Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Are There Adverse Effects of Opioids?

Chemical substance that has morphine-like action in the body is an opioid. The main use is for the relief of pain. These agents work by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. The receptors for these organs will mediate the beneficial and the undesirable side effects. The four classes to narcotics are:



Endogenous peptides-these are produced naturally in the body
Opiates-processed morphine
Semi-synthetic opioids-hydromorphone & oxycodone
Fully-synthetic opioids-fentanyl & methadone


There are common adverse reactions by patients that take opioids for their pain relief they are nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, consitipation, and having a dry mouth. Adverse reactions in patients that take opioids that infrequently happen and are usually dose-related are respiratory depression, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, hypothermia, bradycardia (low heartrate), tachycardia (fast heartrate), dizziness, headache, urinary retention, and muscle rigidity. Some experience hyperalgesia, which is when a patient using opioids for pain relief may have more pain as a result of their medication.


Both therapeutic and chronic use of opioids can compromise the function of the immune system. Other concerns about opioids are tolerance, dependence, addiction, and abuse. The issuses can cause doctors and patients concerns and they are the most common reason for which inadequate use of analgesia for patients with chronic pain. Putting these issues into the context of analgesia is important.


Tolerance is the tendency of the body to adapt to the presence of opioids and is a common reaction to any chemical, including caffeine. The tendency of the body to make unpleasent withdrawal syndrome is dependence of opioids in which case opioids are stopped after a tolerance has been developed. Addiction is a psychological craving for certain effects of opioids, such as euphoria, that many people experience when the drugs are taken in large doses. And abuse is the misuse of opioids in the context of addiction.
More information: http://0nline-pharmacy.com
or here:
http://pharmacy-mailorder.net

Sponsore Links: