Prescription Opioids

What Are Prescription Opioids?

Prescription opioids, also known as prescription painkillers, are a class of drugs that are derived from the opium poppy plant. Semi-synthetic opioids are made from opium as well as man-made compounds with chemical structures similar to opium. Synthetic opioids (like fentanyl), though chemically similar, are fully man-made in pharmaceutical laboratories (though increasing amounts are illicitly manufactured by drug trafficking organizations). The most common prescription opioids are semi-synthetic variants hydrocodone (i.e., Vicodin) and oxycodone (i.e., Percocet).

Prescription opioids like morphine have been used to treat pain for hundreds of years; the opium plant itself has been cultivated since ancient times. Opioids can also be used to treat coughing and diarrhea. The “high” individuals experience during use has led to misuse of and addiction to prescription opioids. Because of the highly addictive nature of opioids and the effect they have on the body, the risk of overdose and death is high.

Common Prescription Opioids

Type	Brand Names	Description
Codeine		A comparatively weak opioid most often prescribed when acetaminophen and ibuprofen don’t work. However, there is still a high addiction potential.
Hydrocodone	Vicodin®, Norco®, Lortab®	A more powerful form of codeine often mixed with acetaminophen. It is used to treat moderate to severe acute and chronic pain.
Oxycodone	OxyContin®, Percocet®	A long-acting, strong opioid for moderate to high pain relief that lasts long periods of time.
Morphine	Roxanol®, Avinza®	A strong opioid that typically comes in pill and injectable forms.
Meperidine	Demerol®	Similar to morphine, Demerol is often used prior to surgery as anesthesia or during childbirth, as well as for moderate to severe acute or chronic pain.
Hydromorphone	Dilaudid®, Exalgo®	A powerful semi-synthetic painkiller. Hydromorphone is to morphine as hydrocodone is to codeine.
Fentanyl	Actiq®, Duragesic®	A surgical, fully synthetic anesthetic up to 100 times stronger than morphine (counterfeit versions are also manufactured illegally).
Methadone	Dolophine®, Methadose®	Used to treat withdrawal symptoms of opioid addiction and to treat severe chronic pain.
Buprenorphine	Subutex®, Suboxone® (with Naloxone)	Alternative to methadone in addiction treatment, produces less euphoria and physical dependence. Buprenorphrine is also used to treat acute and chronic pain.

Effects Of Use And Overdose Of Prescription Opioids

All opioids are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, meaning they slow automatic processes like breathing and brain activity and result in a calm and drowsy state. The primary desired effect of prescription opioid use is pain relief. The “high,” or feeling of euphoria that accompanies certain doses of opioids, has contributed to the misuse of these drugs and resulted in countless overdoses and deaths.

Opioid overdose occurs when side effects escalate to fatal levels. Specifically, fatal opioid overdose is usually caused by a person becoming unable to breathe completely as a result of opioids slowing down the respiratory system. This can lead to a lack of oxygen and death. Death from opioid overdose can be immediate, but it generally takes longer; it may even take up to several hours. It is possible to overcome an opioid overdose if someone is available to immediately call 911 or administer Narcan and CPR. Even when overdose is not fatal, it can cause a debilitating organ system injury.

How To Avoid Prescription Opioid Overdose

• Take medicine only if it has been prescribed to you by your doctor.
• Do not take more medicine than prescribed or take medicine more often than instructed.
• Call a doctor if your pain gets worse.
• Never mix prescription opioids with alcohol, sleeping pills, or any prescribed controlled substance or illicit substance.
• Store your medicine in a safe place where children and pets cannot reach it.
• Learn the signs of an overdose and how to use naloxone (or Narcan) to keep an overdose from becoming fatal.
• Teach your family and friends how to respond to an overdose.
• Dispose of unused medication properly.

Harmful Side Effects Of Prescription Opioids

Typically, prescription opioids are administered orally as a pill, sublingually under the tongue, or intravenously with a needle. When opioids enter the body, they move through the blood stream to the brain and spinal cord where they bind to active opioid receptors on cells. By attaching to these receptors, opioids block pain signals and release dopamine. This kind of chemical interaction is highly addictive, and people may become dependent on opioids to feel good or even normal.

Potential side effects of prescription opioid abuse include:

• Drowsiness or reduced consciousness
• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dry mouth
• Constipation
• Slowed breathing
• Itching or sweating
• Confusion
• Depression
• Lowered testosterone (resulting in lowered sex drive, energy, and strength)

Who Is At Risk Of Prescription Opioid Addiction?

Anyone taking a prescription for opioids is at risk of developing a tolerance to their medication. The body becomes used to opioid medication in a relatively short amount of time. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the risk of developing an opioid dependency greatly increases after 5 days of normal use.

Comparatively, non-Hispanic White and Native Americans have the highest rates of abuse and overdose. West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Utah are some of the states with the highest rates of prescription-opioid-related overdose. Most people who develop an addiction report obtaining pills from a friend or family member or through a prescription from a healthcare provider.

Prescription Opioid Dependency Vs. Addiction

A physical dependence to opioids is characterized by the onset of symptoms of opioid withdrawal when the substance is stopped. While dependence is one part of addiction, opioid addiction and abuse also encompass the inability to quit usage despite negative consequences as well as tolerance and withdrawal.

However, not everyone who takes prescription painkillers will develop an addiction, and opioid prescriptions have decreased 52% since 2012, falling from 260.5 million to 125.7 million in 2024. As prescription drug monitoring programs take effect across the country, fewer pills are being abused or sold illegally on the streets.

Prescription opioid users are having to turn to more easily obtained and illegal alternatives in order to replace the pills they can no longer acquire. Because of this, heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl (counterfeited to look like prescription pills) have flooded neighborhoods nationwide, causing increases in overdoses and deaths at a time when prescription opioid deaths had leveled off.

Risk Factors For Dependence Developing Into Addiction:

1. Obtaining overlapping prescriptions from multiple providers and pharmacies (doctor shopping).
2. Taking high daily dosages of prescription painkillers.
3. Having mental illness or a history of alcohol or other drug abuse.
4. Living in rural areas and having low income.

Abuse Statistics

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Treatment And Recovery

Since 2016, drug overdose has been the leading cause of accidental death for Americans younger than 50. Overdose rates climbed fast, but have started to decline in recent years, with overdose deaths involving any type of opioid decreasing from 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024.

In 2017, the opioid epidemic was declared a national health crisis in the US; over $1 billion was granted to states for addiction treatment and prevention.

Opioid addiction treatment typically starts with medically-assisted detox in order to combat uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms such as body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea; it’s also important to keep the patient safe from potentially fatal complications such as seizures.

There are also a variety of evidence-based therapies and addiction treatment medications, like naltrexone, that can improve the patient’s comfort and increase the chances of a successful recovery. Buprenorphine and methadone, two types of prescription opioids, may be prescribed to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. This is known as medication-assisted therapy (MAT).

Whether individuals attend inpatient drug rehab or outpatient rehab, cognitive behavioral therapy can be beneficial in identifying and working through underlying issues and learning healthy coping skills.

Do You Need Help Quitting Prescription Opioids?

If you’re considering rehab for yourself or a loved one and need more information about treatment centers, contact a treatment provider today. They can discuss your treatment options with you.