Opiate Agonists

Recently Answered

• QWhat are side effects of opioid medication?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Side effects of opioid medication can include:

  • Constipation, the most common side effect
  • Decreased breathing, the most serious side effect
  • Sleepiness, tiredness, and/or dizziness
  • Itching and/or sweating
  • Nausea, vomiting, and/or dry mouth
  • Slower reactions (physical and mental) that can reduce alertness or judgment
  • Depression, feeling generally "low," feeling "high," and/or seeing or hearing things that aren't there
  • Difficulty urinating
  • Low levels of testosterone (a hormone); low levels can result in lower sex drive, energy, strength, or bone mass
  • Altered taste, vision, heart rate, and/or blood pressure
  • Shaking and/or twitching
  • Becoming more sensitive to pain
• QHow much does methadone treatment for drug addiction cost?

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  A UCLA Health answered

  Methadone treatment for drug addiction is cost effective -- about $15 to $17 per day per person -- and efficient. A pioneering large-scale study on the effectiveness, benefits and costs of substance abuse treatment in California found that the people in methadone maintenance had the greatest reduction in intensity of heroin use. The study also found that methadone was the most cost-effective treatment, yielding a savings of $3 to $4 for every dollar spent. 
• QWhat is the origin of methadone?

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  A UCLA Health answered

  Methadone is a synthetic opioid. Discovered by the Germans in World War II and called dolophine, it lasted much longer than morphine and was used to rid the wounded of their pain. In 1947, the Eli-Lilly company purchased it and named it methadone. In 1964, it started being used to stabilize people detoxifying from heroin. In 1970, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated methadone as a treatment for opioid addiction. In 2001, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took over the role of regulating methadone as a treatment method. In 2005, both methadone and buprenorphine were named on a model list of essential medicines by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• QWhat medications can cause breathing problems when taken with opioids?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Medications that interact with opioids to decrease breathing include clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), zolpidem (Ambien), antihistamines (such as Benadryl), anti-nausea medications (such as promethazine/Phenergan), and muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol/Soma).
• QWhat are alternatives to opioid pain medication?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Pain medicine is a slippery slope for most. Both doctors and patients should give serious consideration to using holistic alternatives if possible, including meditation, physical therapy, nutrition and fitness prior to starting these medications.
  This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com

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• QHow can I prevent breathing problems caused by opioid medications?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Respiratory depression caused by opioid medications can be prevented by doing the following:
  
  

  • Tell your doctor about ALL medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs.
  • Tell your doctor if you have any of these signs associated with sleep apnea: pauses in breathing during sleep, snoring, high blood pressure, or tiredness during the day.
  • Tell those you live with that you are starting a medication that can affect your breathing. Ask them to watch for decreased breathing or the inability to wake up.
  • If breathing problems happen, they should call 911. Health care providers can inject a medication to reverse the problem.
• QWho is at risk for breathing problems caused by opioid medication?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Opioid therapy can decrease your breathing, especially during sleep. This problem, called respiratory depression, can cause sudden death. Respiratory depression is more common in patients with obesity, sleep apnea, or lung disease. It's also more common in patients on higher doses of opioids, or who use opioids with alcohol, sleeping pills, anxiety medications, or some other medications.
• QWhat are the risks of using opioid pain medication?

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  A Dr. Devi E. Nampiaparampil, MD , Pain Medicine, answered

  

  The main effects and risks of using opioids include nausea and constipation, accidental overdose, and addiction, if they are used long term. Watch pain management expert Devi Nampiaparampil, MD, discuss the various risks of taking opioid medications.

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  What Are the Risks of Using Opioid Pain Medication?
  Buy DVD

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• QWhat are the side effects of opioid medication for short-term pain?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Opioid medication (strong medications that affect the way your brain handles pain signals) for short-term pain can cause various side effects. Your health care provider can give you details. Particularly, watch for these side effects:
  

  • The most common side effect is constipation. Most patients need to drink extra water and take fiber, laxatives, or stool softeners.
  • The most serious side effect is decreased breathing (also called respiratory depression), which can be deadly. Alcohol and some other medications can combine with opioids to make this problem worse. Ask those you live with to watch for decreased breathing or the inability to wake up. If this happens, they should call 911.
• QHow does opioid medication treat short-term pain?

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  A Dr. Travis M. Hendry, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Pain medication helps control pain so you can sleep, move, and heal. One type of prescription pain medication is opioid medication. (It is also sometimes called "narcotic" medication, but when prescribed by a doctor it is called "opioid.") Opioids are strong medications that affect the way your brain handles pain signals. If you have short-term pain (lasting from a few days to a few weeks) from an illness or injury, your doctor might prescribe opioid medication to help you manage it.