What are the effects of opioids? Morphine, methadone, and codeine explained briefly.
An opioid is any psychoactive chemical compound that produces pharmacological effects similar to those of morphine or other morphine-like substances. Medically, they are primarily used for pain relief, especially for the treatment of acute pain, such as pain following surgery. However, there are various categories of opioids (or opiates), including natural opiates, which are alkaloids found in the resin of the opium poppy, such as morphine and codeine, or synthetic opiates such as methadone and others.
Morphine is the main alkaloid found in Papaver somniferum. It is primarily used for the treatment of severe pain, both acute and chronic. It is also used to manage pain caused by myocardial infarction and for labor pain. Morphine was initially hailed as a "miracle" substance for its pain-relieving properties. It was widely prescribed by doctors and was (erroneously) assumed to be non-addictive, only to discover that prolonged use can lead to tolerance and physical and psychological dependence.
A particular type of morphine is diacetylmorphine (better known as heroin), which was synthesized from morphine in 1874 and introduced to the market by Bayer in 1898. Heroin is approximately 4 to 12 times more potent than morphine. Methadone is very similar to heroin and morphine. Methadone is a synthetic opioid, usefully used in the management of chronic pain due to its long duration of action and low cost. Furthermore, it has been used for many years in the treatment of opioid addiction, despite its known potential risk of addiction and pharmacological tolerance. This treatment is managed by the National Health System, but not without problems.
Codeine (Methylmorphine) is obtained primarily through the methylation of morphine. Codeine was once considered the "gold standard" of cough suppressants, but its common side effects include vomiting, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness; for this reason, it is rarely used today. However, codeine has a potential for abuse similar to other opioid medications, especially in certain formulations and especially when combined with carbonated beverages. Combining codeine-based cough syrup with certain carbonated beverages is called "syrup," "lean," or "purple drank." When codeine is taken in very large amounts, it can cause breathing to stop. Using alcohol and other drugs with lean increases the risk of respiratory depression.
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Sources:
The Basics of Pharmacology by Whalen - Felid - Radhaskrishnan, 2020, Zanichelli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morfina
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadone
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codeina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_(drug)
Chapters:
00:00 | Introduction to Opioids
03:34 | Morphine: Uses and Dangers
07:02 | Heroin is a Morphine Derivative
08:13 | Methadone: An Ally Against Other Opioids?
10:57 | Codeine: Analyzing Lean, the "Trapper's Drug"
Disclaimer ⚠️ This video is for informational, historical, and scientific purposes only. It is not intended to encourage the use of this substance.
What are the effects of opioids? Morphine, Methadone, and Codeine Explained Briefly | Marco Franzoni