Opiates vs. Opioids: What’s the Difference?

Opioids and opiates have caused millions of people looking for pain relief to enter a cycle of addiction. The scary part is that many people dying from opioids aren’t recreational drug users looking for the next high; they were people prescribed these drugs by their doctors to treat chronic pain.

To understand how this epidemic has happened, it’s essential to understand the differences between opioids and opiates.

Opiates describe drugs derived from the flowering opium poppy plant. Morphine is an example of an opiate. These drugs have been linked to physical dependence, increased tolerance, and addiction.

Opioids are synthetic or made in a lab. When opioid receptors in the brain become activated, they produce feelings of pleasure and pain. All opioid drugs act on these receptors. Some are up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Opioid drugs used to treat pain include oxycodone and hydrocodone. These drugs are highly addictive and dangerous. Oxycodone exhibits the highest risk of abuse and poses the most significant dangers. It affects the nervous system in the same way as heroin.

• Opioids can have a negative impact on your emotions, breathing, digestion, and movement. • Fentanyl, a pain-relieving opioid, is 100 times more potent than morphine.

• Opioids are highly addictive and not meant to be used for chronic pain.

Current medical guidelines no longer recommend using opioids for most spinal pain. If you’re struggling with pain, movement based care such as chiropractic is often the best way to accelerate the healing process and put yourself in a position for long term relief. Call us today if you want to explore a relief path that doesn’t include medications.