Lecture 5 Flashcards
How are the phramacokinetics of Smoking and IV?
They are virtually the same
What happens to people who take opiates that are not in pain?
Sometimes people start throwing up, get nauseous and dizzy, but others find it pleasurable and eurphoric
What are the 4 stages of intoxication for a drug taken IV or smoked
The rush, the nod, the high, and the being straight
What is “The Rush”
Lasts for about a minute, like an orgasms, most extraordinary experience, very euphoric
What is “The Nod”
A sleepy feeling, lasts 15-20 minutes, unaware of surroundings and escape from reality. Tolerance develops
What is “The High”
General feeling of well-being, pleasant dream-like state, a lot of energy and strength can last for several hours
What is “The Being Straight”
Feeling perfectly normal, not eurphoric or nod, just okay, after 8-12 hours withdrawal symptoms kick in
How does Morphine compare to Heroin
Heroin is about 3 times more potent, can cross membranes more easily with extra methyl group
Patterns of opiate use
Drug began with medical treatment or recreational use of opiates and moving onto addictive patterns
What is a Chronic User
Junkie, cares more about where and when his next fix is rather than care about the family and bills. Fears the withdrawal more than death, 96% inject the drug
What is a Chipper
Occasional opiate user, nondependent, can go on for years without being addicted. Will have constraints (rules) on their use.
Tolerance
Shortened duration and decreased intensity of action. It will take more of a drug to produce the same effect or the same dose will produce less of an effect
What becomes tolerant with opiates
Analgesia, euphoria, sedative effects, respiratory depression, lethal effects
What is conditioned reinforcement?
Conditioned stimuli can be associated with positive or negative properties of drugs (drug cues that trigger)
What is methadone
Methadone is an opioid antagonist used in the treatment process, prevents you from re-engaging in drug use by being taken as a substitute. Gets you up to satisfactory dosage then tapers you off. A person taking methadone doesn’t get high. Has a VERY LONG half-life so no withdrawal or craving, withdrawal is prolonged.
What is buprenorphine
Opioid partial agonist. Advantages over methadone: don’t need to take as much, doesn’t make you high but blocks heroin and morphine from binding AND also blocks opiate withdrawal. Withdrawal from buprenorphine is modest. Also has a long half-life like methadone
Partial Agonist
High affinity for a receptor but low efficacy, act like an agonist during drug withdrawal and antagonist during drug intoxication
What is Naloxene?
Opioid antagonist, not active orally must be taken with IV, the reason for it being in bloodstream is that it keeps people from diverting the buprenorphine into the IV use, so it helps prevents abuse of the buprenorphine
What does NOT become tolerant with opiates
Pupillary constriction and constipation
