Does morphine work better than hydrocodone for relief of shortness of breath?

Neither: Both are pain killers and morphine depresses breat center in brain.

Narcotics: Narcotics are not useful for shortness of breath unless pain is preventing a patient from taking a deep breath, such as upper abdominal pain or pain from multiple rib fractures. Epidural block or intercostal nerve blocks are more effective than narcotics for these conditions.