Understanding the Medical Use of Narcotics

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Although there is a near epidemic in opiate addiction rates over the past decade, narcotic drugs continue to be prescribed because they are more effective than other classifications of drugs to alleviate pain.

The medical use of narcotic opiates provides a quick and effective means of alleviating pain symptoms as well as addressing other types of ailments, such as a chronic cough, severe diarrhea and severe injuries.

As certain types of narcotic opiates interact with brain processes in different ways than the standard pain-relieving effects, the medical use of narcotics has proven an effective treatment for opiate addictions as well. Ultimately, without the medical use of narcotics, many medical condition involving pain symptoms would leave sufferers in considerable pain.

Narcotics

As government-regulated controlled substances, prescription and over-the-counter opiates occupy Schedules II through IV of the controlled substances drug classes. Schedule I drugs carry the highest potential for abuse and addiction; drugs in this class have no known medicinal uses.

According to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Schedule II through IV substances all carry certain medical uses for narcotics, though Schedule II drugs pose the greatest threat for abuse and addiction within these classes. In effect, any drug’s abuse potential determines its class assignment, with Schedule V drugs posing the lowest potential for harm.

Despite their potential for addiction, the brain and body naturally respond to opiate effects in good and bad ways. Until medical advances bring about a more effective pain relief alternative, medical uses for narcotics will continue to prevail.

Narcotics as Pain-Relievers

Narcotics are commonly used in medicine.

As a group, narcotic opioids interact with the brain in one or more of three ways –

• Agonists produce pain-relieving effects
• Antagonists block the effects of pain-relieving opiates altogether
• Partial agonists can both produce and block pain-relieving effects

The medical use of narcotics as pain-relievers falls under the agonist category of opiates. According to the U. S. National Library of Medicine, agonist drugs, such as codeine, morphine and oxycodone, cause certain brain cells to secrete large amounts of endorphin neurotransmitter chemicals throughout the central nervous system.

As neurotransmitter chemicals regulate communications between the various brain regions, opiate narcotics can intercept and block pain signals coming from different areas of the body. While opiates do a good job at muffling pain sensations, the actual source of the pain is not treated.

Narcotics as Opiate Addiction Treatments

The medical use of narcotics as an opiate addiction treatment employs agonist, antagonist and partial agonist opiate agents. Agonist drug types, such as methadone, stimulate endorphin secretions in the brain as addictive opiates do, but carry a much lower potential for addiction.

Antagonist opiates work by blocking key brain cell sites, thereby preventing other opiate drugs from stimulating endorphin secretions, according to the University of Northern Iowa. These types of drugs are commonly used to keep a person from relapsing while in recovery.

Partial agonist drugs, such as Suboxone, contain both agonist and antagonist agents, which alleviate withdrawal and craving effects while at the same time preventing a person from abusing the treatment drug.

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