What is it?
Opioids include both prescription pain relievers and illegal drugs such as heroin which are highly addictive. Prescribed opioids serve to alleviate severe pain after surgery, or to help manage chronic conditions such as cancer. Some commonly prescribed opioids include oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and fentanyl.
Side Effects
Short-Term
- Physical dependence
- Sleepiness
- Relaxation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Slowed breathing
Long-Term
- Addiction
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Chronic constipation
- Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)
- Increased risk of bone fractures
- Increased risk of overdose
- Death
Why is it dangerous?
When opioids are misused, the risk of addiction increases significantly. Continued use leads to physical dependence, requiring a higher dosage to experience the same effect. Dependence can make quitting challenging due to the severe withdrawal symptoms which contribute to the cycle of addiction and increase the risk of overdose. Withdrawal symptoms can include fluctuating body temperature, sweating, goosebumps, anxiety, irritability, intense craving, tremors, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, muscle pains, and headaches.
Fentanyl is another dangerous opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine, and 50 times more potent than heroin. This drug is illegally manufactured and often laced into other substances causing numerous overdose death. To put it into perspective, 2mg of fentanyl is a lethal dose.