What are Opiates?

Opiates refer to the narcotic drugs that are derived from parts of the opium poppy plant Papaver Somniferum. Most opiates are produced from the opium poppy plants latex sap, although a few drugs similar to the naturally occurring opiates are artificially synthesized. Such synthetic opiates are called opioids. Morphine, Codeine and Thebain are the opiates that are extracted from the poppy plant and have psychoactive properties.

Opiates are depressants which are also fast acting to produce certain kind of sensations in the human body. Opiates induce a sense of calmness, relieve pain and heighten the sense of well being and increase pleasure sensations. Opiates are able to act on the human brain and produce theses effects by acting on the brain's natural opiate receptors. The brain produces natural opiates called endorphins which are neuro-transmitters that aid in alleviating pain and achieving a sense of well being. The opiates act on the brain's receptors for these endorphins. Endorphin receptors are widespread in the brain and hence opiates are able to affect many different parts of the brain producing strong and dramatic effects.

Opiates have been used in the world for a very long time. The earliest indications of opium use are opium plant drawings found amongst the Sumerian artifacts that dates as far back to 4000 BC. Opium is thought to have been used both as a medicine and for recreation just like it is being used today.

Amongst the opiates, morphine is widely used to relieve extreme pain and is listed as an essential drug by the World Health Organization. All opiates are highly addictive. Heroin produced from morphine has no medicinal uses and is widely used as a recreational drug. Heroin addiction can be fast and intense. Opiate addiction can lead to painful withdrawal symptoms and requires professional guidance to reach complete de-addiction.

Opiate effects

Opiates bring about a sense of well being, calmness, and a feeling of heightened pleasure or a 'rush'. However opiate effects are not all pleasant. Dry mouth, nausea, dizziness and restlessness are some of the immediate and mild side effects associated with an opiate hit. As the body develops tolerance to the drug, increasing amounts may become required to reach the same highs. This leads to increasing amounts of the drug being taken. Higher doses bring with them stronger and increasing number of side effects. Since opiates act on the endorphin receptors that play a role in regulating breathing, overdoses can result in a cessation of breathing.

Prolonged opiate drug abuse can damage the nasal epithelium, create heart congestion, damage to the cardiovascular valves, and result in skin abscesses and damage to the lungs. Opiate drug addiction need to be treated under good professional care. The withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate drugs can be severe and last for weeks. Due to the strong addictive factors of the opiate drugs it is often not easy to successfully de-addict the drug abuser. Relapses are common.

Treatment using methadone, an opiate that is not addictive and does not provide the highs associated with heroin is usually used to successfully treat opiate addiction.