Codeine painkiller

Codeine (Cod), a powerful and addictive painkiller, is a weak base. 

A clue to possible treatments for pain was discovered in the 1970s when scientists found specialized receptor cells in neurons called opiate receptors. These receptors appeared to he well suited for accepting natural painkillers that occur in the body, such as the enkephalins and endorphins. Enkephalins and endorphins are naturally occurring painkillers similar in their action to opium, morphine, and codeine. 

Codeine is one of 40 individual chemical compounds (specifically, alkaloid compounds) found in opium. Only a few of the opiate alkaloids are used medically the analgesics (painkillers) morphine... 

The word analgesia is from the Greek an-, meaning not or without, + algesis, sense of pain. Codeine is more potent than other pain-relieving medications, such as aspirin and ibupro-fen, but less potent than the really serious painkillers—morphine, oxycodone -I- acetaminophen, hydromorphone. When a... 

Codeine, which could be derived either directly from opium or (more usually) from morphine, came to be preferred by many as a pain killer. Compared to morphine, codeine was less powerful as a painkiller but also produced less sedation and potentially dangerous respiratory suppression. Codeine is sometimes combined with aspirin or other drugs to provide moderate pain relief. However, steady users can become addicted to the drug. 

Codeine (C18H2iN03), a drug used in painkillers and cough medicines, is a naturally occurring amine that has Kb = 1.6 X 10 6. Calculate the pH and the concentrations of all species present in a 0.0012 M solution of codeine. 

The body s natural painkilling system, then, involves the interaction of endogenous opioids with neurons that transmit and process pain signals. Opioid medications such as codeine mimic the effects of certain endogenous opioids. However, ingested/injected opioids tend to produce much stronger effects than those of the endogenous variety. 

Oxycodone is derived from thebaine, one of more than 20 components known as alkaloids (including morphine and codeine) found in opium. In addition to being a primary component of oxycodone, thebaine also is a main ingredient of hydrocodone and hydromorphone, two other prescription painkillers. 

Oxycodone is available alone or in combination with either acetaminophen or aspirin. Its chemical structure is most closely related to codeine, but it has strong painkilling effects equal to those of morphine. 

Narcotics (opiates and opioids) are natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic derivatives of the opium poppy. Drugs such as morphine, codeine, heroin, methadone, Darvon, and Percodan fall into this category. They are all depressants, but they are also potent painkillers, and except for heroin (which is illegal) they are prescribed to relieve pain and to control coughing and diarrhea. But because of their pleasurable effects and addictive properties, they can cause problems when taken for nonmedical reasons. Most nonmedical users take these drugs to experience euphoria, to avoid pain, and to relieve withdrawal symptoms. —... 

Even if we cannot yet cure arthritis, there are things we can do to alleviate its symptoms. Simple painkillers such as paracetamol, ibupro-fen and codeine can be taken, and the combination of ibuprofen with a little codeine is particularly effective, a tablet will give relief for up to 6 hours. When such painkillers are no longer strong enough, then a... 

In the same way, organic bases such as amines can be dissolved by lowering the pH. Codeine (7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6-ol) is a commonly used painkiller. Codeine itself is not very soluble in water but it does contain a basic nitrogen atom that can be proto-nated to give a more soluble salt. It is usually encountered as a phosphate salt. The structure is com-... 

Amines occur widely throughout both plants and animals. Trimethyl-amine, for instance, occurs in animal tissues and is partially responsible for the distinctive odor of many fish quinine is an important antimalarial drug isolated from the bark of the South American Cinchona tree and codeine is an analgesic (painkiller) found in the opium poppy. 

The number of Americans abusing prescription drugs doubled from 7.8 million in 1992 to 15.1 million in 2003. The painkiller hydrocodone was used by 7.4% of college students in the United States in 2005. It is a semisynthetic opioid derived from two of naturally occurring opiates, codeine and thebaine. Production of this drug has increased in recent years. In Scandinavia, flunitrazapam, a sedative, is sold as Rohypnol, and it is widely known as a date-rape drug. ... 

Morphine and its 0-methylated derivative codeine are among the most effective painkillers known. However, they possess two serious drawbacks they are addictive, and repeated use induces a tolerance to the drug. Many morphine analogs have been prepared in an effort to find drugs that are equally effective as painkillers but that have less risk of physical dependence and potential for abuse. Following are several of these. 

Cyclobenzaprine is indicated as an adjunct to rest and physical therapy for relief of muscle spasm and it has been shown to have an opioid-sparing effect when used alongside weak and intermediate-strength painkillers such as codeine, dihydrocodeine, and hydrocodone. 

Some of our most important medicinal drugs have originated from plants. Lewis and Clark took Peruvian bark, or cinchona bark, with them as a medicine on their 1804 expedition from the eastern United States to the Pacific Coast and back. The bitter essence of cinchona bark is quinine, an amine drug that has been used to combat malaria. Quinine is responsible for the bitter taste of tonic water, a carbonated beverage (Figure 16.4). Some other amines that come from plants are caffeine (from coffee, a stimulant), atropine (from the deadly nightshade, used to dilate the pupil of the eye for eye exams), and codeine (from the opium poppy, used as a painkiller). 

Codeine, CigH2iN03, is an alkaloid (Ki, = 6.2 X 10 ) used as a painkiller and cough suppressant. A solution of codeine is acidified with hydrochloric acid to pH 4.50. What is the ratio of the concentration of the conjugate acid of codeine to that of the base codeine ... 

For many centuries morphine and codeine, alkaloids found in the oriental poppy plant, have been used as effective painkillers. Codeine, which is structurally similar to morphine, is used in some prescription painkillers and cough syrups. Heroin, obtained by a chemical modification of morphine, is strongly addicting and is not used medically. The structure of the prescription drug OxyContin (oxycodone) used to relieve severe pain is similar to heroin. Today, there are an increasing number of deaths from OxyContin abuse because its physiological effects are also similar to those of heroin. 

---