Narcotic analgesics (also called opiates, opioid analgesics, or narcotics) are a group of medicines that relieve acute and chronic severe pain by binding to opioid receptors. There are at least four opioid receptors: mu, delta, kappa and opioid receptor like-1 (ORL1) receptor. These influence the opioid system which controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors. Opioid receptors are most abundant in the brain but are also found elsewhere in the body, including the digestive tract, respiratory tract and spinal cord.
Pleasurable activities (such as laughing and loving) release natural endorphins, dynorphins, and enkephalins which activate opioid receptors, improving our mood. Opioid receptors can also be activated by exogenous compounds, for example narcotic analgesics. Most narcotic analgesics act on the mu receptor and are very effective at relieving pain, but unfortunately, also activate reward pathways meaning that narcotic analgesics have a tendency to cause addiction, dependence and tolerance (where increasing dosages are needed to provide the same pain-relieving effect). Morphine and codeine are alkaloid opiates because they occur naturally. Heroin, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone are semi-synthetic because they are made by modifying morphine.
Common side effects of opiates include constipation, itch, low blood pressure, miosis (excessive constriction of the pupil of the eye), nausea, sedation, urinary retention, and respiratory depression. Most are also effective at suppressing the urge to cough. Different narcotic analgesics have different potencies, based on how strongly they bind to the opioid receptor, meaning dosages vary considerably from one narcotic to the next (for example, fentanyl is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine).
Drug Name  ( View by: Brand | Generic )
|
Reviews |
Ratings |
Zohydro ER (More...)
generic name: hydrocodone
|
31 reviews | | 8.4 |
Xtampza ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
8 reviews | | 3.3 |
Vantrela ER (More...)
generic name: hydrocodone
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Ultram ODT (More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
8 reviews | | 8.8 |
Ultram ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
30 reviews | | 7.5 |
Ultram (Pro, More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
204 reviews | | 6.4 |
Ultiva (Pro, More...)
generic name: remifentanil
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Talwin (More...)
generic name: pentazocine
|
6 reviews | | 5.3 |
Sufenta (Pro, More...)
generic name: sufentanil
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Subutex (More...)
generic name: buprenorphine
|
82 reviews | | 9.2 |
Subsys (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
12 reviews | | 8.6 |
Sublimaze (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
6 reviews | | 8.1 |
Stadol (Pro, More...)
generic name: butorphanol
|
37 reviews | | 8.1 |
Ryzolt (Pro, More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
11 reviews | | 6.2 |
Rybix ODT (Pro, More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
0 reviews | | 7.5 |
Roxicodone Intensol (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
5 reviews | | 10 |
Roxicodone (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
54 reviews | | 9.0 |
Roxanol-T (More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
Roxanol (More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
RMS (More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Probuphine (Pro, More...)
generic name: buprenorphine
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Paregoric (More...)
generic name: opium
|
7 reviews | | 8.7 |
Palladone (Pro, More...)
generic name: hydromorphone
|
1 review | | 10 |
OxyIR (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
4 reviews | | 7.8 |
Oxyfast (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
4 reviews | | 10 |
Oxydose (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
1 review | | 8.5 |
OxyContin (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
260 reviews | | 8.7 |
Oxecta (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Oxaydo (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
3 reviews | | 3.3 |
Oramorph SR (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
3 reviews | | 6.9 |
Opium Deodorized (More...)
generic name: opium
|
2 reviews | | 9.0 |
Opana ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxymorphone
|
81 reviews | | 7.7 |
Opana (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxymorphone
|
87 reviews | | 8.1 |
Onsolis (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
Numorphan (Pro, More...)
generic name: oxymorphone
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
Nucynta ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: tapentadol
|
51 reviews | | 7.5 |
Nucynta (Pro, More...)
generic name: tapentadol
|
209 reviews | | 6.5 |
Nubain (Pro, More...)
generic name: nalbuphine
|
22 reviews | | 7.7 |
MSIR (More...)
generic name: morphine
|
2 reviews | | 8.7 |
MS Contin (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
83 reviews | | 8.0 |
MorphaBond (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Methadose Sugar-Free (More...)
generic name: methadone
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Methadose (Pro, More...)
generic name: methadone
|
33 reviews | | 9.0 |
Methadone Diskets (More...)
generic name: methadone
|
29 reviews | | 9.4 |
Meperitab (More...)
generic name: meperidine
|
3 reviews | | 9.8 |
Levo-Dromoran (Pro, More...)
generic name: levorphanol
|
3 reviews | | 7.8 |
Lazanda (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
1 review | | 10 |
Kadian (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
44 reviews | | 8.2 |
Ionsys (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
Infumorph (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
2 reviews | | 9.0 |
Hysingla ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: hydrocodone
|
51 reviews | | 4.6 |
Fentora (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
13 reviews | | 9.3 |
Exalgo (Pro, More...)
generic name: hydromorphone
|
32 reviews | | 7.9 |
ETH-Oxydose (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Duramorph (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
4 reviews | | 6.2 |
Duragesic-100 (More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
12 reviews | | 8.6 |
Duragesic-75 (More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
8 reviews | | 8.2 |
Duragesic-50 (More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
10 reviews | | 8.5 |
Duragesic-25 (More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
5 reviews | | 7.9 |
Duragesic-12 (More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
1 review | | 5.7 |
Duragesic (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
34 reviews | | 8.4 |
Dolophine (Pro, More...)
generic name: methadone
|
20 reviews | | 9.1 |
Dilaudid-HP (Pro, More...)
generic name: hydromorphone
|
7 reviews | | 7.5 |
Dilaudid (Pro, More...)
generic name: hydromorphone
|
268 reviews | | 8.5 |
DepoDur (More...)
generic name: morphine liposomal
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Demerol (Pro, More...)
generic name: meperidine
|
58 reviews | | 9.1 |
Dazidox (More...)
generic name: oxycodone
|
1 review | | 10 |
Darvon-N (More...)
generic name: propoxyphene
|
3 reviews | | 7.8 |
Darvon (Pro, More...)
generic name: propoxyphene
|
6 reviews | | 7.1 |
ConZip (Pro, More...)
generic name: tramadol
|
1 review | | 5.2 |
Butrans (Pro, More...)
generic name: buprenorphine
|
150 reviews | | 6.8 |
Buprenex (Pro, More...)
generic name: buprenorphine
|
4 reviews | | 8.3 |
Belbuca (Pro, More...)
generic name: buprenorphine
|
47 reviews | | 3.8 |
Avinza (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
32 reviews | | 7.9 |
Astramorph PF (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 10 |
Arymo ER (Pro, More...)
generic name: morphine
|
0 reviews | | 0.0 |
Alfenta (More...)
generic name: alfentanil
|
0 reviews | | 5.5 |
Actiq (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
16 reviews | | 9.2 |
Abstral (Pro, More...)
generic name: fentanyl
|
2 reviews | | 7.6 |
