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When used correctly under a health care provider's direction, prescription pain medicines are helpful. However, misusing prescription opioids risks dependence and addiction.
Understanding Substance Use Disorder Substance use is a chronic brain disease. It alters the way in which a person's brain interacts. Substance use interferes with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body. This allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons. Although these drugs mimic the brain’s own chemicals, they don’t activate neurons in the same way as a natural neurotransmitter, and they lead to abnormal messages being sent through the network, (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Prescription Opioids Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to severe pain but can also have serious risks and side effects. Common types are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone. |
Heroin Heroin is a highly addictive substance made from morphine, which comes from opium poppy plants. Some prescription opioid pain medicines have effects similar to heroin. Heroin is typically injected but is also smoked and snorted. When people inject heroin, they are at risk of serious, long-term viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B, as well as bacterial infections of the skin, bloodstream, and heart6. Fentanyl Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever. It is many times more powerful than other opioids and is approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. Illegally made and distributed fentanyl has been on the rise in several states. https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/index.html |