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Synthetic Opioids

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What are Synthetic Opioids?

Synthetic opioids are drugs that have effects that are similar to opiates. While they are commonly prescribed medications, they can also be very deadly.

Navigation: Synthetic Opioid Overview, Synthetic Opioid Effects, Synthetic Opioid Overdose, Rehab Is Your Best Chance

 

Synthetic opioids are drugs that have effects that are similar to opiates. While they are commonly prescribed medications, they can also be very deadly. In fact, synthetic opioids made up almost 50 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2016. This is a significant increase from 2010, when it was only 14 percent.

There were 19,413 deaths related to synthetic opioids in 2016. That same year, the drug carfentanil killed over 1,100 people in Ohio.

Because of the risks they carry, it is important to take a look at what these substances are, and how they can affect an individual.

 

Synthetic Opioid Overview

Synthetic opioids are a class of drugs that are manufactured to have a similar chemical structure with opioids. Despite the similarities in chemical makeup, synthetic opioids are created with man-made compounds, unlike their “natural” varieties.

Synthetic opioids are different from non-synthetic opioids like morphine and codeine, which are extracted from naturally-occurring chemicals and then refined.

Fentanyl is one of the most common synthetic opioids in the US. The drug is considered 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Although the drug is produced by pharmaceutical companies for legal, surgical purposes, it is also produced illicitly by street manufacturers for illegal distribution.

Several Fentanyl analogues have harsher effects on the body and have no accepted medical use.

Other examples of synthetic opioids include: Methadone, Tramadol, Carfentanil, Acetylfentanyl, Butyrylfentanyl, Furanylfentanyl, 3-Methylfentanyl, and U-47700. Carfentanil is one of the strongest opioids, being 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. In fact, it was originally designed to be an elephant tranquilizer.

Synthetic opioids are often used as cutting agents in drugs like cocaine and heroin. They are also commonly sold on the street as counterfeit painkillers. But because synthetic opioids are highly potent, accidental overdose is common.

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Synthetic Opioid Effects

The effects of synthetic opioids on the body are similar to that of other opioids. As opioid agonists, they primarily affect the brain and the spinal cord.

Unlike legally prescribed opioids, which are regulated by the FDA, illicit synthetic opioids are unregulated. This means their potency can vary wildly from lab to lab. It also makes it impossible to predict how an illicit opioid will affect its user.

Synthetic opioids are taken orally through pills, or sublingually. Users who are looking to get high may sometimes smoke, inhale, or inject the opioids to experience a much more intense high. Taking synthetic opioids recreationally can lead to an overdose, no matter what the method of administration.

After taking synthetic opioids, the user may feel euphoric, drowsy, nauseous, and sedated.

The synthetic opioid abuse problem is still affecting many people in the US. Between 2017 and 2018, fatal drug overdoses in the country increased by 10 percent, reaching a total of over 72, 000 Americans.

Synthetic Opioid Overdose

Just like “natural” opioids, synthetic opioids can cause dependence, addiction, and overdose. Fatal opioid overdoses are often caused by a lack of oxygen when a person stops breathing. Overdose may slow or stop a person’s breathing completely. This is because opioids slow down brain activity. It may lead to unconsciousness and respiratory depression, which may be fatal if left untreated.

The victim can survive an opioid overdose if they receive medical attention quickly enough. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, can block the effects of opioids in a person’s system, which can revive them and prevent them from getting any higher. Naloxone is often used to reverse an overdose.

If someone in the family is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against substance abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.

Rehab is Your Best Chance

Treatment is an addicted individualʼs best option if they want to recover. Beating an addiction not only requires eliminating the physical dependence, but also addressing the behavioral factors that prevent them from wanting to get better. Simply quitting may not change the psychological aspect of addiction. Some people quit for a while, and then take drugs or alcohol again, only to overdose because they did not detox properly. Recovery involves changing the way the patient feels, thinks, and behaves.

 

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