There are five stages: tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, cravings, and misuse:
- Opioids attach themselves to opiate receptors in the brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system, possibly treating any pain and causing feelings of euphoria, frequently referred to as a “high”. Soon thereafter, the body produces more receptors, so that a higher dose of opioid is needed to achieve the same effect.
- Dependence is a state in which the body is unable to function normally without regular doses of the opioid.
- Withdrawal is closely linked with dependence. This refers to the signs and symptoms experienced when the opioid is stopped. The symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Tremulousness
- Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating
- Cravings are thoughts of the need to take opioid drugs.
- Misuse is taking more than the prescribed dose of opioids, for non-medical purposes, often without a prescription, frequently from non-pharmaceutical sources (street drugs). At this point the drug can be laced with unknown and dangerous drugs (e.g. carfentanyl) and is frequently produced under non-sterile conditions.
Talk to your doctor if you believe you may be in one of these categories. Suboxone can be successfully prescribed for patients suffering from opioid-use disorder. QuickMD is able to prescribe this via telemedicine can help you get plugged in with counseling.