Opiates are drugs that come from the opium plant. Opiates become opioids through human-made development. While opioids have all the essential elements of opiates, they also include additional ingredients. This makes it a synthetic product and not a pure product. There are dozens of opiate vs opioid products that exist for both recreational and medicinal use.
Both types of drugs have equally addictive properties. Numerous studies have shown that you are just as likely to form a dependency on a prescription drug as you are an illicit drug off the streets. Both drugs can also be equally deadly if you overdose or use them for a long time. So, if you have an addiction to an opioid or opiate, then you should seek treatment at an opiate addiction treatment center in Portland Maine right away.
Opiate vs Opioid: Understanding the Difference
Regardless of their root substance, there are some differences between opioid vs opiate:
Opiates
As we stated earlier, opiates are natural chemicals or drugs that come directly from the opium plant. There are currently more than 20 different drugs that come from the opium plant. Of those 20, there are only four that the doctors use for medical use, including:
- Papaverine
- Morphine
- Thebaine
- Codeine
Morphine and codeine are among the most distributed and used drugs. Doctors give them to patients to reduce pain from a surgical procedure or injury. Although most prescription medications were designed for short-term pain relief, you may discover prescription drug addiction is prevalent.
Opioids
Opioids are synthetic opiates. This means that they are human-made or combined with other substances. Since these drugs are synthetic, they can easily be made into countless products. Some of the most common opioids include:
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Heroin
- Fentanyl
- Methadone
While many of these drugs are designed for medicinal use, substances such as heroin are widely known as recreational substances and prone to needing substance abuse crisis intervention as well.
Addiction to Opiate vs Opioid Substances
Since both opiates and opioids come from the plant, they have roughly the same effect on the mind. They can both inhibit pain signals while producing dopamine or serotonin neurotransmitters at the same time. This dual effect on the nervous system makes these drugs highly addictive.
You may become addicted to the drug within just a few days or weeks of taking it. Eventually, a dependency forms, and you feel like you can’t get through the day without it. This level of addiction can lead to multiple side effects. Even worse, you could overdose on the drugs.
Side effects can include fatigue, eating & sleeping problems, heart problems, psychosis, and other health issues. If you think that you have overdosed on opiates or opioids, then you should seek a medical detox center right away.
Do Not Let Opioid Addiction Destroy Your Life
If you have an addiction to alcohol or drugs, then you can get help from Liberty Bay. We offer comprehensive treatment for opiate vs opioid substances. Call us today at (855) 607-8758 to find out more. We can help you get on the road to recovery.
