Opioid: A Case Study

Opiates are derived by opium. Opium is a gummy substance collected from the seed of the opium poppy. This

This is inaccurate because prescribed opioids are still addictive. The truth is that people typically turn to street drugs because they offer the same euphoric and satisfying feeling but at a much cheaper cost. Everyone blames the drug-addicts because it was "their fault". But no one goes deeper than that. The Western ideology that "pills heal all ills" needs to end. In some parts of the U.S., pills are prescribed for almost anything you can think of, and doctors, not wanting to disappoint their patients, give more and more medicine and it is unnecessary.

The people that I do know that abuse pain medication also smoke marijuana. I do think it can improve other medical conditions. My mother suffers from Parkinson's disease. We have researched the use of medical marijuana for treatment of the tremors and shakes that come along with the disease, and it has been proven to help. There was a significant improvement in muscle rigidity, pain, and tremors associated with Parkinson's disease when subjects were tested in an experiment in Israel (McCall, 2014). She now knows that this can be an alternative to her treatment if her other medications do not

Opioids are prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone just to name a few. Opioids are

Showing the connection of opioid treatment being manipulated and influenced by the patients themselves which influences the current epidemic. If the doctor stops the supply of opioids to a patient who is dependent or addicted, this patient is more likely to turn to getting the pain killers off the street. This includes illegally purchased prescriptions, or even heroin. One does not have to of been prescribed opioids to become addicted. One may start off using opioids from off the street for many reasons. One may be in pain but knows the doctor isn’t going to help them, or it is even possible for one to become addicted to opioids just from using them recreationally or to self-medicate. This leads to major risks of opioid addiction and the chance of a fatal overdose. Overdoses in the United States continue to be an issue we are all fighting and witnessing on a daily basis. Opioids were involved in 42,249 deaths in 2016, and opioid overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016 than 1999 ("Opioid Overdose" 2017). There should be an unsettling feeling when reading that the opioid overdose deaths have been multiplied by 5 from 1999 to 2016. This is showing that the issue of opioid abuse is trending in the upward direction of getting worse as time goes on. By finding a solution to avoiding opioid dependency and addiction, the issue of fatal overdoses in the United States can also be

The world of opioids can be divided into two categories: (1) illicit opioids and (2) prescription opioids. Illicit opioids include substances like heroin that people abuse to reach a euphoric and relaxed state. In contrast, prescription opioids are commonly used by doctors in a medical setting to treat pain. Some of these powerful painkillers include codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. While these prescription medications provide pain relief for patients who are recovering from surgery or injuries, they also pose serious risks when they are misused. Among these risks are addiction, overdose, and death.

According to Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein (2015) opioids are described as the “nation’s fastest-growing drug problem” (p. 276) and are also known as narcotics. Opioids originated from the opium poppy and have been chemically altered throughout the years in order to create more potent drugs such as hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), and codeine. Known for analgesic properties, opioids are seen to be the most commonly used drugs among clinicians. Although these narcotics are legally prescribed to patients, there are many, even adolescents, that not only abuse prescribed narcotics, but also abuse another form of opioid, heroin. In adolescence, the structures of the brain are not fully developed and are therefore more likely to acquire severe consequences for abusing opioids. There are many ways to use and administer narcotics, but misusing opioids may lead to signs and symptoms of drug abuse, annoying side effects, dependency, abuse, and in worse case situations, death.

A​ ​recent​ ​government​ ​study​ ​found​ ​there​ ​was​ ​a​ ​400%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​the​ ​abuse​ ​of​ ​prescription​ ​drugs

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone , hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and many other drugs that are similar. All of these drugs are chemically related and they interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells on the body and brain.The number of opioid prescriptions dispensed by doctors steadily increased from 112 million prescriptions in 1992 to a peak of 282 million in 2012, according

The research compiles a qualitative review of peer-reviewed journals with evidence reports and expert recommendations regarding adverse effects of long-term opioid use for noncancer related chronic pain treatment. Data was collected through article searches which located 43 articles with data for increased adverse effects of opioid use. The data was then integrated to identify the most significant perilous effect by organ system.

Opioid use disorder, most often touted as opioid abuse, tolerance and addiction are all manifestations of this chronic relapsing disease that can be developed when an individual is repeatedly exposed to illicit drugs. Opioid addiction and overdose is a global issue that is rapidly sweeping across our nation. There is irrefutable evidence suggesting that we are in an opioid addiction epidemic. Over a ten-year time-span, drug overdose has become the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. (American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2016) Rhode Island, the smallest state in the nation with a population of a little over one million, has been the hardest hit. It is claiming lives, destroying families and threatening the quality of

*People in pain always use opioids because it’s an obvious short term solution- even while the long-term risks of addiction

From the information gathered in the intake interview, there are indications that Keane has 5 symptoms of Opioid Use Disorder: First, Keane reported that he has been taking Hydrocodone for a longer period of time than the doctor prescribed. Keane stated that he continues to take the pills even though he is healed and reports no pain, “I’m all good and playing every Saturday.” Second, Keane also reported that he “needs” the pills after practice and after games even though he is not in pain, which is indicative of craving. Third, his reoccurring opioid use has resulted in his failure to maintain his grades, show up to classes, and meet family obligations such as picking up his parents at the airport. Fourth, Keane has continued to use Hydrocodone

In my opinion use of opioids for a short term could have no pain effect. However, once the patient starts taking it over and over again, it becomes difficult for the dose to be effective. Furthermore, when a person uses opioids, they develop tolerance for it. According to a survey by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 50.5% people misuse opioids from friends and relatives, while around 22.1% of people are prescribed by their doctor. I also found that opioids has a higher dependence and this could lead someone to start with opioids and then getting used to the harder drugs like heroine. Around 44 people die everyday due to overdose. Overall, the no pain effect depends on the amount of dosage the person is

Chronic pain is intense suffering/agony that can persist between weeks to years. Currently, there are an estimated more than 3 million cases of chronic pain in the United States each year. That is where the Marijuana comes into play. An article on the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association states the following for Marijuana being used for chronic pain as well as other medical problems,”Aside from nausea and appetite stimulation, indications for which there are 2 FDA-approved cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone), chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis are the indications for medical marijuana supported by high-quality evidence”(Hill). As usual, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t state the drawbacks to using Marijuana to treat chronic pain. The same article states,”Medical marijuana and cannabinoids have significant potential health risks, such as addiction and worsening of psychiatric illnesses such as some anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders”(Hill). Currently, there are no ways to combatant these side