Opiate Drugs

Heroin

Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin."

Codeine

Codeine is a member of the drug class opiates. Opiates include all naturally occurring drugs with morphine-like effects such as codeine and all semi and fully synthetic drugs with morphine-like effects such as heroin and meperidine (Demerol).

Vicodin®

Vicodin® is a narcotic that can produce a calm, euphoric state similar to heroin or morphine--and despite such important and obvious benefits in pain relief, evidence is pointing to chronic addiction. Pure hydrocodone, the narcotic in Vicodin, is a Schedule II substance, closely controlled with restricted use. But very few prescription drugs are pure hydrocodone. Instead, small amounts of hydrocodone are mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients to create medicines like Vicodin and Lortab. This means they can be classified under Schedule III with fewer restrictions on their use and distribution.

OxyContin ®

OxyContin ® is designed to be swallowed whole; however, abusers ingest the drug in a variety of ways. OxyContin ® abusers often chew the tablets or crush the tablets and snort the powder. Because oxycodone is water soluble, crushed tablets can be dissolved in water and the solution injected. The latter two methods lead to the rapid release and absorption of oxycodone. OxyContin ® and heroin have similar effects; therefore, both drugs are attractive to the same abuser population.

Methadone

Methadone is a (synthetic opiate) narcotic that when administered once a day, orally, in adequate doses, can usually suppress a heroin addict's craving and withdrawal for 24 hours. Patients are as physically dependent on methadone as they were to heroin or other opiates, such as Oxycotin or Vicodin.

Morphine

Morphine is a narcotic analgesic. Morphine was first isolated from opium in 1805 by a German pharmacist, Wilhelm Sertürner. Sertürner described it as the Principium Somniferum. He named it morphium - after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Today morphine is isolated from opium in substantially larger quantities - over 1000 tons per year - although most commercial opium is converted into codeine by methylation. On the illicit market, opium gum is filtered into morphine base and then synthesized into heroin.

Fentanyl (Duragesic)

Fentanyl, administered in the Duragesic Patch, is a powerful narcotic painkiller for serious pain. It is generally only prescribed for long-lasting relief from intense, persistent and chronic pain. The Duragesic patch should only be used when less potent medicines have proved ineffective and pain needs to be controlled 24/7.

Percocet

Percocet is a narcotic (oxycodone) and acetaminophen combination. They are combined to get a syngergistic effect on pain. Oxycodone is similar to other narcotics in terms of effect and addiction. Acetaminophen is better known as Tylenol.

Lortab

Lortab combines a narcotic analgesic (painkiller) and cough reliever with a non-narcotic analgesic for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain. Lortab is is a combination of Hydrocodone bitartrate and Acetaminophen. Lortab, when used medicinally is given by mouth either in tablet or liquid form.

Darvocet

Structurally, it's a relative of the synthetic narcotic, methadone. It's prescribed in two forms- propoxyphene hydrochloride and propoxyphene napsylate -for relief of mild to moderate pain.

Dilaudid

Dilaudid is an analgesic narcotic with an addiction liability similar to that of morphine. It is apparent within 15 minutes and remains in effect for more than 5 hours. Dilaudid is approximately 8 times more potent on a milligram basis than morphine.

Norco

Norco one of several the brand names for the combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and hydrocodone. Norco is prescribed for moderate to moderately severe pain. Hydrocodone binds to the pain receptors in the brain so that the sensation of pain is reduced. Acetaminophen halts the production of prostaglandins which otherwise cause pain. Norco is available in tablet, capsule, and liquid form and is taken every 4-6 hours by mouth.