Opioids are legal when they are taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider. Illegal opioids are traded or sold outside of medical settings or “on the street.” It's wise to understand the risks before taking this strong narcotic.
Pain-numbing medicines made from the opium poppy plant are called opiates. Man-made versions of these drugs are opioids. Opioids, also known as narcotics, are used to manage pain. Opioids are an important pain management option, but they also have a number of side effects, including physical dependency. Dependency is when your body becomes used to opioids and goes into withdrawal when the medication is stopped. Prolonged use carries the risk of addiction and overdose. An opioid overdose, which causes your breathing to slow down, can cause death.
Opioids attach to receptors — a part of cells — found in the brain, spinal cord, and other areas of the body. They tell the brain to block pain and make you feel calm and happy. Opioids do not treat the cause of most painful conditions. They make your body feel the pain differently.
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The most common side effects of opioids are drowsiness and impaired judgment. When taking a narcotic pain medication, do not drink alcohol, drive, or operate heavy machinery.
Opioids can slow your breathing and lower your heart rate and blood pressure, so talk to your doctor and make sure these medications are safe for you, especially if you’re taking other medications.
Dangerous reactions can occur if you take too much, take them too often, or mix them with alcohol, illegal drugs, and some medications. These reactions could be fatal. Some people may also experience side effects like:
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Learn more about opioids and possible side effects from UPMC.
Since 1999, over 700,000 people have died from a drug overdose. In 2017, 130 Americans died each day from an opioid overdose (Centers for Disease Control data). The opioid crisis is a national public health emergency. The United States has 5% of the world’s population but uses 80% of the world’s opioids.
Commonly prescribed opioid pain meds
| Generic name | Ex. brand name |
|---|---|
| Codeine | Tylenol with Codeine® |
| Fentanyl | Duragesic® |
| Hydrocodone | Vicodin®, Lortab®, Lorcet® |
| Morphine | Kadian®, MS Contin® |
| Oxycodone | OxyContin®, Endocet®, Percocet® |
| Tramadol | Ultracet®, Ultram® |
Street names for illegally purchased opioids
| 357s | Dillies | Pinks |
| Apache | Dollies | Red Rock |
| Blue Heaven | Goodfells | Sizzurp |
| Captain Cody | Hillbilly | TNT |
| Chill Pills | Heroin | |
| China Girl | Horse | |
| Demmies | Hydros |
In Minnesota, 2,833 children were removed from their home due to a parent’s drug use in 2016.
| Minnesota | National | |
|---|---|---|
| Costs to the US economy | $31.8 billion from 1999 to 2015. | $504 billion in 2016. |
| Opioid overdoses & deaths | 422 overdose deaths in 2017 and 46% involved prescription opioids 2,037 emergency room visits for survived overdoses in 2017. 15 to 34-year olds visited the most emergency room in 2017-2017. | 47,000+ deaths in 2017 and 36% involved prescription opioids. 11.5 million people misused opioid medications in 2016. |
| Prescriptions | 3 million+ prescriptions handed out in 2017. 749 prescription drug arrests in 2017. | Prescription opioids increased almost 4 times, but Americans did not report lower pain levels (from 1999 to 2016). 3 out of 4 people who used heroin misused opioids first |
| Treatment | 10,332 treatment admissions in 2016. 89% capacity in Opioid Treatment Program in June 2017 | 2,000,000+ people have an opioid use disorder 20% of people get treatment |
After taking opioid pain drugs for a while, you might find that you need more and more of the drug to feel the same pain relief. This is called tolerance. It's not the same as addiction, which involves the uncontrollable use of a drug.
Opioids are a strong medicine that can be addictive. This means a person keeps using opioids even though it causes negative outcomes in their personal lives or workplace. Opioids can make your brain and body believe the drug is necessary for survival. Both legal and illegal opioids carry a risk of overdose if a person takes too much of the drug or if opioids are combined with other drugs.
When people take opioids with other drugs, this can cause even more problems. It is important to talk with your doctor about everything you take. Risks of opioid therapy include:
If you are worried about the amount of opioid pain medication you are taking:
Opioid pain medications are considered a narcotic and need to be stored securely.
When your medications are no longer needed, they should be disposed of properly. Do not keep these medications for later use.
Keeping old pills in your home puts you at risk for:
That’s why safe storage and disposal of medicines are so important.
Some pharmacies or law enforcement offices offer drug take-back programs. Check with your pharmacy or find a Drug Take Back location near you.
National Drug Take Back events happen at specific times throughout the year and are an opportunity for community members to safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs at no charge.
Avoid flushing prescriptions down the toilet or pouring in a drain because they can pollute water supplies. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has a web page about managing unwanted medications and a search for collection sites in Minnesota.
Earth911.com is a website all about being earth friendly. Click on where to recycle to search for medication takeback locations near you.
This information was created as a public health collaborative between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Health Partners, UCARE, Hennepin Health, Medica and South Country Health Alliance. Originally published in December 2019 at stratishealth.org- Opens in a new window