How Opiates Affect The Human Body

The poppy flower P. somniferum has been cultivated for centuries due to the opium resin that the seed pods produce. Narcotics known as opiates are derived from opium, and include heroin, morphine, and of course, opium. Opiates are all extremely effective depressive analgesics, which has led to the creation of synthetic opiates called opioids as prescription painkillers. Opiates however, are not wonder drugs, as they possessive an extremely addictive nature, and abuse of opiates is very common. Opiate withdrawal can be an excruciating experience, and in some cases, death can occur after as little as two days.

Short-Term Effects of Opiate Usage

After taking an opiate, a sense of euphoria often enters the mind of the user. When opiates are injected directly into the bloodstream, the high can be felt within seconds. It is not uncommon for a heroin user to vomit after using the drug due to the sudden rush felt. While under the influence, opiate users are usually not very receptive to the world around them and completely pain free.

Due to the potent addictive nature of opiates and the harshness of withdrawing, opiate users will spend a good deal of their time chasing the next fix in order to avoid withdrawal. The fact that withdrawal is so uncomfortable coupled with a very quick buildup of a tolerance to opiates makes them some of the most dangerous drugs in the world to abuse recreationally.

Opiate Withdrawal

In a mere four to six hours after last using a narcotic, withdrawal symptoms begin to make themselves felt in the form of uneasiness and general discomfort. After a short while longer without drugs, more severe withdrawal symptoms can begin to manifest. Muscles and joints will cramp and ache; nausea will take hold of the addict and end in vomiting. As the withdrawal continues, a user may develop a case of painful constipation or in other cases, diarrhea. Body temperature fluctuates, taking shape in cycles of hot and cold flashes. After a mere twelve hours without opiates, withdrawal can reach a breaking point and potentially lead to death.

Although opiate withdrawal can last for days, the harshest symptoms are felt after about seventy-two hours. At this point the urge to vomit due to sheer nausea is so overwhelming that an addict can lost ten to twenty pounds in a day. To make matters worse, the body temperature will slowly rise. Twitching of the muscles, usually the legs, takes place. This is where "kicking that habit" originated as a term.

In the world of medicine, opiates have often been revered as effective painkillers. Sadly, this is often outweighed by the risk of addiction. Since the introduction of the prescription drug oxycontin, abuse of pharmaceutical opiates has increased at an alarming rate. Heroin is sometimes sold on the street with powerful prescription opiates cut into it, which has led to overdoses in users who underestimated its potency. During an opiate overdose, cold flesh and difficulty breathing can lead to a coma or death. The risk of dependency and overdose is present in all opiates, and abusing opiates is ill-advised, even in the case of seemingly harmless prescription painkillers.