Narcotic pain relievers provide relief and have important medical benefits. When they are used other than for their medical intent, they can have serious health consequences. They are often taken without medical supervision, in quantities other than prescribed and sometimes in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
Read more about Emergency Department Treatment of Nonmedical Narcotic Use
Withdrawal from any drug is painful and symptomatic. The withdrawal symptoms from opioid use – such as muscle pain, nausea and vomiting – can cause a serious condition known as opiate withdrawal syndrome. If unrecognized or untreated, a patient who suddenly stops taking an opiate can develop permanent heart and lung damage, central nervous system damage or even die. Physicians and family members who can recognize symptoms of opioid withdrawal may have better chances of delivering the right kind of help, at the right time, to prevent long-term health consequences.
An opioid is a chemical that binds to opioid receptors, located in the brain and spinal cord and the gastrointestinal tract. Opioids produce natural painkillers, like endorphins, and can be derived from the poppy plant (opium) or manmade, such as codeine. Opioids are commonly abused and opioid addiction is now recognized as a treatable medical disorder of the central nervous system. Widely abused opioids are oxycodone, hydromorphone and hydrocodone, and pharmaceutical names include OxyContn, Vicodin, Percocet or Lortab.
When frequently exposed to certain chemicals, especially those found in illicit drugs like opiates, the body tries to maintain a sense of balance. When this balance is disrupted because the drug is removed, the symptoms of withdrawal occur. It’s difficult to clearly determine how many Americans are currently experiencing drug withdrawal, but the number may approach 4 million.
For many users, the opiates bring a sense of euphoria and have a tranquilizing effect. However, over time, people who abuse opiates will experience a stopping of endorphin production. This is caused by damage to the brain’s nerve cells. Eventually the user becomes dependent on the opiates to produce endorphins because the body can no longer carry out the task. Many patients feel unable to stop abusing the drug because of extreme cravings and its addictive nature.
Patients seeking treatment for opioid abuse may present similar symptoms as other mental disorders, making a clear diagnosis challeging. Withdrawal may seem like a bad case of influenza: sneezing, fatique, diarrhea or vomiting. Leg or abdominal cramps, chilling or goosebumps and pupil dilation may also be present. Though violent mood swings and anxiety may occur, unlike other drug withdrawal symptoms, hallucinations and seizures are not likely to occur.
Withdrawal length varies based upon type of opioid used. Heroin withdrawal may last up to ten days and peaks between 36 hours and three days. For methadones, withdrawal can last two weeks and peaks at around 72 to 96 hours. Patients recovering from opiate addiction may also be at higher risk for HIV or illnesses connected to AIDS, such as pneumonia.
Read more about Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome Recognized as Medical Disorder
It was established in 2008 that in the past year, approximately 282,000 people above the age of 12 were dependent on or abused heroin. Additionally, 1,716,000 people over the age of 12 were dependent on or abused pain relievers.
How long has it been since you’ve done a complete inventory of all the prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs you have in your home? Do you even know what you have? Some of those old containers of pills, solutions, drops and creams may be long past their expiration date. Chances are, however, you’ve got bigger problems lurking in your medicine cabinet. Without knowing it, you may be endangering yourself or others in your family. It’s time to be smart about prescription addiction. In this case, what you don’t know may very well kill you.
Read more about Be Smart About Prescription Addiction: What You Don’t Know May Kill You
Many people find it difficult to stop using opiates because the withdrawal symptoms can be very severe and usually begin within 4-12 hours of the last dose. But at Promises Treatment Centers, opiate-dependent clients are given Suboxone, medication that virtually stops all withdrawal symptoms, making the client significantly more comfortable during the detoxification process. David Sack, MD, Addiction Psychiatrist at Promises Treatment Centers, explains what Suboxone is and how Promises uses it to alleviate withdrawal symptoms for people who are addicted to opiates.
Read more about Suboxone: Safe, Comfortable Withdrawal from Opiates
A human rights group has commended upstate New York’s Tompkins jail for its effective treatment of inmates who are addicted to opiates. Human Rights Watch highlighted the jail’s buprenorphine program as an example of the sort of medication-assisted drug addiction treatment that all jails in the state should be providing.
Buprenorphine is a medication that virtually stops withdrawal symptoms from opiate drugs such as heroin, methadone, Vicodin, OxyContin, codeine, and morphine. Many people find it extremely difficult to recover from opiate addiction because the withdrawal symptoms are so severe, so buprenorphine ameliorates the process.
Read more about New York Prison Lauded for Opiate Addiction Treatment Program
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