Opioids: effects and facts

Opioids encompass different substances, such as heroin or morphine, but they all have the same method of action. Prescription opioids, which have more or less the same method of action as natural opiates, include drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl. With prolonged use, the user becomes both increasingly tolerant to the substance, as well as dependent on it, requiring increased dosage and suffering a barrage of negative symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation (opioid withdrawal symptoms). The deaths caused by opioid overdose, especially from prescription drugs and heroin, have reached epidemic levels all over the world.

Opioids include all substances producing a morphine-like effect. One can differentiate between natural opium derivates and synthetic drugs.

Short term effects of opioids/opiates intake:

Feeling of euphoria
Pain relief
Drowsiness
Sedation

Opioids/opiates side effects:

Lethargy
Paranoia
Respiratory depression
Nausea
Pinprick or pinpoint pupils

Facts about opioids/opiates:

1. The risk of crossing the thin line between capitalizing on the analgesic effects of opiates/opioids, and becoming addicted, is very high;
2. The medical use of opiates includes pain relief (acute pain after surgery, injury or trauma, cancer pain, pain arising from disease), anesthesia, cough suppression, diarrhea suppression, de-addiction (in the case of heroin, for example);
3. Mixing opioids or opiates with alcohol is highly dangerous (increased risk of adverse events and overdose);
4. Opiates can be addictive, even as a prescribed drug;
5. Opiates/opioids use can be lethal, irrespective of a person’s history of use;
6. Fentanyl, a new synthetic opioid painkiller, is one of the most dangerous substances at the moment, being 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is also tasteless and odorless, making it hard to recognize.
7. High doses of opioids, especially potent opioids such as fentanyl, can cause respiratory depression, which can be fatal;
8. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous especially when taken in combination with other drugs, e.g. if the consumers are not aware that those drugs are cut with this substance. Most cases of this kind are lethal;
9. Even 2 mg of Fentanyl is a lethal dose;
10. Carfentanyl is an analog of the synthetic opioid analgesic fentanyl, and it is 10.000 more potent than morphine.

If the opiates are prescribed to treat pain only for a short time period, these are less likely to lead to an addiction. Problems often appear when the patients develop a tolerance for the drug and the initial prescribed doses does not have the initial effect. If you suspect that a friend/family member is using opioids without prescription or supplements to the prescribed doses, there are Opioids substance test that can confirm/contest the suspicion in order to offer in time the needed help.

Overdose death is preventable.