special subjects
Opioids
Symptoms and Signs of Opioid Toxicity or Withdrawal
Opioids cause immediate and sometimes long-term symptoms. Opioids dull pain and are strong sedating drugs, causing people to become drowsy and quiet. Opioids may also cause euphoria. Other, less desirable effects include Constipation Nausea and vomiting Facial flushing Itching Confusion (especially in older people) The products that result from the breakdown (metabolism) of the opioidmeperidinecan cause seizures. some opioids can cause a serious disorder called Serotonin Syndrome . This syndrome is characterized by confusion, tremors, involuntary muscle spasms or twitching, agitation, excessive sweating, and a high body temperature. A rare condition called spongiform leukoencephalopathy has been reported in heroin users who inhale the drug. Symptoms vary and may include motor restlessness, apathy, impaired coordination (ataxia), or paralysis. The symptoms may resolve, or they can progress to problems with the Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System and death. Taking too much of an opioid at once (overdose) is life threatening. In the United States in 2020, there were about 91,800 deaths from opioid overdose. Breathing becomes dangerously slow and shallow and may stop. The lungs may fill with fluid. Blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature may decrease, and pupils constrict (becoming like pinpoints). Eventually, people become unconscious or die, usually because breathing stops. Combining opioids with alcohol or other sedatives is even more lethal. Opioids themselves do not cause many long-term complications other than dependence. Some people have minor side effects such as chronic constipation, excessive sweating, sleepiness, or decreased libido. However, many Complications with another person and from unknowingly injecting other substances with the opioid. Opioid withdrawal is uncomfortable but rarely life threatening. Symptoms can appear as early as 4 hours after opioid use stops and generally peak within 48 to 72 hours. They usually subside after about a week, although the time frame can vary considerably depending on which opioid is used. Each opioid is eliminated from the body at a different rate, which alters how quickly withdrawal progresses and stops. Withdrawal symptoms are worse in people who have used large doses for a long time: At first, people feel anxious and crave the drug. Breathing becomes rapid, usually accompanied by yawning, perspiration, watery eyes, a runny nose, dilated pupils, and stomach cramps. Later, people may become hyperactive and agitated and have a heightened sense of alertness. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Other withdrawal symptoms include Gooseflesh Tremors Muscle twitching Fever and chills Aching muscles Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea easily cross the placenta and affect the fetus (see How Drugs Cross the Placenta ). Because babies born to women who use opioids have been exposed to the drugs their mothers have taken, they may quickly develop withdrawal symptoms, including Tremors High-pitched crying Jitters Seizures Rapid breathing If mothers take opioids immediately before labor and delivery, the baby’s breathing may be weak. 