These substances are the counterparts of the naturally produced opioids in the market. Synthetic opioids offer the same pain-relieving effect but with greater potency and mimic the operations of codeine and morphine.
The main difference between these substances and the natural opioids lies in the active ingredients. Most of these substances are illegally produced in hidden areas for its illegal distribution in the market.
In general, these medications exist in various forms such as in forms of tablets, capsules, liquid, and injectables. Among the various forms of these drugs, the injectables or the ones injected intravenously have the quickest time for the effect to kick in.
Moreover, each drug under this type also has different strengths available in the market. They can be in 5 mg, 10 mg, 50 mg, up to 200 milligrams in strength.
In terms of generic types, there is a lot of it in stores and pharmacies. Some of the common generic types of these drugs are Dextropropoxyphene, Methadone, Pethidine, Fentanyl, U-47700, Carfentanil, Acetyl fentanyl, Butyrylfentanyl, and 3-Methylfentanyl.
Synthetic Opioids, How They Work
These man-made opioids work the same way as the natural ones. Once ingested and mixes with the blood, it targets the brain, particularly the opioid receptors.
They attach themselves in the receptor site and prevent the brain from feeling any painful sensations. These substances also act on the spinal cord to further enhance its pain-relieving function.
Similar to natural opioids, these man-made substances also induces sleepiness, relaxation and a euphoric sensation for the user.
In terms of strength, typically these drugs have higher potency compared to their natural counterparts. Approximately, these substances have 25 to 50 times higher potency than heroin while 50 to 100 times more effective than morphine.
The downside of this higher potency rating is its higher addictive potential when abused. Consequently, the intake of any of these substances must be fully prescribed by medical personnel.
Addiction and Dangers
These substances are considered dangerous despite their medical benefits. Some of the important reasons why they are considered dangerous include high addictive potential, health consequences when mixed with other substances, and the side effects associated from using these substances.
There have been several overdose-related death cases linked to the abuse of these substances. Around 20,000 people died from overdose with these substances in 2016. Ten years ago, the reported death counts from the overdose of these drugs are around 10,000 people.
Currently, there are around 28,000 man-made opioids produced and distributed in the market. Among these drugs, the greatest contributor for all death counts from overdosing these drugs is the illicit fentanyl.
When abused, the side effects of these substances are similar to that of the natural opioids. Some of the common health consequences of these substances are vomiting, paralysis, skin rashes, slower breathing and pulse rate, loss of enthusiasm, stomach pain and disorientation.
Meanwhile, the extremely negative effects in abusing these drugs include suicidal behavior, difficulty sleeping, respiratory failure, very low blood pressure, coma, and death.
Aside from the innate health consequences, these substances also pose a great risk when mixed with other illicit substances such as alcohol and other sedatives. When mixed with the two other substances, the depressing effect of these medications is tremendously amplified in a way that it causes paralysis and death.
One might think, how are these substances abused by other people. Aside from being a pain-reliever, these medications also induce similar euphoric sensations as the other famous opioids such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. Consequently, these man-made drugs are sold as counterfeit natural opioids. It is cheaper and much stronger compared to their natural counterparts.
Medications and Treatments
Do not force the patient to go into treatment if in the first place there has been no self-awareness and motivation to undergo rehabilitation. There must be a willingness to undergo treatment and medication from the patient to make the whole process successful.
The first step in any treatment program is detoxification and abstinence. These two processes aim to eliminate huge amounts of the substances from the patient’s body. Detoxification can be done in three methods: stomach lavage, oral ingestion of activated charcoal, and blood dialysis. Among the three ways, activated charcoal is mostly chosen because of its affordability and ease of doing.
Whereas, a gradual or abrupt cessation from using these medications can induce several withdrawal symptoms. Some of the typical withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are muscle spasm, constipation, cold sweaty skin, intense mood shifts, disorientation, hallucination, loss of enthusiasm, and highly irritable.
The common prescription drug to ease these withdrawal symptoms is methadone. It helps in reducing the effects of these things so the patient gets a smooth ride through the entire treatment program.
Other than that, two more medications are usually prescribed to patients to counter the effects of synthetic opioids: Suboxone and naltrexone. The general effect of these prescription drugs is to counter and decrease the overall effect of any opioid substances.
Suboxone contains two active ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone. These two components work slightly different but deliver the same relief. Buprenorphine works by attaching itself in the receptor site and decrease the depressing impact of the opioids. Meanwhile, naloxone works by preventing these opioid substances from attaching to the receptor site.
These medications aim to treat the biological aspect of addiction but to treat the behavioral side, therapies must be applied. The common therapies included in the most treatment program are Contingency Management, Cognitive behavioral therapy, and Group Therapy.
The Contingency Management also called the Reward System aims to reinforce positive behavior by giving monetary or non-monetary prizes for patients who will successfully abstain from craving those drugs. Positive reinforcements have been proven more effective in motivating patients to perform positive behavior.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aims to help the patient identify negative thoughts which trigger the patient to crave for the substance and perform unhealthy behaviors. After identifying, the therapist guides the patient in formulating positive coping mechanisms when faced with these negative thoughts.
Lastly, Group Therapy aims to re-establish the socialization skills of the patient. In the group, each member gets the chance to share one’s experiences in dealing with the condition. Insight learning is also promoted by these sharings. Likewise, the group also conducts community extension services to prove their social responsibility skills.
