Opioids can cause respiratory depression that can progress to death and this can occur in multiple ways. First, opioids are known to act directly on the medulla and pons, which are critical areas for respiration specifically involved in rhythm generation (Pattison, 2008). Additionally, Opioids effect in the brainstem appears to be linked to their ability to interfere with chemoreception in key respiratory areas (medulla and pons) (Pattison, 2008). For example, there is strong evidence that Opioids block the transmissions between the carotid bodies and the solitary nucleus in the brainstem thus causing slow and irregular rhythms leading to both hypoxia (decreased O2 in the blood) and hypercapnia (increased Co2 in the blood)…
The drug I will be focusing on today is Fentanyl. This drug is mostly used to help with sever pain but is at high risk to get addicted to. Some side effects that this includes are periods of not breathing, hallucinations, and confusion. These side effects are only a few of a giant list. 20,100 people die a year from drug overdose.…
Opiates affect the part of the brain that is responsible for breathing. Opiate overdoses are easily spotted. Some distinguishable signs are a change in breathing, severe sleepiness, dilated pupils, a blue skin tone, from poor circulation, and unresponsiveness (“Recognizing”). It is classified as an opiate antagonist and it works by blocking dangerous and life threating symptoms from high levels of opiates in your blood stream (Naloxone Injection). Narcan can be injected and is now sold in the form of a nasal spray.…
As an addict, you gave control of your life to opioids. However, there is often a reluctance to give control of your treatment to your healthcare providers. Humility is the word to ponder. The more you insist on controlling the recovery process, the less likely for a positive outcome.…
Hello Professor and class. This is an intense case study! However, I believe that Will's request to reprogram the morphine machine was his way of expressing his ending battle to cancer and overall health at the time. I admire and respect his strength, even when he felt he was loosing control. We as outsiders, don't realize how difficult it is for the patient to even fathom the thought of making medical decisions for themselves, under the circumstances.…
Opium was mainly promoted in America as a cure for alcoholism. One of the first drugs to be derived from opium was morphine. Morphine was developed as a painkiller, it was considered a wonder drug because it eliminated severe pain associated with medical operations and traumatic injuries. During the civil war, tens of thousands of Northern and Confederate soldiers became opioid addicts because of morphine. In 1874, the so-called answer for morphine addiction was found.…
When Danielle Spisak was left unresponsive in May 2013, at the Tri-point Medical Center in Concord from a heroin overdose, her acquaintance failed to call 911 before fleeing the scene. That day Mrs. Spisak was pronounced dead. As these heroin related deaths continue to rise this is becoming a concern for failing to seek medical attention at the scene of an overdose. Spisak, 22, a resident of Concord was at her acquaintances home when she was lethally injected with heroin.…
After a while of taking opioids, the user becomes more independent on the opioids and take them for a minor headache. For one exhibit of this an anonymous player states “I have to take Vicodin just to get out of bed” …” So do most other former players I know” The reason behind how he had to take Vicodin just to get out of bed is quite simple, addiction, rush, the crave that takes control over you when you use these drugs. Some of these drugs include Alka, Aspro, non branded products combined with paracetamol and caffeine, toradol, and the most common drug…
If you take prescription opioids, you may have experienced withdrawal symptoms at some point—perhaps when you forgot to take a scheduled dose of medication. Opioid withdrawal is highly unpleasant, and for some people it feels intolerable. Symptoms: Anxiety, pain, shakiness, nausea, achiness. If you experience withdrawal symptoms, this does not meant that you cannot get off opioids, rather that your opioid level was dropped too quickly and your body was surprised by the lack of medication. The key is to work with your body to successfully taper your opioids—by making small changes slowly over time.…
In 1898 heroin hit the shelves as a non-addictive substitute for morphine in was a huge fail ("Drug Dependence"...n.pag.). The dangerous and highly addictive drug being sold to day and causing just as much problems as its creator Opioid. Opioid has different reactions with different people under different circumstances ("Drug Dependence"...n.pag.). The Symptoms of opioid abuse are similar to other drug abuse situations…
Opiates are alkaloid compounds naturally found in the opium poppy plant, which include; morphine, codeine, and thebaine. They are the most widely prescribed drug in the United States. Opioids reduce pain by switching off pain receptors in the brain. “Opioid medications bind to the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions, driving up levels of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain's reward areas and producing an intense feeling of euphoria. When the brain becomes used to the feelings it often takes more and more of the drug to produce the same levels of pain relief and wellbeing, leading to dependence and addiction.”…
Opioids have been used in pharmaceutical drugs as a painkiller. Opioids are in medications like morphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone, which have been praised for their effectiveness for patients suffering extreme pain However, there have been downsides to using opioids in drugs. The use of opioids has lead to addictions and to deaths in the United States. After people take opioids as a painkiller, they can become addicted to the drug. This addiction they get can lead them deeper into addiction or even death.…
When someone goes to the doctor because they are in pain doctors give them opioids also called opiates and narcotics which is a type of pain medication. People that take opioids for a long period of time become dependent on them or addicted and in the long run not good for people due to their side effects. Also, the risk of overdose higher with opioids. There need to be stricter regulations for doctors being able to prescribe these kinds of drugs long term due to that many patients that are prescribed these drugs should not be taking them because the abuse them. People can become not necessarily addicted to opioids but rather dependent on them.…
Heroin Some people carry addictions as if it were a secret. They wouldn’t look like your typical drug addict. They were clean, took care of their kids, and lived life as if it were normal. That’s what Beth’s story was like. She was was your typical mom with beautiful children and a normal life.…
“Cannabis is an extremely safe and effective medication for patients with chronic pain” (Webb NCBI.nih.org) per the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Results showed that after the study, THC rich cannabis was “relatively non-addicting in contrast to opioids” (Webb NCBI.nih.org). A medication like morphine that is prescribed to relieve pain can lead to addiction and terrible side effects on the body. Marijuana has the ability to relieve pain in its natural form whereas opium needs to be processed through several chemical reactions to mimic the…