Opiates Addiction and Abuse

Opiates Info

• Opiates Addiction and Abuse
• Opiates Symptoms and Warning Signs
• Opiates Treatment and Rehab
• Opiates Withdrawal and Detox

What are Opiates?

There are a wide variety of drugs that are classified as opiates. These include illegal drugs such as heroin and opium, and prescription drugs like codeine, fentanyl, and morphine.

The terms‘opiate’and ‘opioid’ are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Opiates are drugs that are naturally derived from the opium poppy and possess its active narcotic components. Opioids, on the other hand, include drugs that are naturally derived, as well as synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs, that simulate the effects of the active components of the opium poppy.

Uses of Opiates

Opiates are generally prescribed for the treatment and management of mild to severe pain, especially pain that is a result of serious injury, surgery, or for some other source of chronic pain. Opiates can also be prescribed to individuals with terminal cancer or another type of terminal illness.

While opiates may be extremely useful for clinical purposes, the drug has the downside of being extremely addictive. Opiates have such a high potential of abuse and addiction that, even if using the drug strictly according to prescription, physical dependence and addiction may still occur. Commonly prescribed opiates include methadone, morphine, and codeine.

On the other hand, illegal street opiates that are commonly abused include heroin and opium. Prescription opiates are typically administered orally in pill form, while heroin (an illicit opiate) is typically administered intravenously, or by snorting or smoking it.

Why are Opiates Addictive?

Opiates have a high potential for abuse and are extremely addictive. When you consume an opiate, the drug goes into your bloodstream, where it floods your body with unnaturally high levels of endorphins and dopamine. This sudden increase in dopamine and endorphins results in you experiencing a rush of pleasure, euphoria, and other pleasant sensations.

While endorphins are typically naturally occurring in the human body, the sensation of using opiates is significantly different and more intense than what can be obtained from a natural rush of endorphins. The feeling of pleasure from using opiates is what causes people to abuse the drug recreationally and continue abusing it to experience its pleasurable effects.

Continuous use or abuse of opiate over an extended period will lead to your body stopping its own natural production of dopamine and endorphins. This will result in your body becoming dependent on the drug to produce these hormones. The result of this is a dependence on opiates to experience feelings of pleasure. That is, without using drugs, a dependent individual will be unable to manufacture dopamine and endorphins and will thus be unable to experience pleasure. This is referred to as Anhedonia.

Psychological dependence may also follow, which is characterized by mental cravings for opiates that takes precedence over everything else in your life.

Signs and Symptoms of Opiate Abuse

Symptoms of opiate abuse can be physical or psychological in nature.

Physical signs

Psychological or behavioural symptoms

Most Commonly Abused Opiates

Below is a comprehensive list of commonly abused opiates.

Tramadol

Tramadol is a painkiller and opioid analgesic typically prescribed for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain. Its use is generally considered to be safer than administration of narcotic analgesics like hydrocodone and methadone for pain relief. Nonetheless, Tramadol has a high potential for abuse and is commonly abused for its pleasurable effects.

In high doses, Tramadol can produce euphoric and mood-enhancing effects. But continuous abuse in high doses places you at the risk of seizures and convulsions.

Demerol

Demerol is a type of morphine that is used to treat acute episodes of moderate to severe pain. The drug can be referred to as a narcotic analgesic, as it causes a variety of actions that affect both the body and brain. Demerol’s therapeutic value as a sedative and analgesic is only visible when used in appropriate doses. If abused, the effects of Demerol are dangerous and can easily lead to:

Because of its potency, and because it’s a type of morphine, Demerol is not meant to be used long term. For safety’s sake, the drug should not be used for more than 12 weeks. People who abuse Demerol recreationally consume the drug by chewing, snorting, crushing, or dissolving and injecting it. Regardless of how Demerol is consumed, its potential for addiction is high.

Hydrocodone (Vicodin)

Vicodin is a very commonly abused opiate. Hydrocodone medication is the most popularly prescribed drug in the US. The drug is an opioid and can be classified as a narcotic analgesic. As an opioid, Hydrocodone interferes with pain signals in the brain and leads to a change in the emotional reaction and the brain’s perception of pain.

Hydrocodone is commonly prescribed as a pain reliever and can be found being marketed under the popular brand name Vicodin (a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen). Due to its potency, Hydrocodone is a habit-forming drug. Even if used according to prescription, the risk of developing a dependence on Hydrocodone is still high.

A number of people addicted to Hydrocodone started out using the drug as a treatment for managing pain and, along the way, became addicted to its euphoric effects. Use of the drug over a period of time will eventually lead to tolerance. Increased tolerance implies your body will require higher doses of the drug to feel the desired effects.

Opiate Patches

Opiate patches are for the treatment of severe pain, especially for individuals receiving around the clock opioid pain treatment. The opiate patch alters the way the brain feels and responds to pain. The content of the patch is absorbed directly through the skin, where it builds up before it’s released. The objective of an opiate patch is to release the drug slowly into your body.

There is a common misconception that abusing opiate patches is impossible because of the controlled manner in which the drug is released into the system. This isn’t true. For instance, opiate patches can be abused by changing the patch out more often than prescribed or wearing multiple patches at a time.

Codeine

Codeine is a legal drug with widespread medical usage. However, it is also a narcotic and is one of the most commonly abused opiates. Addiction to codeine is widespread and affects people of all races and ages.

As an opiate drug, codeine can be found in prescription-strength cough syrups.  It is typically prescribed for the treatment of pain and coughing. But it is also recreationally abused for the following effects:

The drug is highly addictive and its continued use, especially at high doses, can lead to dangerous side effects as well as withdrawal symptoms.

Oxycodone (OxyContin)

Oxycodone maybe a synthetic drug but its effects on the body are similar to those of other legal and illegal opioids. And just like these opiate and opioid drugs, oxycodone can induce a powerful high. This effect makes the drug a potential substance of abuse and its recreational abuse is becoming alarmingly commonplace.

The continued abuse of Oxycodone puts you at high risk of developing a tolerance and eventually dependence. The risk of dependence is high regardless of if you are using the drug according to prescription or not. Statistics have also shown that those addicted to Oxycodone are 40 times more likely to develop a heroin abuse problem.

Hydromorphone addiction can occur very quickly regardless of if the drug is being used according to prescription or not. For this reason, doctors are cautious in prescribing the medication and only administering it if the patient is already taking another opioid. When Hydromorphone is used to replace another opioid, it is being used as a pain management replacement. The drug is mostly prescribed to people with cancer or similar severe health conditions. After continuous use of Hydromorphone, tolerance can develop in as little as two weeks. Once tolerance occurs, physical dependence is just a step away.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a narcotic that is similar to heroin in how it affects the human body. It can be described as a potent opioid narcotic typically prescribed for the treatment of severe chronic pain. The drug is commonly abused because of its ability to induce intense pleasure when ingested or injected. Fentanyl has a high risk of abuse and can easily result in addiction if abused continuously over a short period. Once addiction occurs, you will need professional help to wean you off the drug and help you recover.

Fentanyl is legally available in injectable and oral forms, as well as a transdermal patch. Doctors prescribe Fentanyl only if a patient’s pain cannot be managed with a less potent medication. While Fentanyl is accessible legally only through prescription, accessing it illegally on the streets for recreational purposes is widespread.

Methadone

Methadone is an approved drug for the treatment of opioid addiction and dependence. However, the medication can only help with overcoming an addiction if its use is adequately monitored and the drug is used precisely according to prescription. This is because methadone itself holds its potential for abuse and addiction. The likelihood of developing a methadone addiction is increased if the drug is used in combination with other opioids, benzodiazepines or alcohol, or if the drug is being abused recreationally.

Heroin

Heroin is illegal and highly addictive. The drug is derived from the opium of the poppy plant which can be refined into morphine, and further refined into heroin. Abusing heroin can, in the short term, result in pleasurable sensations, a warm and calm feeling, and an increased sense of confidence and well-being.

Heroin can be found on the street in some forms, such as a brown or white powder, solid black chunks, or a black sticky substance. Depending on its form, heroin can be injected, smoked, or snorted. Regardless of how it is used, heroin has a high abuse and addiction potential. The potential to overdose is also high, as the potency of each batch is unregulated.

Opiate Abuse Treatment

Opiate abuse and addiction is an illness that should not be left untreated. However, there is no one size fits all approach to treating the opiate dependence of all addicts. Instead, addiction treatment will depend on the unique circumstances of your addiction and how you have been abusing the substance of abuse (frequency, dose, and if drugs were being combined). Generally, opiate addiction treatment will consist of detoxification, rehabilitation, counselling, recovery support, and pharmacological therapies (if necessary).

The addiction recovery care you need can be provided either through inpatient or outpatient programmes – it all depends on the severity of your addiction and your unique circumstances.

For instance, outpatient treatment will be sufficient if your opiate addiction isn’t severe and does not require round the clock care. Inpatient treatment, on the other hand, is better if your dependence is severe and you are experiencing intense withdrawal symptoms. This is because an inpatient facility provides around the clock nursing care, as well as a safe and conducive environment for recovery.

If you or a loved one have been abusing opiates, get help today by visiting a rehab centre, or call a confidential helpline for professional guidance on what your options are for treatment.

FAQ

External Links List

• https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/29/health/opioid-addiction-rates-increase-500/index.html
• https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/a-crisis-hidden-in-plain-sight-prescription-opioid-misuse-in-the-uk/20203928.article
• https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WDR-2012.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/t0701-opioid-painkiller.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/prescriptionpainkilleroverdoses/
• https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/what-are-opioids
• https://www.drugabuse.gov/trends-statistics/monitoring-future/monitoring-future-study-trends-in-prevalence-various-drugs

List of Opiates Addiction

• Codeine Addiction and Abuse
• Demerol Addiction and Abuse
• Dilaudid Addiction and Abuse
• Fentanyl Addiction and Abuse
• Hydrocodone Addiction and Abuse
• Vicodin Addiction and Abuse
• Hydromorphone Addiction and Abuse
• Methadone Addiction and Abuse
• Morphine Addiction and Abuse
• Norco Addiction and Abuse
• Opirate-patches-butrans-patches Addiction
• Oxycodone Addiction and Abuse
• Oxycontin Addiction and Abuse
• Percocet Addiction and Abuse
• Tramadol Addiction and Abuse
• Vicodin Addiction and Abuse