion, retinitis. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Lorazepam or Morphine safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.