SA 202 Week 3 lecture 3 opioids
- 1. Pharmacology of by Type of Opioids Brent Scobie, PhD
- 2. Codeine Mild analgesic potential 3 hour half-life Can suppress the cough reflex 1/5th the potency of morphine Usually administered orally Commonly mixed with OTC aspirin or acetaminophen (ex. Tylenol 3)
- 3. Fentanyl A synthetic opioid introduced in 1968 Popular during and immediately after surgery A typical intravenous dose is one microgram Suppresses respiration longer than it induces analgesia 8-10 hour half-life 100 times more potent than morphine
- 4. Heroin Heroin is just two morphine molecules joined together by an oxygen molecule Twice as potent as morphine .7-1.5 hour half-life Not used medically in the US but is used in other countries to treat severe pain Pharmacology of heroin Is metabolized into morphine Crosses blood-brain barrier 100 times more rapidly than morphine
- 5. Hydrocodone/ Hydromorphone Semisynthetic narcotic derived from codeine Used to control coughs and mild to moderate levels of pain relief Half-life of 3.8 hours Orally administered doses of hydromorphone are thought to be 5-7 times as potent as morphine Side effects include dizziness, sedation, mental confusion, anxiety, fear, nausea and or vomiting, dysphoria and respiratory depression
- 6. Methadone Synthetic opioid developed in the 1930’s Used as a substitute for morphine during WWII Used in Methadone Maintenance Programs Half-life of 24 hours About as potent as Morphine Tolerance to euphoria develops quickly Can induce cardiac arrhythmias both when used at therapeutic doses and when it is abused When used as prescribed has a very good safety profile
- 7. Morphine First isolated more than 150 years ago Usually administered by intramuscular or intravenous injections Half-life 2-3 hours Analgesic affects last approximately 4 hours
- 8. OxyContin Introduced in 1995 A time released form of oxycodone, a synthetic opioid Half-life 2-3 hours A relatively stable blood level of OxyContin could be reached after 2-3 doses, providing better pain control than could be achieved using short-acting narcotic analgesics OxyContin has become a major drug of abuse
- 9. Tramadol A distant cousin to codeine Used to treat mild to moderate levels of pain Half-life 6 hours Thought to be about as potent as morphine May be more toxic than originally thought