Everything You Need to Know About Opioid Prescriptions

The United States is in the midst of an overdose epidemic involving opioids. Opioids are drugs typically prescribed by a doctor to treat pain. Some opioids are codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and more. Other opioids, such as heroin, are illegal and cannot be prescribed. Opioids are dangerous because they can be addictive, ruin relationships, and deadly when misused. Being prescribed an opioid may lead to having both a physical and a psychological reliance on the drug.  

Even though opioids can be legally prescribed, many find themselves becoming addicted to the medication. Most opioids can be taken by mouth. Fentanyl may come in a patch form absorbed through the skin. Heroin is injected with a needle into the skin. Opioids act in the nervous system to relieve pain and produce feelings of pleasure. Non-drug abusers may find themselves becoming addicted to their prescribed medication with no intention of becoming addicted. The reasoning for why some people are more likely to become addicted than others is still unknown.

Opioid addiction is exceptionally powerful and gives users a compulsive urge to use the drug when it is no longer medically advised. Users will prioritize obtaining these drugs over more important things in their lives. A patient taking the medication as advised may unknowingly expose the opioid and its dangers to family and friends around the household. Drug abusers often devote themselves to their lifestyle leading to conflicts with their personal or professional relationships with others. Users have a euphoric experience from drugs that cannot compete with most relationships. Users will often put less time and energy into a relationship which will negatively impact their social health. Social health heavily factors into one’s self care and happiness.

Each year more than two million Americans and more than fifteen million people worldwide are affected by the misuse of prescribed opioids. Opioids are responsible for more than half of fatal drug overdoses. In 2016, heroin was responsible for 13,000 deaths in the United States. During the same year, prescribed opioids were responsible for more than 200,000 deaths in the United States. The leading cause of death in the United States for adults under the age of fifty is now from drug overdoses. From 2015 to 2017, there was a drastic increase from 10,000 to 30,000 deaths from opioid overdoses and an increase from 50,000 to 70,000 deaths from all drug overdoses.  

The three main types of opioids are natural opiates, semi-synthetic opioids, and fully synthetic opioids. Natural opiates are alkaloids. Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing base chemical compounds that occur in plants. Opium poppy is a plant that contains alkaloids. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine are natural opiates.  Semi-synthetic opioids are created from natural opiates in a lab. Hydromorphone, hydrocodone, and oxycodone are semi-synthetic opioids. Heroin is also a semi-synthetic opioid and is made from morphine. Fully synthetic opioids are completely man made. Fentanyl, pethidine, levorphanol, methadone, tramadol, and dextropropoxyphene are fully synthetic opioids. 

In conclusion, patients have to be very cautious when taking an opioid as a prescribed medication. If someone becomes addicted, they will most likely experience withdrawal symptoms such as depression, seizures, hallucinations, sweating and more. Becoming sober and dealing with withdrawal symptoms can be understandably difficult. Rehabilitation centers are available to those who need assistance in becoming sober. In hopes of lowering the number of overdose deaths in the United States, the government is ensuring the right interventions are given to peopleaccording to their needs.  

"How Drug Addiction Hurts Relationships - Drugabuse.Com". Drugabuse.Com, 2018, https://drugabuse.com/library/addiction-hurts-relationships Quinones, Sam. Dreamland.

Reference, Genetics. "Opioid Addiction". Genetics Home Reference, 2018, https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/opioid-addiction 

"What Are Some Types Of Opioid (Narcotic) Pain Medications?". Webmd, 2018, https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/qa/what-are-some-types-of-opioid-narcotic-pain-medications