Opioids

There's been a lot of talk lately about the Opioid Epidemic. What are opioids?

Opioids are drugs related to morphine and/or opium. They are generally prescription drugs. Doctors and dentists have prescribed these drugs for pain relief for some time, and they are also a part of anesthesia (when you're 'put under' for a surgical procedure). They have their place sometimes, such as following surgery, to ease pain you may have with cancer, or if you've had an injury, but the problem is, people overuse the drugs sometimes and have become addicted to them. As with many drugs, as time passes, your body can become tolerant and require more of the drug to relieve your pain, make you 'feel normal,' or to make you 'check out,' to sleep or to let you avoid doing your daily routine. The term used for this type of drug is 'narcotic,' and that translates to something that makes you sleep or become numb.

Here are some names of these prescribed drugs:

• Morphine
• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone
• Fentanyl
• Demerol
• Tylenol with codeine
• Vicodan
• Oxycontin
• Percodan
• Percocet
• Dilaudid
• Methadone, a synthetic drug ironically used to wean addicts off of drugs
• Robitussin types A, B, and C (prescription strength)

Some people initially start using opioids for a true medical condition. However, they reach a point where they wouldn't need it for the pain any longer but have begun to enjoy the feeling it gives them. They continue to take more and more, and are not functioning in the world: their primary goal is to get more, take more, and check out more. Their bodies crave the drug and need it to feel 'normal,' whatever that's become. They have thus become addicted to it, and will do virtually anything to get it. Some people will ask their doctors for a new or renewed prescription, and if that doctor refuses, they go elsewhere to get a prescription. Or they visit multiple emergency rooms which probably won't have any records on the patient, who shows up complaining of extreme pain. Some people will steal money from friends to pay for the drugs, steal the drugs, or buy them from street dealers just like any other illegal substance.


Here is the Mayo Clinic's explanation of addiction:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112

There are also unscrupulous doctors who will prescribe because they receive a payment (sometimes called a 'kickback') from a drug company for promoting and prescribing those narcotic drugs. Where records aren't checked, a 'new' doctor may prescribe for a patient who has had opioids for some time, unaware they are feeding an addiction.


In Kentucky, as just one example, a drug manufacturer shipped enough opioid drugs that each person in one county (with a population of about 38,000 people) could receive 477 pills. The manufacturer is being sued:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2018/01/22/kentucky-files-lawsuit-against-national-opioid-distributor/as6dGyWXN0ac2jEJVndllM/story.html

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2014-2015, there were 33,091 deaths in the U.S. related to opioid use. 91 people a day died as a result of opioids, whether from overdose or use with some other substance that caused those deaths.In comparison, that's more than the number of deaths due to car crashes and gun violence combined.

There's a pretty significant rise in drug overdose involving opioids from 2000 to 2014.
What can we do about it?

• If you are going to have surgery or have had an injury, ask for a less potent, non-addictive drug or treatment to help with pain instead of an opioid
• If you feel you must take some, take only a few over several days, as directed, and throw the rest out
• Ask your pharmacy if they'll accept leftover drugs to be disposed of--get it out of your house; sometimes police departments will host a 'turn in your drugs' event.
• Lock up any prescriptions so that no one else in your house can get at them
• If you feel you are having problems with overuse, tell your doctor so that you can be weaned off of it as soon as possible
• If you have children, let them know about the dangers of drugs in a calm, simple manner: Except for antibiotics, drugs are many times harmful to your health. Here are some guidelines that may help: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/children-and-drugs#1
• Stay engaged with people in some way: checking out and being anti-social may lead to wanting an 'escape'--detaching from friends by way of drug-induced euphoria
• There are people developing a national database to track opioid prescriptions; the database will be available to any medical provider or pharmacy to check whether a person has had excessive prescriptions filled for opioids.

For a thorough explanation, you can read this Wiki:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid

Heroin Addiction: What Is It?

There've been a rash of heroin-related deaths in our area lately. Here is some information about the drug and how it affects your body.

                                       Pretty flower, deadly poison



Heroin is a form of Morphine, which is made using the Poppy flower. Morphine can be a helpful pain killer when used in a hospital setting, but it can get addictive in any form. When Heroin is sold 'on the street' (illegally), it is typically a white or brown powder or may be a black sticky substance. It is also frequently mixed with unknown 'fillers' that can be very harmful when taken into your body.


Heroin is usually injected, snorted, or smoked. Users typically put some in a spoon, then use a lighter to 'melt' it and then draw it into a syringe, and inject it into a vein. Alternately, they put it in a 'pipe' made of glass, heat it, and inhale (smoke) the fumes. It goes to your brain quickly and gives these symptoms:

• Feeling as though you are floating, 'out of it,' between sleep and awake
• Being lethargic, which means being slow to react and unable to get motivated to do anything
• Gives you an itchy feeling all over
• You may feel nauseous or have diarrhea

Here is what it can do to your body:

• Alters your brain and makes you crave more to get 'high'
• It puts you at a higher risk of HIV infection through dirty needles
• Heart infections
• Collapsed veins
• Gastrointestinal problems (Stomach and gut)
• Kidney failure
• Pneumonia
• Can cause miscarriage and birth defects
• Suppresses your breathing
• Can lead to death

A heroin addict often:

• Has no interest in eating or sleeping
• Stops caring about his/her personal grooming: Doesn't brush teeth or wash, or change clothes
• Becomes forgetful, can't even remember what happened the day before
• Has no interest in activities he/she used to have an interest in
• Starts making new 'friends' who are also into the drug scene, abandons old friends
• Becomes moody: Gets very angry, takes things much too personally
• Suffers headaches, nosebleeds, seizures
• Steals money and things to sell in order to get money for the drugs

                                Where the poppies used to make drugs are grown

An addict may look like this:

• Bloodshot eyes
• Eyes have pinpoint pupils
• Unable to walk steadily
• Seems almost unconscious, doesn't respond to conversation
• May become unconscious
• Causes unusual odors on breath, you may notice on their clothes as well
• Hair and teeth may be dirty, person doesn't seem to care

Here are more facts from the Mayo Clinic about addiction: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/basics/definition/con-20020970

What do you do if you think you're in trouble with drugs?
You can go to any local emergency room and tell them. They'll want to know what you took, and they'll try to make you stable for the moment. You can then be referred for treatment.
If you're not sure, you can make an appointment with your doctor.
You can also call the toll-free number for Narconon, which is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, here is the number for Narconon: 1-866-214-0120 and their website: http://www.narconon.org/