Opioids

What Are Opioids?

are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Opioids are chemicals that bind to receptors in the brain and body associated with pain, reward, and addictive behaviors. Opioid medications are used by healthcare providers to relieve pain that cannot be treated with less powerful drugs. Opioid-related disorders are associated with overuse, misuse, and dependence on these drugs, and they include opioid-use disorder, opioid intoxication, and opioid withdrawal.

Examples of Opioids

• Buprenorphine
• Morphine
• Codeine
• Methadone
• Fentanyl
• Oxycodone (OxyContin®)
• Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
• Alfentanil
• Butorphanol
• Diphenoxylate
• Heroin
• Hydromorphone
• Levorphanol
• Loperamide
• Meperidine
• Morphine
• Opium
• Oxymorphone
• Pentazocine
• Remifentanil
• Sufentanil
• Tramadol