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Opioid Therapy

Pharmacological Therapy

Opioid therapy is treatment with opioids, a class of drugs that derive from or mimic natural substances found in the opium poppy and act on opioid receptors in the brain and other organs to produce morphine-like effects, chiefly pain relief. Beyond pain relief and anesthesia, opioids are also used to suppress diarrhea, treat opioid use disorder itself through replacement therapy, and suppress cough, and the drug naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Opioid use carries significant risks: tolerance can require escalating doses over time, stopping the drug can produce physical dependence, and the drugs carry a real potential for addiction, with common side effects including itchiness, sedation, nausea, constipation and, in overdose or combined with other depressants such as benzodiazepines, potentially fatal respiratory depression.

Facts
Classification
Status
Standard of Care 1
Origin Year
350 BCE 2
Opioid Therapy
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FAQs

What happens to a baby when opioids are used during pregnancy?

The baby could be born dependent and have withdrawal symptoms, a condition called neonatal abstinence syndrome that can be treated.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that if a woman uses prescription opioids during pregnancy, the baby could develop dependence and have withdrawal symptoms after birth. This is called neonatal abstinence syndrome, and it can be treated with medicines. Use during pregnancy can also lead to miscarriage and low birth weight. For pregnant women who are dependent on opioids, the institute describes methadone and buprenorphine as the standard of care.
Connections

Associated With

Treats

Pain, Conditions
Source Wikipedia: Opioid
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Wikipedia: Opioid
Wikipedia
  • History, Naturally occurring opioids
    Use of the opium poppy for medical, recreational, and religious purposes can be traced to the fourth century BC, when ideograms on Sumerians clay tablets mention the use of "Hul Gil", a "plant of joy".
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid, lead section
    Opioids are a class of drugs that derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the opium poppy plant.
  • Treats: Pain, Lead - treats-condition - 342599
    Opioids work on opioid receptors in the brain and other organs to produce a variety of morphine-like effects, including pain relief.
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