Use of Opiate Drugs

Medical Use of Opiate Drugs Acute Psychological and Physiological Effects of Opiates Chronic Effects of Opiates Tolerance... 

The major medical use of opiate drugs is for their analgesic or pain-relieving effects. As noted, opiates have been used for this purpose for centuries and remain the most potent and selective pain relievers known to medicine. Unlike the depressant-type anesthetic drugs discussed earlier, opiate analgesics relieve pain without causing unconsciousness. After receiving moderate doses of opiates, patients remain conscious and arc able to report painful sensations but do not suffer from the pain. 

In Chapter 10 we discussed the use of opiate drugs in the treatment of pain. But the use of opiates for pain relief is usually reserved for severe cases. Many effective painkillers are available over the counter, and aspirin is the most widely known and used. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is closely related to a chemical found in the bark of the willow and other trees (salicylic acid). Willow bark was used in the treatment of painful conditions and fever by the ancient Greeks and by Native Americans. Salicylic acid was isolated and used as a pain reliever in Europe, but it causes severe stomach distress. It was not until the late 19th century that acetylsalicylic acid was synthesized and named aspirin by the. Bayer Company of Germany. Aspirin has come to be one of the most important drugs in medicine. It is marketed under the brand names Anacin, Bufferin, and Excedrin to name just a few, and more than 10,000 tons of aspirin are consumed in the United States every year (Julien, 2005). 

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