Wytheville, VA – ReVIDA® Recovery is a local opioid use disorder (OUD) rehab that recently released a blog article sharing insights into the strongest opioids. Their program consists of medication-assisted treatment as well as outpatient therapy for each of their clients.
“Opioids are either derived from or mimic the substances that are derived from the opioid poppy, which has a long history of being used for its relaxing and pain-relieving effects.
“They work by attaching themselves to the opioid receptors throughout your brain, spine, and stomach. Your body naturally produces certain opioids, like endorphins, which normally attach to your opioid receptors and help to naturally relieve pain. When you take an opioid, it floods your system with endorphins and other feel-good chemicals. Your body quickly begins to build a tolerance, meaning you need more opioids to get the same effect. This also means that the natural opioids your body produces no longer feel like enough, which makes it difficult to stop taking them. It’s this process that leads to the cycle of OUD.
“Some opioids have much more intense effects than others, and people with OUD will seek out stronger opioids over time. If this has happened to you or someone you know, it’s important to understand just how strong different opioids are,” the article reads.
Fentanyl is widely regarded as the strongest opioid. It is as much as 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, which are already two powerful opioids themselves. This makes fentanyl extremely dangerous, even in small doses. Like other opioids, fentanyl is usually smoked, snorted, or ingested. It is a synthetic opioid, which means that it is produced in a lab and doesn’t occur naturally. Fentanyl was first produced in 1959 as a tool for pain management, and it still has medical uses today.
Heroin is another powerful illegal opioid. Although it’s not as strong as fentanyl, that doesn’t make it less dangerous. It is hard to determine the exact potency of heroin because its strength varies depending on the specific type and the chemicals used during production. Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from morphine found in opium poppies. After extracting morphine from the poppy, it is combined with chemicals in a lab. In the past, doctors used heroin to treat morphine addiction in Civil War veterans and others who became dependent either through treatment or recreational use. However, it quickly became clear that heroin was even more potent than morphine.
Morphine is one of the oldest and strongest forms of opioids. It is a naturally occurring opioid that is extracted from opium poppies. The poppies have been used for thousands of years to treat pain and other maladies, as well as for recreational purposes. Morphine and other naturally occurring opioids in the flower, like codeine, are the alkaloids that cause their desired effects. Morphine commonly comes in pills for daily use and is administered intravenously in hospitals across the country. Since it’s a natural opioid, it is possible to extract morphine directly from the plant. However, it’s usually altered into a more potent opioid, like heroin.
“Every opioid comes with the risk of overdose, regardless of its potency. An overdose happens any time you take more opioids than your body can handle. Everyone’s tolerance levels are different, and taking the same amount as someone else can affect you much more intensely if your levels are low.
“Opioid overdoses have some distinct symptoms compared to other substances. The ‘death rattle,’ which is the sound of choking or snore-like gurgling coming from the person’s mouth and chest, is one of the most common signs of an opioid overdose. During the death rattle, breathing is shallow and erratic, and sometimes, breathing has already stopped. Other signs of opioid overdose include a bluish tint to the lips and fingertips on lighter-skinned people, a gray or ash tint on darker-skinned people, low body temperature, confusion, loss of consciousness, small, pinpoint pupils, slow heart rate, and excessive sweating,” the article continues.
ReVIDA® Recovery has helped many reclaim their lives from opioid use disorders. Besides providing life-saving treatment through Suboxone and Sublocade, they also offer outpatient therapy and connection to case workers. These help with securing connections to food, job, clothing, and housing resources.
To learn more about ReVIDA® Recovery, call 423-631-0432 or visit their website.
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For more information about ReVIDA® Recovery Center Wytheville, contact the company here:
ReVIDA® Recovery Center Wytheville
Kaissen
(276) 227-0206
generalinfo@revidarecovery.com
255 Holston Road
Wytheville VA 24382
