Opioids are a class of drugs found in nature through opium poppy plants. They can be used in hospitals for moderate to severe pain treatment. However, since 1990, opioid misuse has remained at epidemic levels. Currently, 3 million U.S. citizens and 16 million people worldwide struggle with opioid use disorder. Celebrities Who Have Struggled With Opioid Addiction Among this large number of ...
Does Methadone Need to Be Taken Daily?
Methadone relieves moderate to severe pain when other treatment options, like morphine, cannot be used. This is often the case for those recovering from opioid addictions, as it also helps curb opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. While it is common for methadone to be taken daily, scheduling can vary depending on a doctor's specific recommendations. How Does Methadone Work? Methadone is ...
What Are the Main Reasons for Opioid Use?
Opioids became regularly used in the Civil War era as an essential medicine. They are found in nature through the opium poppy plant. They were first used to treat soldiers' pain and stop internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea caused by infectious diseases. What doctors discovered back then — and now know today — is that opioid use comes with a high risk of addiction due to relaxing the body and ...
17 Symptoms During Opioid Withdrawal
Opioid drugs, including heroin and prescription opioid painkillers, can produce withdrawal symptoms within just a few hours of the last dose. Symptoms of opioid withdrawal can last for a week or more. While unassisted withdrawal may not be life-threatening, it can lead to relapse and potential overdose. Seeking help during withdrawal can help to ease the mental, emotional and physical discomfort ...
5 Factors That Can Lead to an Opioid Addiction
Opioid use disorder is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive urges to use opioid drugs, even when they are no longer medically required. The reason these urges are so powerful is that opioids act in the nervous system to produce intense feelings of pleasure and pain relief. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published data that showed that over 100 people in ...
Buprenorphine Use Growing
If you're considering opioid addiction treatment, you'll learn about several types of treatment options offered through a variety of clinics. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is one of the most common methods and effective methods. MAT programs generally use one of three drugs to help treat opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. Buprenorphine is one of the newer ...
