Opioids: Definition, History, and Further Reading
The term opioids refers to a broad class of drugs that interact with opioid receptors in the brain and body to produce a variety of effects. These drugs are typically used to reduce pain, but they can also produce euphoria, drowsiness, and other opioid-induced effects. Opioids have been used in medicine for centuries, but their use has become increasingly controversial due to their potential for abuse.
Definition
Opioids are drugs that mimic the effects of naturally occurring opioid substances (endorphins and enkephalins) by binding to opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. They are used to reduce pain and produce analgesia, but they can also produce other effects, such as euphoria, sedation, and respiratory depression. Commonly prescribed opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. Other synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are also available.
History
Opioids have a long and varied history of use in medicine. Opium, the dried latex of the opium poppy, was used as a pain reliever thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Morphine, the active component of opium, was first isolated in 1803 and was used for the treatment of pain during the American Civil War. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were developed in the 1960s as a more potent and effective alternative to morphine.
The use of opioids has become increasingly controversial in recent decades due to their potential for abuse and addiction. Overprescribing of opioids has been linked to the current opioid epidemic in the United States, which has caused thousands of overdose deaths and led to increased public awareness of the risks associated with opioid use.
Further Reading
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Opioids: Prescription opioid misuse & overdose. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/index.html
Manchikanti, L., Abdi, S., Atluri, S., Benyamin, R., Boswell, M.V., Bryce, D.A., … & Vallejo, R. (2012). American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) guidelines for responsible opioid prescribing in chronic non-cancer pain: Part 2–Guidance. Pain Physician, 15(3), S67-S116.
Volkow, N.D., & McLellan, A.T. (2016). Opioid abuse in chronic pain–Misconceptions and mitigation strategies. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(13), 1253-1263. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1507771