Relative strength
Vs other opioids
Morphine is the reference. Oxycodone is a bit stronger. Hydromorphone is stronger still. Fentanyl is 50–100 times stronger.
Approximate oral morphine milligram equivalents
These are educational ballparks used in clinical conversion tables. They are not a recipe for switching drugs. Incomplete cross-tolerance means a converted dose is usually reduced, not matched 1:1.
| Medicine | About how it compares to morphine |
|---|---|
| Tramadol | Much weaker (~0.2×) |
| Codeine | Much weaker (~0.15×) |
| Morphine | Reference (1×) |
| Hydrocodone | Similar (~1×) |
| Oxycodone | Stronger (~1.5×) |
| Oxymorphone | Stronger (~3×) |
| Hydromorphone | Stronger (~4×) |
| Fentanyl | Far stronger (about 50–100×; different units for patches) |