Percocet Research Paper

Opioids are a class of drugs used to help an individual’s pain perception. They include prescriptive and nonprescriptive medications: morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and fentanyl. Heroin is also an opioid, but it is a classified Schedule 1 illegal drug.

Percocet is a medication prescribed by medical practitioners to patients to relieve moderate to severe pain. Percocet contains elements of acetaminophen and oxycodone. Oxycodone and acetaminophen are both pain relievers however, oxycodone is considered an opioid. Opioids are considered a Schedule II narcotic. Oxycodone was first established in Germany in 1916 as an alternative to highly addictive pain relievers heroin and morphine. Oxycodone mixed with aspirin created Percodan which was highly addictive. Unable to be used for post operation pain, Percocet was created in 1974. Percocet is twice as strong as morphine. Percocet has been FDA approved and been out on the market since 1976. Within the later part of the century doctors favored the Percocet more because of the influx of coal miners experiencing work related pain. The strenuous work of coal miners created the right environment for abuse and addiction to plant roots. Percocet followed coal miners until it gains traction in other states. At this time Percocet is legal and comes in

In addition to Vicodin, the pain killer Oxycontin is also widely abused. It is used to treat severe pain that is expected to last a prolonged amount of time. Oxycontin has many similar side effects of Vicodin along with sweating, itching, loss of appetite, and severe weakness. It works by blocking the brain from receiving pain messages. The reason Oxycontin is so dangerous is because it is highly addictive and is a central nervous system depressant. It is believed that a younger healthier college student is more likely to become addicted to the drug rather than an older adult taking it for pain reasons. This is because taking Oxycontin to get high has a completely different effect on the body (“Oxycontin”).

The effects of drug addiction make up an infinite list but its greatest effect is on the brain. Drug addicts experiment with substance abuse depending on the side effects of the drug used. If the drug is an opioid or painkiller, then the subject might be in a sleepy and stoic state. If it was a catalyst then the person is going to exhibit an excited and emotional behavior (i.e. talking a lot, laughing at nothing, babbling, and going through extreme emotion changes.) Depending on the type of drug the subject might even experience hallucinations that can cause them to even commit suicide (“Gwinnell, Esther, and Christine Adamec”). Some superficial indicators that a person is abusing these types of substances are bloodshot eyes, rapid weight lost, needle tracks, runny nose, and even poor personal hygiene. The side effects of drug abuse, as previously mentioned are magnified when it comes to the family. If the abuser is one or both of the parents/ guardians, the child might end up being mistreated and/or not taken care of. Furthermore, if the mother is pregnant, the baby might be born premature or underweight, have mental or physical problems, or have a disruptive later on in life.

So how do opioids work and what makes them so addictive? We all have millions of pain receptors throughout our body called nociceptors that send information about pain to our brains. These pain receptors are on our skin, within our organs, and our spinal cord. Opioids are given for pain because they block the signals from the nociceptors to our brain. In addition to this, opioids cause a sense of euphoria which is the “high” that accompanies the medication (Healthcare Triage, 2016). Our bodies actually produce their own opioid chemicals that many people know of as endorphins. However, long-term use of opioids can make the body stop producing endorphins which can lead to dependence on medications (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). The way people take or abuse these drugs varies as well. Opioid pills such as hydrocodone or oxycodone are taken by mouth while heroin is typically injected. However, people that abuse the drugs are now crushing the pills to snort or inject which increases the intensity of the “high.” This method is also more dangerous because the risk of respiratory

Opioids are classified as opium like compounds; some (ex. codeine and morphine) exist naturally in opium, which is a gummy substance derived from the seedpod of the opium poppy, indigenous to Southern Asia. Other opioids are of the synthetic category, such as methadone or fentanyl (opioidaddictionsource.com). Though the use of prescription opioids may be well intended, due to their effect on the brain chemistry, it is fairly common for one to become addicted to them; America is amidst a raging prescription opioid epidemic, in fact.

Prescription drug abuse is the type of problem that can potentially have an effect on a large number of Americans. In 2003, the National Institute on Drug Abuse did a “Monitoring the Future Study” of 8th, 10th, and 12th, graders and found that 10.5% of 12th graders reported were misusing Vicodin and 4.5% of 12th graders had taken OxyContin without a prescription. Vicodin is a popular pain medication prescribed for some of the most common medical procedures, such as wisdom teeth removal. It is an opioid-based pain medication that diminishes pain; it is highly addictive when not used in accordance with the prescribed dosage. OxyContin is a narcotic similar to morphine, containing a high dose of oxycodone. Since its initial approval in 1995, it has gotten a great deal of attention because of the large number of overdoses it is associated with.

The reason that this drug can be so intense and dangerous is because it falls into the category II narcotics. Many commonly known narcotics include opium, morphine, and heroin. The addiction rate of any of these drugs is phenomenal. Narcotics are central nervous system depressants that relieve pain without causing the loss of consciousness. They can also produce feelings drowsiness, mental confusion and euphoria. The analgesic effects of narcotics result from the drugs’ effects on the emotional aspects of pain. Many patients that experience intense pain say that after the administration of the narcotic, their pain is as intense as ever but no longer as bothersome. Because narcotics block the emotional side effects of pain they make it much more bearable.

Opioids, such as Vicodin, Oxycodone Percocet relieve pain, but are known to be physically addictive. Dependence is often accompanied by tolerance, or the need to take higher doses of a medication to get the same effect says the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIH). When tolerance occurs, it becomes difficult for a physician to determine whether a patient is developing a drug problem, or has a real medical need for higher doses to control their pain.

perstricption drugs are drugs that you can only get from the pharmacy. the doctor has to call the pharmacy and order the drugs for you. So if that's the case you're probaly wondering how it is still possible for these drugs get onto the street. Many things can happen. People stop feeling pain so they stop using them.

Individuals who use Opioids are Addicts. The history of this very debatable topic is very educational and interesting. Opioids are drugs that are prescribed for severe to chronic pain, some examples of opioids are: morphine,?methadone, Buprenorphine,?hydrocodone, and?oxycodone.?Heroin?is also an opioid and is illegal. Opioid drugs sold under brand names include: OxyContin?,?Percocet?, Palladone?(taken off the market 7/2005),Vicodin?, Percodan?, Tylox? and?Demerol? among others. These drugs are also classified as a schedule II drug.

Hydrocodone a drug used to change how your brain and your nervous system reacts to pain. When taken the medication correctly it should relieve mood, reduction of pain. Hydrocodone was introduced in the 1920’s from the country of Germany. Carl Mannich and Helenen Lowenheim were the first to report it being in use in 1923( Eckenrode, S. L. (2015).Hydrocodone is a form of opiate, analgesic, it is described as white crystals as a crystalline powder and reacts to light. This drug classified as a schedule II drug known as a controlled substance. Hydrocodone is often always found in combination with acetaminophen such as Vicodin and Lortab (Advokat, C. D., Comaty, J. E., & Julien, R. M. 2014). As of 2012, the United States Hydrocodone is the most used drug prescribed to treat pain. The United States has consumed 99% of this global supply for 4.4% of the worldwide population. (Manchikanti, L., Atluri, S., Kaye, A.M., Kaye, A.D). The US Drug and food administration approved the drug for sale in the United States in 1943.

One of the most devastating side effects of drug addiction and abuse is depression. Depression is the result of chemical imbalance, environmental influence, or a combination of both. Using heavy and very highly addictive drugs as heroin, cocaine, opium and many other will cause sudden mood changes, deterioration of the immune system, nervous breakdowns, unusual flares of temper and many other side effects. Besides physical side effects, drug addiction can create problems in a person's social circles. The person may run into many conflicts with his family and friends, resulting in desire for isolation. This in turn will create more problems since the person will have no social support. Furthermore, drug addiction is a financial strain especially for teenagers. When a person is addicted to drugs he will do anything to obtain money to fulfill his needs.

Narcotics are central nervous system depressants that relieve pain without causing the user to lose consciousness. It is this reason many people choose to abuse prescription narcotics.

While Demerol is designed to be less addictive than other opioids, but it is still a commonly abused painkiller. People who abuse the drug can develop a tolerance and a physical dependency to the drug. As a result, they tend to increase their dosage in order to feel the same effects. When a person tries to stop taking Demerol, they often experience strong and often painful withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, depression, chills, fever, and suicidal thoughts. However, tapering off of the drug under medical supervision can reduce the severity of withdrawal