Search:

Long And Short Term Effects Of Opiates

By: Chris Channing Known for centuries as some of the most powerful painkillers, opiates are narcotic drugs made from the poppy plant P. somniferum. Manmade synthetic opiates, called opioids, are made to be used in prescription painkillers such as fentanyl. Opiates are body numbing analgesics that are extremely effective in the relief of pain. In addition to their painkilling abilities, opiates are some of the most addictive substances on the planet and risk for abuse is present with every form of opiate. When withdrawal from opiates occurs, it is known to be one of the most agonizing drug withdrawals, and in the case of powerful opiates such as heroin, it is possible to die from withdrawal symptoms.

Short-Term Side Effects Resulting from Opiate Use

After taking an opiate, a sense of euphoria often enters the mind of the user. When opiates are injected directly into the bloodstream, the high can be felt within seconds. It is not uncommon for a heroin user to vomit after using the drug due to the sudden rush felt. While under the influence, opiate users are usually not very receptive to the world around them and completely pain free.

Due to the potent addictive nature of opiates and the harshness of withdrawing, opiate users will spend a good deal of their time chasing the next fix in order to avoid withdrawal. The fact that withdrawal is so uncomfortable coupled with a very quick buildup of a tolerance to opiates makes them some of the most dangerous drugs in the world to abuse recreationally.

Withdrawal Effects Associated With Opiate Abuse

In a mere four to six hours after last using a narcotic, withdrawal symptoms begin to make themselves felt in the form of uneasiness and general discomfort. After a short while longer without drugs, more severe withdrawal symptoms can begin to manifest. Muscles and joints will cramp and ache; nausea will take hold of the addict and end in vomiting. As the withdrawal continues, a user may develop a case of painful constipation or in other cases, diarrhea. Body temperature fluctuates, taking shape in cycles of hot and cold flashes. After a mere twelve hours without opiates, withdrawal can reach a breaking point and potentially lead to death.

Withdrawal from opiates may continue for up to three, even four days. After the first 72 hours withdrawal symptoms will reach a devastating peak. Users often gag and vomit uncontrollably and may lose up to twenty pounds over the course of the withdrawal. Body temperature will often rise, and involuntary twitching of the muscles, especially in the legs will occur. The term "kicking the habit" has its roots in opiate withdrawal symptoms.

Although opiates have value in the medical world as powerful narcotic painkillers, abuse of prescription drugs similar in chemical structure to opiates such as heroin has caused alarm in recent years, especially with the introduction of oxycontin. Efforts have been made in the pharmaceutical practice to remove the addictive qualities of opiates, but little if any progress has been made so far. One other cause for alarm is heroin which has been cut with synthetic opiates such as those found in various prescription drugs. Heroin cut with synthetic opiates is often so powerful that users overdose and die after on injection. Overdoses from opiates are often characterized by shallow breathing, clammy skin, and coma leading to death. It is better to be safe than sorry with opiates, even prescriptions, and to never abuse them under any circumstances as the risk of addiction and overdose far outweighs the high that opiates can provide.