Narcotics (Opiate) Medications:
What are they & their side effects!

Narcotics! If you watch TV, read the newspaper or listen to the radio you will have definitely heard of narcotic medications.

Background Information:

• Narcotics are also known as Opiate or Opiod medications
• These medications are used to relieve pain in patients with chronic neck and back pain
• These medicationss are originally derived from the juice of the opium poppy
• Some are still made from the opium poppy, while others are man made
• Opiates come in powder, liquid or pill form and can be taken orally, applied as a patch or injected
• These types of meds should only be one (1) part of your treatment plan!

• Codeine (Tylenol® #3)
• Oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Percodan®)
• Morphine (MS Contin®, Oramorph®)
• Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)
• Fentanyl Patch (Duragesic®) :

How do Narcotics Work?:

• By attaching to something called an opiod receptor in the brain where they attach,;interfere & stop the transmission of pain messages to the brain.
• They also change your mental or emotional reaction to pain.
• Patients sometimes report still being aware of pain, but they don't have a big dislike to the pain.

Side Effects You May Experience :

• Sleepiness/drowsiness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Constipation
• Breathing difficulty at higher dosages
• Slowness in thinking
• May produce tolerance & addiction. Addiction is rare in most patients. Read Addiction: Understand the Facts & Don't be Scared for more information.

Opiod Pills vs Patches? Advantages of using a patch (example Duragesic) include:

• Fewer patients have fewer side effects such as:
  constipation, nausea and vomiting, and daytime drowsiness
• a higher degree of patient satisfaction
• improved quality of life,
• improved convenience and compliance resulting from administration every 72 hours
• Decreased use of break through or short-acting medication.