Opiates are outranked only by alcohol as one of the
humanity’s oldest and most persistent drug problem. Despite efforts of the
medical and legal communities, more than one million people in the US are
opiate addicts. Advances in therapies and treatment are now offering a glimmer
of hope to people. Opiate detox has come a long way.
Dozens of opiates and related Drugs treatment have been extracted from
the seeds of the opium poppy or synthesized in laboratories. The poppy seed
contains morphine and codeine, among other drugs. Synthetic derivatives include
oxycodone (Percodan, OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), hydromorphone
(Dilaudid) and heroin (diacetylmorphine). Some synthetic opiates or opioids
with a different chemical structure but similar effects on the body and brain
are meperidine (Demerol), propoxyphene (Darvon) and methadone. Physicians
prescribe these drugs to treat and control pain.
Opiates enhance the effects of endorphins and enkephalins by
acting at nerve receptors for these natural body chemicals. They suppress pain,
reduce anxiety, and can produce euphoria at high doses. Most opiates are taken
by mouth, smoked or snorted, although intravenous use delivers the quickest
high.
An addiction to opiates consumes a person’s life. Despite
the risk of serious physical or psychological damage, addicts continue to use
the drugs. Some cannot hold a job and turn to crime to pay for their habit.
Heroin has long been the favorite drug of addicts because it is several times
stronger than morphine and reaches the brain quickly when injected into a vein.
Opiates do not have serious side effects, but can cause constipation and
depress breathing. Addicts often ignore their health and the use of needles can
result in infectious diseases, like HIV and hepatitis.
For some addicts, detoxification is the beginning of
treatment. Detoxification is the controlled and medically supervised withdrawal
from the drug. The symptoms of withdrawal can be agitation, anxiety, tremors,
muscle aches, hot and cold flashes, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These
withdrawal symptoms are not dangerous, rather they are extremely unpleasant and
uncomfortable.
The intensity of the reaction depends on the dose and speed of
withdrawal. Short-acting opiates provide more intense but briefer symptoms. A
single dose of heroin last for 4-6 hours and the reaction to withdrawal lasts
for a week. Withdrawal symptoms are an unfortunate part of opiate detox and
should be expected.
Many heroin addicts are switched to methadone, a synthetic
opiate, which can be taken by mouth or injected. Then the dose is slowly
reduced over about a week. Clonidine is a drug often used to shorten the
withdrawal time and relieve physical symptoms. The decision to undergo opiate
detox should be made in conjunction with a physician.
If you find that any of your close people are getting
addicted to heroin, either consult a doctor or admit him/her in an opiate rehab
as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be impossible to save the person from
premature death.
