For people struggling with pain after surgery, injury, or as part of a plan for chronic pain management, the short-term use of opiates can provide needed relief. But for people who use the drugs for longer periods of time or in larger amounts than prescribed, opiates quickly become a drug of addiction.
Opiates are naturally occurring substances derived from the opium poppy and are part of a larger drug category called opioids.1 Opioids include both naturally occurring substances and synthetic forms of the drugs. Opiates work in the brain to change the way the body perceives pain and produce feelings of euphoria in the user.
Opiates are found in some prescription pain medications and are considered Schedule II narcotics by the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration.2 Opiates are highly habit-forming and using the drugs in ways other than prescribed by a physician can lead to addiction.3 Morphine, codeine, and thebaine are all medications classified as opiates. Understanding more about each drug can help you or a loved one recognize problems like weight gain or loss or developing dependence.
Opiate Basics
Morphine is the most common natural alkaloid in the opium poppy. It’s frequently prescribed to patients that have undergone major surgery and are in need of significant pain relief. Codeine, synthesized from morphine, is frequently combined with Tylenol when prescribed for pain. The effects of codeine are less intense than those of morphine. Thebaine is poisonous, so it is not used in medicine. However, it can be converted into opioids. Some examples of these are hydrocodone and oxycodone. Opioids are often prescribed for the treatment of pain.
Both natural and synthetic opiates cause dependence, and many people abuse these drugs for their ability to induce euphoria.
Opiate use can have major effects on the body, and damage a user’s eating habits and appetite. Common side effects of opiate abuse include constipation, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms can lead to a lack of nutrients and an imbalance of electrolytes. The side effects of nausea and vomiting often decrease the user’s appetite, making it difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Another side effect of opiate abuse is fatigue. This can lower the user’s metabolic rate, causes a change in eating habits due to lack of appetite.
How Opiate Abuse Affects Weight
The high drug causes may encourage them to eat more food to feel even better. Opiate users may even gain weight because substance abuse often leads to inactivity.
Because an addicted person needs more of the drug to feel normal, whatever money he or she has may be spent on getting more of the drug rather than nutritious food.
Finding Help for Opiate Addiction
Extreme weight loss is only one of the many dangerous side effects of opiate abuse. And getting help is the only way to prevent accidental overdose and death. If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction to opiates, we are here for you.
Call us at 855-808-6212 and talk with our admissions coordinators about treatment options that might work for you. We can help.
Sources
1 “Opiates/Opioids.” The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatmen. Accessed May 29, 2018.
2 “Controlled Substance Schedules.” U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Mar. 2018.
3 “How Opioid Addiction Occurs.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Feb. 2018.