Opium is a narcotic drug that is obtained from the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), a plant of the family Papaveraceae. Opium is obtained by slightly incising the seed capsules of the poppy after the plant's flower petals have fallen.
The slit seedpods exude a milky latex that coagulates and changes color, turning into a gum like brown mass upon exposure to air. This raw opium may be ground into a powder, sold as lumps, cakes, or bricks, or treated further to obtain derivatives such as morphine, codeine, and heroin. Opium and the drugs obtained from it are called opiates.
The opium poppy was native to what is now Turkey. Ancient Assyrian herb lists and medical texts refer to both the opium poppy plant and opium, and in the 1st century CE the Greek physician Dioscorides described opium in his treatise De materia medica, which was the leading Western text on pharmacology for centuries.
The growth of poppies for their opium content spread slowly eastward from Mesopotamia and Greece. Apparently, opium was unknown in either India or China in ancient times, and knowledge of the opium poppy first reached China about the 7th century.
At first, opium was taken in the form of pills or was added to beverages. The oral intake of raw opium as a medicine does not appear to have produced widespread addictions in ancient Asian societies.
The pharmacologically active principles of opium reside in its alkaloids, the most important of which, morphine, constitutes about 10 percent by weight of raw opium. Other active alkaloids such as papaverine and codeine are present in smaller proportions.
Opium alkaloids are of two types, depending on chemical structure and action. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine, which represent one type, act upon the central nervous system and are analgesic, narcotic, and potentially addicting compounds. Papaverine, noscapine (formerly called narcotine), and most of the other opium alkaloids act only to relax involuntary (smooth) muscles.
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Opium has marked physiological effects: it slows down respiration and heartbeat, suppresses the cough reflex, and relaxes the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.
The higher opiates—heroin and morphine—are more addictive than opium. Opiates are classified as narcotics because they relieve pain, induce stupor and sleep, and produce addiction. The habitual use of opium produces physical and mental deterioration and shortens life. An acute overdose of opium causes respiratory depression which can be fatal.
Opium was for many centuries the principal painkiller known to medicine and was used in various forms and under various names. Laudanum, for example, was an alcoholic tincture (dilute solution) of opium that was used in European medical practice as an analgesic and sedative.
Physicians relied on paregoric, a camphorated solution of opium, to treat diarrhea by relaxing the gastrointestinal tract. The narcotic effects of opium are mainly attributable to morphine, which was first isolated about 1804. In 1898 it was discovered that treating morphine with acetic anhydride yields heroin, which is four to eight times as potent as morphine in both its pain-killing properties and its addictive potential.
The other alkaloids naturally present in opium are much weaker; codeine, for example, is only one-sixth as potent as morphine and is used mainly for cough relief. Since the late 1930s, various synthetic drugs have been developed that possess the analgesic properties of morphine and heroin.
These drugs, which include meperidine (Demerol), methadone, levorphonal, and many others, are known as synthetic opioids. They have largely replaced morphine and heroin in the treatment of severe pain.
Opium, much like opiates, achieves its effect on the brain because its structure closely resembles that of certain molecules called endorphins, which are naturally produced in the body. Endorphins suppress pain and enhance mood by occupying certain receptor sites on specific neurons (nerve cells) that are involved in the transmission of nervous impulses.
Opium alkaloids are able to occupy the same receptor sites, thereby mimicking the effects of endorphins in suppressing the transmission of pain impulses within the nervous system.
Opium binds to receptors in the brain and produces feelings of euphoria. Its structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter and taps into the brain's communication system, interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. This similarity in structure "fools" receptors and allows the drugs to lock onto and activate the nerve cells.
The brain naturally produces opioid-like chemicals called endorphins, and these endorphins have similar effects to opioids, including reduced pain, euphoria, and feelings of wellbeing. When opium users abuse the drug, they flood their brains with many times the natural amount of endorphin-like chemicals, causing a powerful, pleasurable reaction.
This pleasurable reaction can cause users to continuously return to the abuse of this substance as they seek out those same pleasurable feelings. The longer that this abuse occurs, the more susceptible they become to developing a dependence on the substance as their tolerance to its effects begins to increase. Once an addiction develops, people will begin to seek it out at all costs, causing serious harm to themselves and their loved ones.
Opium, like opiates, suppresses pain, reduces anxiety, and at sufficiently high doses produces euphoria. Addicts take more than they intend, repeatedly try to cut down or stop, spend much time obtaining the drug and recovering from its effects, give up other pursuits for the sake of the drug, and continue to use it despite serious physical or psychological harm.
Some cannot hold jobs and turn to crime to pay for illegal drugs. Heroin has long been the favorite of street addicts because it is several times more potent than morphine and reaches the brain especially fast, producing an euphoric rush when injected intravenously.
In anyone who takes opiates regularly for a long time, nerve receptors are likely to adapt and begin to resist the drug, causing the need for higher doses. The other side of this tolerance is a physical withdrawal reaction that occurs when the drug leaves the body and receptors must readapt to its absence.
The major drawback of opium use is the potential for abuse and addiction. Effects include drowsiness, slurred speech, confusion, memory loss, pupil constriction, dilation of the blood vessels causing increased pressure in the brain, constipation, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, hallucinations, sexual dysfunction, convulsions, and respiratory depression.
After opium use is stopped, symptoms like depression, abnormal mood swings, insomnia, psychosis, and paranoia remain. These brain scans show a reduction in dopamine receptors which control judgment and behavior. This reduction is a result of regular heroin use.
Here are some effects that stem from opium abuse:
Some studies on substance use disorder consider opium as an immunosuppressive factor and reveal an increase in inflammatory mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-17, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in opium users. Thus, aggravation of inflammation increases atheroma formation in dependent patients.
In a study of 15 dependent and 15 non-dependent patients with involved coronary arteries and an ejection fraction of more than 35%, the plasma levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonists were evaluated. The level of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist was higher in the dependent cases, but opium did not have a significant effect on the plasma level of interleukin-6.
Thirty-five dependent smokers were compared to 35 non-dependent smokers in another study, which revealed that the level of factor VII was significantly higher in addicted cases. One study showed that the levels of CRP, factor VII, fibrinogen, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) were higher in patients with opium use disorder, while the levels of LDH and Apo-A were reported to be significantly lower in them compared to non-users.
In men, low testosterone level can cause CADs and increase the risk of cardiovascular-related mortality. The level of plasma testosterone is lower in those with opium use disorder. Similarly, low level of estrogen and reduction of estrogen in the pre-menopause period have been reported in addicted females, which can cause CADs.
The presence of impurities such as lead in opium can be a factor causing adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Lead has been reported to be present in opium samples, and blood lead level has been shown to be high in those with opium use disorder. Some studies have indicated a relationship between blood lead concentration, hypertension, and development of atherosclerosis.
Opium is a CNS suppressant and can decrease physical activity in addicted individuals, which increases the risk of CVDs. In a study, depression, reduction of physical activity, and obesity were all reported in addicted patients. Also, some studies showed that opium users followed treatment and nutrition advice and performed cardiovascular activities less than others.
In the early stages of an opium use disorder, people are often able to conceal their abuse of the substance. Eventually, however, certain signs and symptoms of abuse begin to manifest in their lives.
To help identify whether someone is battling an opium abuse problem, there are several physical and behavioral warning signs to watch out for.
The most common physical and behavioral signs of opium abuse and addiction are:
Some common signs of opium abuse are listed below:
Once a substance use disorder is identified, it's vital to seek support as soon as possible. Some people are able to shed their abuse and addictive habits by talking to their doctor about adjusting their current prescription.
Opium is a highly addictive and dangerous narcotic drug that is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy. Opium and heroin are very closely related, given that they come from the same plant.
Because of this close relationship, heroin and opium have very similar effects, although they are ingested in different ways and at different concentrations. However, they both cause serious long-term side effects; can rapidly lead to addiction, dependence, and tolerance; and can also rapidly cause an overdose.
Methadone was first discovered in 1965 through the groundbreaking research of scientists at the Rockefeller Institute. Those early studies demonstrated methadone's remarkable ability to alleviate withdrawal and craving and improve the ability to function emotionally and socially.
In the subsequent decades, the evidence supporting methadone's positive effects has grown. These include significant reductions in drug use, new HIV infection, crime, and death from overdose.
The research is so strong that methadone, along with buprenorphine (Suboxone), has been added to the World Health Organization's list of essential medications. And yet despite this, only a minority of programs offer methadone treatment and the undeserved shame associated with this lifesaving medication persists.
Because there is a risk of diversion to the illicit market, program enrollees must come to specialized clinics for methadone for their daily dose. A single dose lasts 24-36 hours. Some methadone clinics also provide other medical and social services.
Struggling with a substance abuse problem, such as an addiction to heroin or opium, can lead to serious consequences in every realm of life. It is important to get help as soon as possible to overcome problems with drugs. Medical detox is always required to withdraw from these substances, and it should be followed by a complete program of therapy while dealing with opium addiction.