Opiate Addiction
Opiate addiction is classified as a central nervous system disorder. It is caused by continuous and sustained opiate intake. After using opiates for some time, the nerve cells in the brain, which would otherwise be producing natural opiates such as endorphins, cease to function normally. The body stops producing endorphins naturally because it is receiving opiates instead which it comes to depend on receiving. The nerve cells begin to degenerate that naturally produce endorphins and a physical dependency to an external supply of opiates is formed. Abruptly stopping the use of opiates can cause withdrawal symptoms to begin, which can be life threatening. The words opiates and opioids are often used interchangeably. The difference is that the term opiates refers to the natural opium alkaloids while opioids are synthetic or man-made. There are varying degrees of how man-made or natural an opiate may be ranging from natural opiates, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic.
An addiction to pain killers or opiates can begin innocently enough with pain management after an injury or surgery. When the prescription and the pain are gone, sometimes what is left is a physical dependence on the drug.
Opiate Addiction
Like any drug and alcohol addiction, opiate addiction is marked by an inability to control drug use, obsessive and compulsive craving and use of a drug, and continued use despite negative physical, emotional and social consequences. Some of the signs and symptoms of opiate abuse, painkiller addiction, and narcotic addiction may include:
- Restlessness and irritability
- Hyperactive behavior
- Poor coordination ability
- Poor Concentration
- Poor judgment
- Slurred and slow speech
- Euphoria alternating with extreme depression
- Accelerated heartbeat (which can result in coma or death)
Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome
Detoxing from any drug is not a pleasant experience. It can be quite painful to detox with out medical intervention. However with certain substances like alcohol and opiates abruptly ceasing to use the drug without medical monitoring and treatment can be deadly.
Depending on the length of use, the dose used and the frequency of use quitting “cold turkey” can cause seizure, heart failure, permanent damage to the cardiopulmonary and nervous system and result in death.
The symptoms of opiate withdrawal include: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, chills and sweating, irritability, panic attacks, intense muscle and bone pain. It is far safer to quit slowly over time with medical help.
Treatment
The pain of withdrawal and detox can be significantly reduced with medication. Subutex and suboxone are two common drugs used to treat opiate dependence.
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of Subutex (buprenorphine hydrochloride) and Suboxone tablets (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride) for the treatment of opiate dependence. Subutex and Suboxone treat opiate addiction by preventing symptoms of withdrawal from heroin and other opiates. These products represent two new formulations of buprenorphine. The first of these formulations, Subutex, contains only buprenorphine and is intended for use at the beginning of treatment for drug abuse. The other, Suboxone, contains both buprenorphine and the opiate antagonist naloxone, and is intended to be the formulation used in maintenance treatment of opiate addiction. Naloxone has been added to Suboxone to guard against intravenous abuse of buprenorphine by individuals physically dependent on opiates.” – Food and Drug Administration, FDA Talk Paper T02-28 October 8, 2002.
Along with medically monitored detox and symptom management, psychotherapy, group counseling, psycho-education and 12 step support groups can assist an opiate addict to develop and maintain a clean and sober lifestyle.