Opiates date back thousands of years and are also referred to as narcotics. Narcotic addicts, when faced with shortages in their supply, often substitute various narcotic drugs for others. Opiates are central nervous system depressants. Immediately after taking the drug the user will experience a rush of euphoria. Drugs derived from opium bind to opiate receptors found throughout the central nervous system which cause the release of endorphins, the bodies natural opiates.
Opiates are hard for a person to stop using because of their strong addictive nature and also because of their terrible withdrawal symptoms. If a person does not check themselves into an addiction treatment center in order to try to kick the habit, chances are good that they are not going to be able to stop using the drugs on their own. Opiates are so named because they are constituents or derivatives of opium , which is processed from the latex sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum . The major biologically active opiates found in opium are morphine , codeine , thebaine and papaverine . Opiates are powerfully addictive analgesic drugs that deaden nerve pathways related to pain. Abusers of propoxyphene (Darvon), meperidine (Demerol), percocet (Oxycodone), heroin, morphine, and other powerfully addictive opiates quickly build up a tolerance to the drugs and need progressively larger doses to achieve the desired effect.
Opiates are derived from opium poppies. These include morphine and codeine. Opiates are classed as depressants, although they won't necessarily make a user feel depressed. Depressants slow down activity in the brain and central nervous system. Opiates are effective for the treatment of chronic pain. Opiates are commonly referred to as "downers” although they tend to bring on sensations of euphoria, pleasure, and tranquility. Opiates can appear in many forms: white powder or crystals; small white, yellow or orange pills; large colorful capsules; clear liquid and dark brown, sticky bars or balls. Semi-synthetic opiates are created from natural opioids and include buprenorphine , hydrocodone , oxycodone , hydromorphone and oxymorphone. Natural opiates are contained in the resin of the opium poppy plant and include morphine and codeine.
Addiction to opiates is as old as opiates themselves and is a chronic illness like heart disease, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Persons with these chronic diseases are prone to relapse. Addiction doesn't always occur among people who use opiate pain relievers, however, inappropriate use of prescription drugs can lead to addiction in some cases. Patients, healthcare professionals, and pharmacists all have roles in preventing misuse and addiction. Along with the frightening short-term effects of some opiates, addiction can lead you to forgo everything else in your life (food, clothing, housing, medical care) so you can afford to take opiates as often as possible.
Before modern times the most common and widely used form of opiate was opium. Opium has amazing narcotic properties and has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. It was a popular pain-reliever for the ancient Macedonaians who named the drug. Opium was used as a narcotic by Hippocrates, introduced to Persia and India by Alexander the Great, and used as painkillers by Paracelsus during the Renaissance. Alexander Wood, first administered it by injection with a syringe.
Morphine was introduced in the late 19th century as a pain reliever for sufferers of chronic pain. Morphine usually comes as a pink liquid or tablets. Percocet and percodan come as tablets, drops or liquid. Morphine does not consistently reduce the neuropathic pain. Morphine is the primary constituent of crude opium. Morphine is used medicinally in the United Sates to alleviate moderate to severe pain and can be obtained by prescription from a doctor.
Heroin was first prepared from morphine by boiling it with acetic anhydride, and then using a process that involved hydrochloric acid, strychnine, and caffeine. Heroin and the most dangerous and highly addictive form of opiate and is a Schedule I drug in the US with no known medical application.
Showing posts with label Opiates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opiates. Show all posts
Understanding The Underlying Causes Of Opiate Addiction
People in AA will often say that it isn't the alcohol that is the problem; it is the 'ism' that causes the damage. Such is the case with opiates as well—the opiate is not the issue, but rather it is the obsession with opiates that causes the misery and despair. For example, ibuprofen and acetaminophen (found in vicodin and vicoprofen) can cause liver damage and even failure if high enough doses are consumed. In their purest form and in no combination with other drugs, the majority of opioids are actually benign in the body, the only risk associated w/ their use is dependency and withdrawal. But some opiods, including heroin, morphine, and opium are far from safe and can cause full blown addiction. Prolonged usage can cause physical damage to the body, although not necessarily from the drug itself. Repeated injections with dirty needles can result in diseases such as Hepatitis, AIDS and Tetanus, especially when sharing needles.
Due to their pain relieving properties, opioids are the most often prescribed type of prescription drugs. Some of the medications that are opiates include drugs like morphine and codeine. There are close to a million chronic opioid addicts in the United States and less than 25 percent of them seek treatment. Those who do seek care have relatively poor outcomes in traditional abstinence-based treatment programs . In the brain, heroin is converted to morphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors. Abusers typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation, a "rush." The intensity of the rush is a function of how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the natural opioid receptors.
Two of the most commonly known opioid analogs are fentanyl and meperidine (marketed under the brand name Demerol). In addition to relieving pain, opioid drugs can affect regions of the brain that mediate what we perceive as pleasure, resulting in the initial euphoria that many opioids produce. They can also produce drowsiness, cause constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, depress breathing.
Not long ago, opiate dependency was viewed as a condition with no solution . Patients with opiate physical dependency were considered to have inherited an addictive personality or psychological disorder or to have suffered with a dysfunctional family life. Opiate addiction is a serious condition, but it is one that can be treated. Like all drug addictions, opiate is a medical condition attacking the nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. One possible reason for how the addiction starts is the inaccessibility of this drug in its cheaper, generic form in anything smaller than 80 milligrams.
Due to their pain relieving properties, opioids are the most often prescribed type of prescription drugs. Some of the medications that are opiates include drugs like morphine and codeine. There are close to a million chronic opioid addicts in the United States and less than 25 percent of them seek treatment. Those who do seek care have relatively poor outcomes in traditional abstinence-based treatment programs . In the brain, heroin is converted to morphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors. Abusers typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation, a "rush." The intensity of the rush is a function of how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the natural opioid receptors.
Two of the most commonly known opioid analogs are fentanyl and meperidine (marketed under the brand name Demerol). In addition to relieving pain, opioid drugs can affect regions of the brain that mediate what we perceive as pleasure, resulting in the initial euphoria that many opioids produce. They can also produce drowsiness, cause constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, depress breathing.
Not long ago, opiate dependency was viewed as a condition with no solution . Patients with opiate physical dependency were considered to have inherited an addictive personality or psychological disorder or to have suffered with a dysfunctional family life. Opiate addiction is a serious condition, but it is one that can be treated. Like all drug addictions, opiate is a medical condition attacking the nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. One possible reason for how the addiction starts is the inaccessibility of this drug in its cheaper, generic form in anything smaller than 80 milligrams.
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