Opiates are drugs that are derived from the opium poppy. These include opium,
codeine, morphine and heroin.
Opioid means “opiate like” and takes into consideration that many of our modern analgesics are synthetically derived compounds with a chemical structure and drug effects similar to opiates. The synthetic drugs include methadone, oxycodone (Percodan/Percocet and oxycontin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone (Hycodan), fentanyl (Sublimaze or Duragesic) and meperidine (Demerol).
Note that these drugs can be used in many ways – opium was often smoked, many like oxycodone are taken orally, many are injected and some are snorted. Fentanyl has a transdermal (across the skin) preparation.
Opiate and opioid drugs are primarily used for their analgesic (pain killing) qualities although some modified compounds are used more for their antitussive (cough suppressant) qualities (dextromethorphan or DM) or to decrease diarrhea (Imodium or loperamide). Interestingly, neither of these last two opioid drugs cross the “blood-brain barrier” and therefore do not cause euphoria.
In addiction to decreasing pain they also will slow down your bowels and decrease respiratory effort and cough. Of all the effects these drugs possess it is the euphoria or comforting feeling that result in the recreational use and the abuse of the drug.
Our body produces natural opioids known as endorphins. The word endorphin literally means “the morphine within.” Indeed, these chemicals are functionally identical to morphine or heroin. Joggers often state they feel a "runner's high" when jogging and in fact they are experiencing an opioid high from endorphins. We don’t yet understand everything that these natural opioids do in the body, but evidence suggests that they are involved with pain control, learning, regulating body temperature, and many other functions.
In fact opioids are very
safe drugs in general. Unlike other drugs of abuse they do not have long term
permanent negative effects themselves. They do have several side effects but
these are not a result of organ damage and will resolve when the drug is stopped.
Adverse health effects that addicts experience are usually due to high risk
activities like needles, prostitution, trauma (fights etc) or the use other
drugs like speed and cocaine. Methadone does not cause long term organ damage.