With all the talk about the opioid epidemic, you may wonder what drugs are opiates? You wouldn’t think an innocent-looking flower could be behind one of the largest drug problems we have ever faced, but that is the case. Do you remember Dorothy falling asleep in the field of poppies in The Wizard of Oz? Natural opiates are products of opium. Opium occurs in the seeds of the poppy flower. Today, opiates come in both the natural form and in chemically-made copies.
Two Types of Opiates
When discussing what drugs are opiates, we find there are two types. These are agonists and antagonists. Antagonists are not as addictive as agonists and are often used to help a person addicted to opiates get clean. The idea is that they mimic the effects of the stronger opiate, so they help with cravings during detox. Once the original opiate is out of your system, getting clean from the lesser opiate is easier. Naltrexone and Naloxone are two of the drugs in this class.
How People Become Addicted to Opiates?
Opiates are the one drug that is most often first encountered as a prescription drug. If you ask a physician what drugs are opiates, they will most often reply that they are pain killers. Opiates work to dull the receptors that cause pain, yet they produce a euphoric feeling that makes them attractive. A person is often prescribed an opiate after surgery or an accident. The human body adapts quickly to this type of drug, requiring more and more to get the same feeling. By the time the doctor stops prescribing the opiate, the person is often addicted. Rather than deal with the withdrawal symptoms, which are intense, they look elsewhere for a substitute. Often, they can find the same drugs illegally or find that heroin is an equal substitute.
What Drugs are Opiates?
Knowing what drugs are the ones to put you most at risk of addiction is important, especially if you are battling a past addiction or are one of those who have a strong predisposition for addiction. So, what drugs are opiates? Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.
- Codeine — this is a very mild opiate that is used for pain and some coughs. It is the most readily available of prescription opiates
- Darvocet/Darvon — these have now been banned by the FDA and are one of the oldest known opiates in medicine
- Demerol — this drug is one of the older opiates and is rarely prescribed today.
- Dilaudid — this drug can lead to breathing problems and is often considered only in cases of major pain. It has earned the name ”hospital-grade heroin”
- Fentanyl — this drug is considered to be as much as 100 times more potent than heroin and is one of the largest causes of opiate overdose when it is mixed with heroin or other drugs
- Hydrocodone — this is not only found as Vicodin but is often combined with ibuprofen or acetaminophen and is one of the top ten most prescribed medications
- Methadone — this is used for milder pain and is often used in the treatment of heroin addiction
- Morphine — this is the last drug of choice for many cancer patients who get no relief from other pain medication
- Oxycodone — this is usually sold under the names OxyContin and Percocet
Bayview Recovery Can Help
Here at the Bayview Recovery Center, we believe that treating addiction means treating your whole being. You will find yourself healing spiritually and mentally as your physical self becomes healthier and free of the chains that have held you captive for so long. We offer treatment programs like:
- Partial hospitalization (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Outpatient treatment program
- Aftercare to prevent relapse
Contact Bayview Recovery today at 855.478.3650 and we will help you start one of the most incredible journeys of your life, the road to sobriety. If you believe the Washington area is calling you to heal, contact us today.
