Opium alkaloids, mixed

No clinically significant interaction appears to occur between ci-metidine and butorphanol (intranasal), hydromorphone, morphine, pethidine or tramadol between famotidine and hydromorphone or between ranitidine and hydromorphone, morphine, or pethidine. However, isolated reports describe adverse reactions in patients taking methadone, morphine or mixed opium alkaloids with cimetidine, or morphine with ranitidine. 

A patient taking cimetidine 150 mg twice daily developed apnoea, confusion, and muscle twitching after receiving 7 doses of intramuscular Pantopon (hydrochlorides of mixed opium alkaloids) postoperatively. He required 4 doses of naloxone over the next 24 hours. ... 

Lin X, Wang J, Li L, Wang X, Lu H, Xie Z (2007) Separation and determination of five major opium alkaloids with mixed mode of hydrophilic/cation-exchange monolith by pressurized capillary electrochromatography. J Sep Sci 30(17) 3011—3017... 

The first series of compounds assayed directly by CD detection were the morphine alkaloids. They were supported in aqueous solutions, in a chiral cholesteric liquid crystal solvent, and mixed in pellet form with solid KBr. ° Contrary to expectations, the homogeneous aqueous solution medium gave the best selectivity among 10 related opiates and the most quantitative results. The pH-dependence of phenol substituted analogs, which in some instances caused the sign of the CD signal to invert, enhanced the selectivity. Heroin was assayed both directly and as the morphine hydroly-sate.f Direct multicomponent analyses were made for prepared mixtures of morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, and opium extracts. ... 

The chemical and physical appearance of illicit heroin varies depending upon its origin and synthesis. Pure heroin is a fine white powder, whereas illicit heroin varies in appearance from white to dark brown. Crudely processed heroin, known as black tar, is dark brown to black. The quantity and purity of heroin produced during illicit manufacture is a function of the alkaloidal content of the raw opium, the procedures used to extract morphine, and the techniques used during acetylation and the purification processes. Prior to distribution, illicit heroin is usually mixed with bulk diluents such as quinine. 

The opiate alkaloids are a mix of semisynthetic and synthetic compounds derived from or related to the extract of the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum. Specifically, the alkaloids are obtained from the latex, or milky, exudates of the seed pod that appear when it is cut or sliced. The liquid contains about 10% morphine and about 1.5% codeine, with various amoimts ( 0.2-8%) of papaverine, thebaine, and noscapine (Table 8.3). The... 

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