Opioids

Addiction

Opiates also give us the classical model of addiction. Used regularly, they produce tolerance - a need to continue increasing the dose in order to get the same effect, and stopping after repeated use produces withdrawal symptoms that can reinforce the addiction - physical discomfort and a mental craving for the drug, driving the user to continue taking the drug despite negative consequences of behaviour.

Chemistry and Pharmacology

An opioid is any psychoactive chemical that resembles an opiate in its pharmacological effects. They work by binding to the opioid receptors (Delta, Kappa, Mu) Which are found in the Central/Peripheral nervous system and in the GI tract.

Harm Reduction

Avoid driving on higher doses.

Opioid analgesics do not cause any specific organ toxicity, unlike many other drugs, such as aspirin and acetaminophen. They are not associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and renal toxicity, however, people seeking codeine experiences from medications that contain acetaminophen (paracetamol) may be putting themselves at risk for acetaminophen-related complications such as liver damage. In the case of Acetaminophen and aspirin-containing medications, Cold Water Extraction is useful to reduce the amount of non-opioid analgesics ingested

If possible, having Naloxone available (especially when dealing with high doses) is a good idea. Naloxone is a pure opioid antagonist, which means it reverses the effects of opiate drugs and can reverse overdose symptoms.

Some users have noted that following the "3-day rule" prevents chemical dependency with some opioids, meaning that using no more than 3 days in a row. (this has no medical basis, however, and should be taken as only a guideline at best)

When preparing IV solutions for injection of street drugs, a wheel filter (micron filter) is essential for reducing particulate matter in the solution, as well as using sterile needles, and clean distilled water. Never re-use injection equipment

Interactions

Don't mix any of the class with any other CNS Depressants as it increases the risk of an overdose and respiratory depression.

Tramadol and Meperidine are affecting serotonin levels in the brain and might cause Serotonin Syndrome with some combinations. Check Drug Combinations for more information.

Research Chemicals

Respiratory depression is one of the very common side effects with this class and puts users at a high risk of overdose. With research chemicals, this is a particular issue since there are some substances being openly sold for which a single microgram can be the difference between life and death. With the emerging research chemical market for opioids, most have been explored in-vivo (outside of a human) and also in-vitro (in human) - though there are some exceptions (e.g. W-18/Acryl-Fentanyl).

It's suggested to start at the lowest possible dose; in the case of W-18, animal testing has shown it to be around 10,000x the potency of Morphine. So the logical way to start is either to volumetrically dose or use a precise scale with a +/- microgram amount. Titrating up to an active dose with this class might be the most difficult, due to the massively steep dosage curves.

See the Research Chemicals page for more information.

Links

Wikipedia

Erowid