What effects do opioids have on the body?

Opioid pain medications work by altering the brain’s functioning. Once consumed, the medicine reaches the brain and spinal cord and attaches to the mu-opioid receptors. The human body produces opioids naturally in small quantities to decrease pain, lower respiratory rate, and even fight anxiety and depression.

While your brain produces its opioids, it does not make them in such quantities required to manage the pain caused by a broken bone or muscle injury. The opioid drugs you consume bind to the receptors and replicate the naturally produced substance’s enhanced effects. Also, you cannot get overdone on the opioid that you brian created opioids. But, the supplements or medications always carry the risk of an overdose, which can be fatal.

Narcotics can affect the body in the following ways:

• They can reduce pain by affecting the spinal cord to block the body’s sings from reaching the brain.
• These drugs can affect the brainstem that is responsible for controlling essential body functions like heartbeat and breathing.
• These medicines can reduce coughing by slowing the breathing down.
• Opioids can also interfere with a specific brain portion called the limbic system that controls emotions. By altering it, these medications can produce a feeling of pleasure and relaxation.
• These medications can also affect certain neurotransmitters’ functioning to prevent the brain from correctly processing the pain signals coming from the body, making the user experience as if they are not experiencing any pain.

• Everything To Know About Opioid Withdrawal

  Opioid based pain medications are among the most popular drugs that help manage pain. Often doctors prescribe these opioid pain medicines to people with moderate to severe pain, and they are also helpful for those having chronic pain. These opiates are potent pain relievers and are habit-forming over prolonged use. The surge in opiate use in the United States has become a concern in the past few years, and the number of people experiencing opioid withdrawal has also risen significantly. Here you know about opioid withdrawal.

  Opioids or narcotic medications are from a class of drugs that doctors commonly prescribe to manage pain. The category of opioid medicines includes both opiates and synthetic opioids—Opiates consists of medications derived from the opium poppy that includes heroin, opium, codeine, and morphine. Oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone are some examples of synthetic opioids that works similarly to opiates.

  Popular prescription opioids include:

  • Morphine
  • Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
  • Hydrocodone & acetaminophen (Vicodin)
  • Oxycodone & OxyContin