Opioid receptor

Zohydro is an opioid analgesic hydrocodone that no contains acetaminophen is a 12-h extended-release formulation. Its approval was against the FDA’s expert panel recommendation. Opioids have been widely used as treatment for non-cancer chronic pain. However, it may be some misunderstanding in the efficacy and safety of this drugs because of their potential misuse, abuse and addiction. In the early 90s opioids were widely used because their few adverse effects and low abuse potential,…

specific receptors in the brain called mu-opioid receptors (MORs). Our bodies contain naturally occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters that bind to these receptors throughout the brain and body to regulate pain, hormone release, and feelings of well-being. “When MORs are activated in the reward center of the brain, they stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, causing a sensation of pleasure. The consequences of activating opioid receptors with externally administered…

We can accept the null hypothesis that the administering of Naloxone reduces the behavior of play, which represents a specific inhibition of behavior. This can further be understood by when an opioid antagonist (Nalaxone) is administered to a rat it reduces social behavior (pins), but does not produce nonspecific inhibition of behavior (rears). Evidence is consisted with a study that was conducted by Vanderschuren, Niesink, and Van Ree that examined the significance of social play behavior in…

When people think of drug abuse in America they usually think of a heroin addict stabbing a needle into their arm, but Americans often tend to overlook the opioid epidemic’s place in suburban atmospheres. St. Louis County ranks nearly four times the national average for heroin related deaths in the country, and at the center of this is Kirkwood. From the outside Kirkwood looks to be the perfectly stereotypical suburban neighborhood. However, this is not necessarily true. Kirkwood High School has…

Memoir: Pill Head In the following memoir, Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict by Joshua Lyon, a twenty-seven year old gay journalist with an out-of-control addiction to opioids guiding the reader through his journey as an addict. The story starts with Lyon discussing how his addiction started in high school with drinking, marijuana and other drugs sprinkled in here and there, he discovers pills at eighteen and beings a love affair. While writing this memoir he weaves in stories of…

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, a synthetic drug called fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and many others. Opioids work by binding to the body’s opiate receptors; highly concentrated in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions. When opiate drugs bind to these receptors, they can drive up dopamine levels in the brain’s reward areas, producing a state of euphoria and…

(American Academy of Pain Medicine, 2016). Opioids are the primary treatment option for pain management in the U.S (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). In spite of this, the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids has led to a nationwide opioid epidemic;…

Opioids are psychoactive substances derived from the opium poppy, or their synthetic analogues. They are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic narcotic drugs used as painkiller such as morphine, meth or methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, hydromorphone and buprenorphine. They are legal only when prescribed. Opioid overdose (OOD) occurs by accident or on purpose. OOD depresses central nervous and respiratory systems leading to drowsiness, slow breathing, pinpoint pupils, bluish…

Opioids, such as heroin and morphine, are medications that relieve pain. They reduce the force that pain signals travel to the brain, and thus reduces the perception of pain and gives a calm euphoric feeling. When the drug enters the brain, it binds to molecules known as opioid receptors, which are located in the brain and the brain stem; the brain stem controls automatic functions such as respiration, arousal, and blood pressure. Opioids are frequently prescribed by doctors to provide people…

Introduction Addiction can be extremely difficult to overcome. Drugs can alter the chemical make up in one’s brain making it crave the drug. Sometimes an intervention is needed for an individual to get their life back on track. Addiction is not only hard on the addict, but difficult on the family as well. Interventions can help an individual realize how the addiction is affecting everyone in their lives and gives them the opportunity to go to rehab and get sober. Tiffany Tiffany is a…