What kind of drugs are opiates?
Opiates are a family of drugs derived from the poppy flower. Morphine is extracted from the poppy. However, over the last several decades, man has synthesized a variety of opioid drugs from morphine that have somewhat different properties with regard to potency and half-life (amount of time active in the body). All of these drugs are active on the opiate receptors that are present in nerve cells throughout the central nervous system. The main subtype of receptor responsible for the addictive properties of opiates is the mu receptor.
What are some of the names of drugs that are opiates?
Opiates include a variety of drugs. The most well known is heroin (diacetylmorphine) which is a particularly lipid soluble form of morphine which quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier to produce a rapid effect. Other well known opiates are codeine, oxycodone (brand names Oxycontin, Percocet), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone (Vicodin), fentanyl (Duragesic), meperidine (Demerol), buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone) and methadone.
Why are these drugs addictive?
All opiates cross the blood brain barrier and effect opiate receptors. When these receptors are stimulated, they not only produce analgesia but also produce euphoria when highly activated. This euphoria activates brain reward centers that make the brain say "I need some more of that". These pathways are also used in to re-enforce normal behavior such as eating, social interaction, exercise, and sex. However, opiates bypass normal regulation and can lead to problems. Eventually, the addicted individual can become a slave to the brains desire for these drugs.
How addictive are opiates?
The addictive power of a drug is measured in research by capture rate. The capture rate is the percent first time users that eventually become dependent on the drug. Opiate drugs have the highest capture rates of any drug known to man. Heroin's capture rate is nearly 29%.
What is the prevalence of heroin addiction?
About 1 million Americans are addicted to heroin. This does not include Americans addicted to other opioid drugs
Are prescription opiates such as Percocet and Oxycontin safer then heroin?
Intravenous heroin probably has the highest potential for abuse because of it's rapid onset of action. It is a schedule I item as per the Drug Enforcement Agency and has no approved medical use. However, all opioids have a high potential for abuse. In my practice, Percocet and Oxycontin which are both forms of oxycodone are probably the drugs that patient's have the most problems with besides heroin.
How do I know if I'm physically addicted to opiates?
Two of the best markers of physical dependence are tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance occurs when an individual has to take larger amounts of a substance to get the same effect. Withdrawal occurs when a patient who regularly uses a substance has signs and symptoms opposite the drugs action when they have been without it for sometime.
What are some of the psychological signs of opiate addiction?
The two primary signs of psychological addiction are compulsive use and loss of control over use. A patient who is addicted cannot stop using and uses more then they intend to over a given period of time.
Are there effective treatments for opiate dependence?
Yes. There are highly effective treatments for opiate dependence. Treatments for substance dependence are just as good as for treatments for any other chronic medical disorder such as diabetes or heart disease. Most substance treatment programs rely on a combination of psychological and biological treatments. Psychological treatments include individual substance counseling, group substance counseling, AA/NA, relapse prevention, and motivational interviewing. Biological treatments include naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone.
What is the difference between methadone and buprenorphine?
Methadone and buprenorphine (brand name Suboxone) are both opioid agonist approved by the FDA for treatment of opiate dependence. Methadone is only available in registered methadone maintenance treatment clinics regulated by federal and state governments. Treatment usually involves nearly daily reporting to clinics to pick up the day's dose of methadone. Buprenorphine is available through doctors specially trained and licensed by the DEA. It it can be obtained in the privacy of a physician's office and regulations about it's use are much less strict then for methadone. This allows for greater treatment flexibility for the physician and patient.

Learn how to overcome addiction by consulting with medical experts in the field.