Opioid Use Disorder: Symptoms & Treatment

Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid use disorder stems from any recreational or outside use of a prescribed or illegal drug outside it’s normal realm of usage. Yale medicine defines opioid use disorder as “…as loss of control over use of opioids. This means that the person continues to use opioids despite negative consequences or is unable to stop using opioids despite wanting to” (Chen, 2017). The key words within this definition are “a loss of control” and “unable to stop…despite wanting to”.

These words show that the addiction is not intentional and cannot be stopped without treatment.

Symptoms of the disorder mainly include cravings which are not controllable in nature and an in ability to control the usage of opioids. The disorder usually affects social aspects of one’s life as well. These social hindrances may come in the form of strained personal relationships or finances. Other common physical symptoms can include elided speech, constipation, and shallow breath.

Causes of the disorder stems from illicit drug use.

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“Illicit drug use includes the use of illegal drugs and the non-medical use of legal controlled substances” (2018). The overuse of these types of medication allow both the physical and psychological addictions to increase over time. This disorder first was recognized in the early 1990’s during the opioid epidemic. Many Physicians did not fully understand the ramifications of prescribing opioids and other pain killers, so these drugs quickly become over prescribed within the American society. Over time this epidemic continued to take effect, but in a different form.

This different form is known as heroin.

Since heroin has a cheaper street value, there was a shift in the type of opioid that was being abused. With this shift, one could see a decline in the misuse of prescriptions pain-relievers and in increase in the use of illegal opioids. In order to diagnose someone with opioid use disorder, he or she must first go through a screening in which the DSM-5 is used. Typical criteria consist of:

• opioids taken in large amounts over a longer period of time,
• unsuccessful attempts at stopping or reducing opioid intake,
• the individual spends time actively seeking opioids,
• the opioids act as a form of social interference, and opioids are ingested in potentially hazardous conditions.

The main criteria which needs to be met consist of tolerance and withdraw. Tolerance can either come in the form as increased usage of an opioid; or lessened effects from the same dosage of an opioid. (Cva, 2017) Withdraw can be classified based of withdraw syndrome; or the substitution of an opioid for similar medication. Opioid use disorder is ironically mainly treated with medication. Buprenorphine-Naloxone is the most common medication in regard to this form of treatment. Buprenorphine-Naloxone is most commonly referred to has Suboxone.

Suboxone is used to try and wean patients off of opioids. It is most commonly coupled with therapy. “Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist medication. This medication activates the same receptors in the brain as any opioid, but only partly” (Wakeman, 2018). The Naloxone acts as an antagonizing agent, so if too much of the medication is ingested the naloxone will denature the excess amount in order to prevent an overdose. Another popular drug that stems from Suboxone is Subutex. Subutex is used for pregnant women who are addicted to opioids. This particular drug is beneficial, but does contain some negative implications Subutex does not prevent the fetus from becoming addicted to opioids. However, subutex will prevent the harm of physical developmental defects that would come to the fetus, if the mother where taking other opioids.

References:

1. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=ruhrc_reports
2. Chen, J. (2017). 3 Major Myths About Opioid Addiction. Retrieved from https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/opioid-addiction-myths/
3. Cva, K. (2017). Https://www.medwinpublishers.com/JOBD/JOBD16000139.pdf.
4. Journal of Orthopedics & Bone Disorders, 1(7). doi:10.23880/jobd-16000139
5. Sarah Wakeman, M. (2018). Comparing medications to treat opioid use disorder - Harvard Health Blog. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/comparing-treat-opioid-use-disorder 2018010313021