U4A5
Narcotics
Narcotics are sometimes referred to as narcotic analgesics since their primary therapeutic
application is pain alleviation. Opiates, which are chemicals found in or produced from opium,
are the most well-known drugs. Opioids are synthetic drugs that have activities comparable to
morphine; the phrases opiate, opioid, and narcotics are used interchangeably. Because of its
addictive tendencies, negative consequences, and the prevalence of narcotic drug usage, most
governments restrict the manufacturing, trafficking, and use of narcotics.
Aspirin and Tylenol are two more pain medications that are not drugs. Narcotics function by
attaching to pain receptors in the brain, therefore blocking the sensation of pain. Opioids bind to
opioid receptor proteins on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, stomach, and other regions of the
body. When this happens, opioids block pain sensations delivered from the body to the brain via
the spinal cord.
Opioid pain medications are another name for narcotics. They are only used for extreme pain that
cannot be relieved by other forms of medicines. These medicines can be beneficial at relieving
pain when taken properly and under the supervision of a health care practitioner.
Varied opioids have different effects on the body and affect a range of neurotransmitters and
endocrine functions. Morphine reduces oxytocin production in the early stages of labor and
throughout postpartum nursing, according to studies on pregnant women. Acute opioid treatment
increases growth hormone (GH) production via processes including opioid receptors, feedback
levels, and gene transcription. The impact of opioids on the posterior pituitary is unknown:
depending on the hydration state, both increased and reduced vasopressin levels have been seen.
Opioids have some risks and can be extremely addictive, despite the fact that they can
successfully treat pain. When opioids are used to treat chronic pain over a long period of time,
the risk of addiction is very significant.
Assume you suffer from persistent back discomfort. Your muscles are swollen, sending pain
messages to your brain all the time. Your natural endorphins aren't adequate, and your back
won't stop hurting, so your doctor prescribes oxycodone or another opioid pain reliever.
Both prescription opioids and natural endorphins bind to small docking stations at the terminals
of your neurons called receptors. Most receptors bind to chemical messengers called
neurotransmitters, which activate nerve cells and cause electric pulses to send the signal. Opioid
receptors, on the other hand, have the opposite effect. They make it impossible for electric pulses
to get through your nerve cells in the first place.
Opioid receptors in the midbrain turn off a group of nerve cells known as GABAergic neurons,
which sets the stage for addiction.
GABAergic neurons act as an off switch for the brain's euphoria and pleasure networks. When
opioids turn off GABAergic neurons, the pleasure circuits flood with dopamine, another
neurotransmitter. Dopamine causes a burst of happiness at one station on this pleasure
expressway, the nucleus accumbens. Dopamine lowers anxiety and tension when it enters the
amygdala, the brain's fear center. Both of these situations serve to perpetuate the notion that
opioids are pleasurable. These parts of the brain are continually connecting with prefrontal cortex
decision-making hubs, which form value judgments about what is good and wrong. The mind
starts to form habits and cravings.
References
Akpan, N., & Griffin, J. (2017, October 9). How a brain gets hooked on opioids | PBS
NewsHour. PBS NewsHour; www.pbs.org. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/brain-getshooked-opioids.
Seyfried, O., & Hester, J. (2012, February 1). Opioids and endocrine dysfunction - PMC.
PubMed Central (PMC); www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590093/.
What Are Opioids? - Made for This Moment. (n.d.). Made For This Moment | Anesthesia, Pain
Management & Surgery; www.asahq.org. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from
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Pain medications - narcotics: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Pain Medications Narcotics: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia; medlineplus.gov. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from
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