Drugs and the Brain: Opiates and Tranquilizers

Don't Succumb To Your Demons

Spike in babies born addicted to opiates

The number of babies born with debilitating addictions to opiates is on the rise. CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano exposes the problem that doctors say is growing out of control.

Fast Fact...

Basic Facts That You Need To Know About Opiate Addiction

Opiate addiction statistics are overwhelming. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 26.4 million to 36 million of people across the world are addicted to opiates that include illicit heroin and prescription painkillers.

Common symptoms of opiate addiction include a feeling of euphoria or a great sense of well being. Since taking opiates can be very addictive, people develop a high tolerance for pain relievers. This is where addiction becomes dangerous as some people will do everything just to have access to prescription painkillers.

Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms

Taking opiates for long duration makes the body familiar with its effects. Due to this, the body is reacting by needing the drug more and more to attain the same effect. Opiate brings withdrawal symptoms just hours after taking the last dosage.

The symptoms may not be that dangerous, but it can eventually lead to relapse. Common symptoms of opiate withdrawal include: muscle cramps, nausea, depression, anxiety, agitation, lacrimation, runny nose, excessive sweating, sleeplessness and opiate cravings. These can happen 24 hours after taking the last opiate dose.

More serious withdrawal symptoms of opiate addiction include high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, goose bumps and dilated pupils. The symptoms may vary from mild to severe, depending on the dependency of the user to opiates. In some cases, the withdrawal symptoms may last for a week up to a month. 

Opiate Addiction Detox

Detoxification process helps the patients get rid of the opioids from the body. Medical detox involves the use of antidepressants, anticonvulsants and other symptom-specific pharmaceuticals to treat more serious withdrawal symptoms.

Opioid drugs should not be stopped all of a sudden as it may pose dangerous and powerful complications to the users. Medical professionals may manage the withdrawal signs and cravings by replacing a fast-acting opioid with a longer-acting substance such as methadone. Another opioid agonist is Buprenorphine that does not create an extreme feeling of high just like what opiates do.

Naloxone and naltrexone are also known opioid antagonists that block the action of opiates in the central nervous system. These antagonists prevent the effect of drugs like heroin and at the same time deliver withdrawal symptoms to the users.

An injectable form of naltrexone known as Vivitrol was recently approved by the FDA to help prevent relapse following detoxification. Relapse is always possible for people who struggle opiate addiction. 

This is where medical detox plays a very important role in stabilizing the emotional and physical aspects of the users. It can also help users in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms smoothly with lesser side effects.

Opiates - Learning How To Overcome

Contemporary information compiled by way of the government display that opiate dependancy has risen dramatically in the US. Most are well acutely aware of the distressing stories pronounced in the media about widely recognized celebrities that overdosed on opiates. Celebrities aren't the one ones which might be predisposed to opiate dependancy. Even the common particular person is predisposed to opiate habit. The excellent news is that opiate habit treatment has helped hundreds get well and reside a wholesome normal lifestyles. Permit's take a more in-depth have a look at opiate addiction and treatment.

What Are Opiates

Opiates are a narcotic that may be generally prescribed to treat excessive pain. For instance, a lot of folks strengthen an addiction to the opiate after taking the prescribed drug to ease pain as a result of an injury or a major operation. One of the vital more regularly known opiates include Codeine, Vicodin, Morphine, Oxycontin, and Percoset. These categories of gear are very addictive as a result of they devise a sense of maximum well-being and euphoria through making dramatic adjustments in the particular person's mind functions. Soon, the man becomes very established at the drug and should take extra of the drug to get the same euphoric feeling. Dependency on the drug develops and this can be very tough for the person to break away of the opiate, without receiving opiate dependancy remedy.  

Opiate Withdrawal Signs

Other people than you may assume are hooked on opiates. It is important for friends and family members to recognize opiate withdrawal signs as a way to help their circle of relatives member or good friend are seeking opiate habit remedy. Standard withdrawal symptoms come with robust drug craving, temper swings, anxiety, insomnia, frame aches, pain, cramps, nausea, chilly sweats, sizzling sweats, vomiting, diarrhea, and yawning. Health professionals state that the withdrawal segment remaining several days. For those who or a loved one are experiencing opiate withdrawal symptoms, it will be significant to speak to a health care skilled and seek speedy opiate addiction treatment.

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