PAINKILLERS THAT HURT

Opiates are the continuing focus of this week’s Recovery Place blog series on addiction education.

"They said prescription painkillers were totally safe...
They Lied!"

With roots in medicine, opiates were created to help people suffering from pain and other physical conditions.  Unfortunately, the potential for physical and psychological dependence and addiction were unexpected. 


All opiates are derived either directly or indirectly from the opium poppy and its various parts.   

Over 1.7 million people were
addicted to painkillers in 2007

Opiates affect the central nervous system of the body.  In addition to relieving pain and reducing severe coughs, they cause the user to feel a sense of euphoria (a high or rush) and reduce alertness.  These side-effects of euphoria and the dulling of sensations are why some people begin misusing drugs such as codeine, morphine, Percocet, hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and other opiate drugs. 

Codeine, morphine, Percocet and Dilaudid are common opiate medications that all have a high potential for dependence and addiction.  

This potential for addiction also means that the body and brain become used to having the drug, regardless of whether a person is using the opiate to achieve the euphoric effects or for legitimate pain control.  And this means the body will experience withdrawal symptoms when the drug is abruptly stopped after an extended period of legitimate use or misuse. 

Many people who are addicted to opiates crush the tablets and smoke, snort or inject them, in order to hasten or intensify the effects of the drug.  They may need more of the opiate to get the same effect.

Morphine is one of many kinds of drugs (including medications for not only pain, but also high blood pressure, chronic heartburn, seasonal allergies and many other medical conditions) that are now available in a timed-release form.

This was great news in the pharmaceutical world, because it meant that the drug could be effectively released over time, and keeps the level of the drug in the blood consistent.  Timed-release versions of painkillers meant that cancer patients, and other patients with chronic pain, no longer had peaks and valleys in their pain control.

Oxycontin is a time release version of oxycodone, and MSContin is a time release version of morphine.  Both have huge value as a street drug and are highly addictive.  A time release version of codeine is available in Canada, and it, too, has moved from being a medical wonder to a street drug.

Why are time released drugs so valued by addicts?

By crushing an MSContin or Oxycontin tablet an addict can obtain a higher amount of drug than can be found in a single non-time release pill.  This crushed time release tablet can be taken by mouth, snorted, or injected into a vein when mixed with a solution. Using time released drugs in this way also means that a person can overdose and die.

Many opiates are combined with acetaminophen (Tylenol) in order to potentiate their effects.  This means make them work better for pain control.  Percocet, Tylenol #3 (codeine plus Tylenol), and Vicodin are examples of this acetaminophen/opiate combination drugs.  Taking large amounts of acetaminophen, whether alone or in combination with another drug, can actually damage or destroy a liver.

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KNOWING YOUR ENEMY

Regional drug and alcohol addiction issues were the focus of The Recovery Place blog in January.  This month we want to take an look at some specific drugs and substances that are abused and can lead to addiction.

Humans are sadly creative in their ability to find substances to misuse and abuse.  Often these substances were originally created with a “do no harm” philosophy, but to some addicts and their families “do harm” is more the catch-phrase. 

In our February blog series we’ll take a closer look at various classes of drugs that have addictive qualities, such as opiates (painkillers), benzodiazepines (sedatives or tranquilizers), alcohol and stimulants.  

Understanding what is out there can help us educate ourselves and others about the potential dangers in commonly prescribed medications, as well as the absolute danger of street-based drugs.  Education is an important way that we can battle the enemy of addiction in this generation and the next.  This knowledge is important for all of us. 

Opiate Addiction Rehab Admissions on the Rise 

Opiates are drugs that are made directly or indirectly from parts of the opium poppy.  

Opiates were originally used (and still are) to treat pain and suppress some kinds of coughs.  Along with these medicinal properties, a feeling of euphoria (or “high”) and sedation is also experienced.  

People began to misuse opiates for the euphoric physical effects that they experienced, and it was soon apparent that opiates were also physically addictive. 

Addiction to prescription painkillers is on the rise in the United States. 

Oxycodone (the generic name for Oxycontin and Roxycodone) and hydrocodone (trade names include Vicodin and Lortab) are commonly prescribed opiate painkillers that are now in great demand as street drugs.  

Even patients using oxycodone or hydrocodone for legitimate medical conditions may become physically dependent on these drugs, and it is important that their prescribing physicians monitor them closely. 

Oxycodone, an opiate painkiller that is available in a timed-release form, was introduced in the United States in 1996.  It made a huge difference in the lives of cancer patients dealing with extreme pain, by keeping a steady level of pain medicine in the blood. 

Unfortunately, addicts soon found that by crushing timed-release painkillers they could get a higher immediate dose of the drug, sometimes a fatal dose. 

Heroin, also an opiate, is one of the most addictive of all recreational drugs.  Although originally created as a non-addictive alternative to codeine for the control of coughs (this is a bit hard to imagine with all that we know about heroin now!), it was banned in the United States in the 1920s because of its extremely addictive nature. 

Another side effect of opiates is their effect on the respiratory system of the body.  The body does not perceive the need to take breaths as readily, and fatal overdoses from not getting enough oxygen are one of the most common causes of death among heroin addicts. 

Heroin withdrawal is difficult and can be extremely uncomfortable.  Medical detox is an addict’s best chance of withdrawing from heroin (and other opiates) in a more controlled way and supportive way.

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