Synthetic opioid drugs meperidine

Opiates are compounds extracted from the milky latex contained in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Opium, morphine, and codeine are the most important opiate alkaloids found in the opium poppy. Opium was used as folk medicine for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. In the seventeenth century opium smoking led to major addiction problems. In the first decade of the nineteenth century, morphine was isolated from opium. About 20 years later, codeine, one-fifth as strong as morphine, was isolated from both opium and morphine. In 1898, heroin, an extremely potent and addictive derivative of morphine was isolated. The invention of the hypodermic needle during the mid-nineteenth century allowed opiates to be delivered directly into the blood stream, which increases the effects of these drugs. Synthetically produced drugs with morphine-like properties are called opioids. The terms narcotic, opiate, and opioid are frequently used interchangeably. Some common synthetically produced opioids include meperidine (its trade name is Demerol) and methadone, a drug often used to treat heroin addiction. 

Opioids 2-3 days typically Up to 6 days with sustained-release formulations Up to 1 week with prolonged or heavy use Since the assay was made to detect morphine, detection of other opioids, such as codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other semisynthetic opioids, may be limited. Some synthetic opioids, e.g., fentanyl and meperidine, may not be detected. Drugs such as rifampin and some fluoroquinolones may cause false-positive results depending on the assay. 

Opioid drugs and peptides that bind to the opioid receptors produce the primary general and specific clinical effects summarized in Table 8.1. The opioids relevant to this review are those that are used in medicine today meaiung, therefore, the frequently administered analgesics, particularly morphine, codeine, and synthetic analogs such as fentanyl, meperidine, and methadone. 

Morphine, when extracted from raw opium and treated chemically, yields the semisynthetic narcotics hydromorphone, oxymorphone, oxycodone, and heroin. Heroin is an illegal narcotic in the United States and is not used in medicine. Synthetic narcotics are those man-made analgesics with properties and actions similar to the natural opioids. Examples of synthetic narcotic analgesics are methadone, levorphanol, remifen-tanil, and meperidine Additional narcotics are listed in the Summary Drug Table Narcotic Analgesics. 

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