Narcotics And Opoid Drugs

Introduction

Over the past decade, doctors have focused new energy on managing their patients' pain, and sales of prescription painkillers have tripled since 1996. For most people, these drugs are a blessing. For some, they're a nightmare. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to predict who will end up abusing or even becoming addicted to narcotic painkillers. Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh -- back on the job Monday after more than a month in rehab -- and rock singer Courtney Love would appear to have little in common except their celebrity and their recently reported problems with the prescription painkiller OxyContin.

An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

The analgesic effects of opioids are due to decreased perception of pain, decreased reaction to pain as well as increased pain tolerance. The side effects of opioids include sedation, respiratory depression, and constipation. Opioids can cause cough suppression, which can be both an indication for opioid administration or an unintended side effect. Physical dependence can develop with ongoing administration of opioids, leading to a withdrawal syndrome with abrupt discontinuation. Opioids can produce a feeling of euphoria, and this effect, coupled with physical dependence, can lead to recreational use of opioids by many individuals.( Judith 25)

Although the term opiate is often used as a synonym for opioid, the term is more properly limited to the natural alkaloids found in the resin of the opium poppy and, more loosely, the semi-synthetic opioids derived from them.

Discussion

Addiction is difficult for many doctors, let alone patients, to understand. It's not the same as physical dependence, which can occur as soon as anyone begins taking a narcotic painkiller. Whenever you have opioid therapy, dependence is associated with that, whether you like it or not,. That's the property of this medication. But dependence usually is not a significant issue. Forget about what you've seen in the movies. Most people going through withdrawal from a narcotic painkiller aren't writhing in agony. (Li, 45-56) They may feel discomfort, which can be minimized by tapering off the drug instead of stopping it abruptly.There are a number of broad classes of opioids:

Natural opiates: alkaloids contained in the resin of the opium poppy, primarily morphine, codeine, and thebaine, but not papaverine and noscapine which have a different mechanism of action; The following could be considered natural opiates: The leaves from Mitragyna Speciosa (also known as Kratom) contain a few naturally-occurring opioids, active via Mu- and Delta receptors. Salvinorin A, found naturally in the Salvia Divinorum plant, is a Kappa-Opioid Agonist.

Semi-synthetic opioids: created from the natural opiates, such as hydromorphone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, desomorphine, diacetylmorphine (heroin), nicomorphine, dipropanoylmorphine, benzylmorphine and ethylmorphine and buprenorphine;

Fully synthetic opioids: such as fentanyl, pethidine, methadone, tramadol and dextropropoxyphene;

Endogenous opioid peptides, produced naturally in the body, such as endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins, and endomorphins.

Addiction is totally different, ...