Opium
The Heroin, Morphine, And Codeine Drug Family F.A.Q.
Editor: Mike Hamilton
Updated by: www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/
Glossary on terms used in FAQ
Opioid Info:
Natural (known as opiates):
Morphine
Codeine
Semi-Synthetic (known as opiates):
Heroin
Hydrocodone (Hycodan)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
Meperidine (Demerol)
Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan)
Synthetic (also known as opioids):
Fentanyl (Sublimaze)
Methadone (Dolophine)
Propoxyphene (Darvon)
Pentazocine (Talwin)
Opioid Addiction and Withdrawal
The FAQ will use morphine as the standard opioid and base all other opioids in relation to it.
Glossary: Opiate - Narcotic analgesic that is either natural (morphine and codeine) or semi-synthetic (heroin, oxycodone, etc). Often incorrectly used to refer to entire family of opium based drugs.
Opioid - Narcotic analgesic that is fully synthetic (methadone, fentanyl, etc). Opioid is also the correct term to use to refer to entire family of opium based drugs.
IM - intramuscular injection
SC - subcutaneous injection
Morphine
Synopsis: Morphine is a naturally occurring substance in the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). It is a potent narcotic analgesic, and its primary clinical use is in the management of moderately severe and severe pain. After heroin, morphine has the greatest dependence liability of the narcotic analgesics in common use.
Morphine is administered by several routes (injected, smoked, sniffed, or swallowed); but when injected particularly intravenously, morphine can produce intense euphoria and a general state of well-being and relaxation. Regular use can result in the rapid development of tolerance to these effects.
Profound physical and psychological dependence can also rapidly develop. Withdrawal sickness upon abrupt cessation of use resembles many of the symptoms produced by a case of moderately severe flu.
Morphine is infrequently encountered in the North American street drug culture. However, mainly because of its availability in hospitals, there have been several documented cases of morphine dependence among health professionals.
Drug Source: Morphine is isolated from crude opium, which is a resinous preparation of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum.
Trade Name: Roxinal, MS Contain, Morphine Sulfate
Street Names: "M", morph, Miss Emma
Drug Combinations: Use of morphine plus cocaine, as well as of morphine plus methamphetamine, has been reported. However, such combinations are not as popular as heroin mixed with cocaine or methamphetamine.
Medical Uses:
* symptomatic relief of moderately severe to severe pain.
* relief of certain types of difficult or labored breathing.
* suppression of severe cough (rarely).
* suppression of severe diarrhea (e.g., that produced by cholera).
Physical Appearance: Morphine is legally available only in the form of its water-soluble salts. Most common are morphine sulfate and morphine hydrochloride. Both are fine white crystalline powders, bitter to the taste. Both are soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol.
Medical Dosage: For moderate to severe pain the optimal intramuscular dosage is considered to be 10 mg per 70 kg body weight every four hours. The typical dose range is from 5 to 20 mg every four hours, depending on the severity of the pain.
The oral dose range is between 8 and 20 mg; but with oral administration morphine has substantially less analgesic potency (approximately one-tenth of the effect produced by subcutaneous injection) because it is rapidly destroyed as it passes through the liver immediately after absorption.
The intravenous route is employed primarily for severe post-operative pain or in an emergency; in this case the dose range is between 4 and 10 mg, and the analgesic effect ensues almost immediately.
Nonmedical Dosage: Irregular or intermittent users (who are not substituting the drug for another narcotic analgesic) may start and continue to use doses within the therapeutic range (e.i., up to 20 mg).
However, regular users who employ morphine for its subjectively pleasurable effects frequently increase the dose as tolerance develops. To take several hundred milligrams per day is common, and there are reliable reports of up to four or five grams (4000 - 5000 mg) per day.
Routes Of Administration: Morphine may be taken orally in tablet form, and can also injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intravenously; the last is the route preferred by those who are dependent on morphine.
Other: Slight drop in body temperature; sweating; reduced libido; prickly or tingling sensation on the skin (particularly after intravenous injection).
Duration: 4 - 5 hours.
Dependency Potential: High, continued use results in both psychological and physical dependency.
Codeine
Drug Source: First isolated in 1832, codeine is found in concentrations of between 0.1% and 2% in raw opium (usually 0.2% and 0.8%). Because of the small concentrations found in nature, most codeine found in medical products is synthesized from morphine. It can also be synthesized from thebaine.
Trade Name: There are no commercial name products containing only codeine in US. Mainly found in combination products it can also be obtained in generic codeine only medications. Canada does have commercial name codeine medications available. One is a syrup available under name Paveral.
Street Name: T-three's (Tylenol #3 w/ codeine), schoolboy, cough syrup.
Medical Uses:
* relief of mild to moderate pain
* relief of non-productive cough
* relief of diarrhea
Drug Combinations: Sold under many name brand products, the most popular being the Tylenol with Codeine series, the number on the tablet corresponds to the amount of codeine and caffeine found in the each tablet.
Note: all Tylenol tablets contain 300 mg of acetaminophen.
Tylenol #1 w/ codeine - 8 mg codeine, 15 mg caffeine.
Tylenol #2 w/ codeine - 15 mg codeine, 15 mg caffeine.
Tylenol #3 w/ codeine - 30 mg codeine, 30 mg caffeine.
Tylenol #4 w/ codeine - 60 mg codeine, no caffeine.
Fiorinal (aspirin, caffeine, barbital, codeine).
Many other brand name product combinations.
Physical Appearance: Tylenol w/ codeine series are imprinted with number on one side and other side is Tylenol label (McNeil).
Controlled Substance Status: As a single product codeine is a schedule II controlled substance in the US. When combined with other non-controlled substance, and depending on amount per dose unit, codeine combined products range from schedule III to V.
Canada has OTC (over the counter) codeine products available if product has no more than 8 mg of codeine per unit dose. Some US areas may have codeine preparations available OTC, but usually require release form.
As an interesting fact, a travelers handbook noted that Greece has banned codeine in that country (no idea on what it's status is now) so be careful when traveling there.
Medical Dosage:
Pain relief: 30mg to 220mg oral or equivalent dose SC or IM.
Diarrhea relief : 10mg to 20mg orally.
Cough suppressant : 5mg to 15mg orally.
Nonmedical Dosage: Doses can range from 30mg up to 400mg. LD50 for codeine is 800mg in a average non-tolerant person. At doses greater than 250mg adverse effects tend to arise, including intense itching, flushed skin, dizziness, sedation, nausea and vomiting.
Routes Of Administration: Usually taken orally but can be injected IM or SC. The IV route is not recommended as reactions such as facial swelling, pulmonary edema and convulsions can occur. Sniffing codeine irritates the nose and throat and is not recommended.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours.
Dependency Potential: Moderately low, much less potential than morphine.
Hydromorphone
Drug Source: Synthetically produced from morphine.
Trade Name: Dilaudid
Street Name: Dillies
Medical Uses
* relief of moderate to severe pain
* relief of severe cough
Drug Combinations: Most commonly used as a single product.
Physical Appearance: Usually bought as tablets, or injectable solution.
Controlled Substance Status: Hydromorphone, like most single product opioids, is a schedule II opioid.
Medical Dosage
Pain relief: 1mg to 2mg.
Nonmedical Dosage: Same as pain medical dosage.
Routes Of Administration: Can be administered orally, by three routes of injection, and by sniffing. Unknown if smoking is an effective route.
Other: Although hydromorphone's euphoria pales with other opioids it's abuse potential comes from the fact the rush experienced from IV use is very similar to heroin's.
Hydromorphone is one of the most used opioids in the relief of pain for the terminally ill. The reasons being it's minimal side effects, and high potency.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours.
Dependency Potential: Moderately high.
Meperidine
Drug Source: Meperidine is completely synthetic and can be produced with dichlorodiethyl methylamine and benzyl cyanide.
Trade Name: Demerol.
Street Name: Demmies.
Medical Uses:
* originally found to be useful for muscle spasms but the discovery of it's analgesic properties has resulted in it's almost exclusive use for relief of moderate to severe pain.
Drug Combinations: Usually found as a single product, with few combination products. Is found in combination with acetaminophen in Demerol APAP.
Physical Appearance: Demerol tablets are small white tablets with the name Winthrop on one side.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule II substance in US.
Medical Dosage
Pain relief: 50mg to 150mg injected or 200mg to 300mg oral.
Nonmedical Dosage: Doses similar to those used in medical settings are used in recreational use.
Routes Of Administration: Orally, three injection routes, and sniffing are possible, unknown if smoking is possible.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours.
Dependency Potential: Reported to be less than or equal to that of morphine.
Oxycodone
Drug Source: Synthesized from the opium alkaloid thebaine. The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) has been the chief source of thebaine. Thebaine is usually found in concentrations of less than 1% in raw opium from Papaver somniferum.
However, there is a strain of Papaver somniferum that has been bred especially for a high concentration of thebaine (around 20%). Papaver bracteatum (also called Papaver orientale) is cultivated in some areas because it has high concentrations of thebaine and almost no morphine. Little to no morphine means the latex can't be converted into heroin or smoked as opium.
Trade Name: Oxycodone.
Street Name: Oxy, Ox, Percs, Percies.
Medical Uses
* relief of moderate to severe pain
Drug Combinations: Can be found by itself as a single product, or a compound product combined with aspirin or acetaminophen. Available in Canada as a single product in the form of a suppository (ouch).
Percodan is aspirin and oxycodone.
Percocet is acetaminophen and oxycodone.
Physical Appearance
--- Oxycodone is available in 5mg and 10mg doses. 5mg tablets can be white, orange/pink, and maybe other colors. Also available in 5mg capsules. 10mg tablets are white.
--- Percodan tablets are color coded according to quantity of oxycodone in each tablet, the pink are 2.5mg, the orange are 5mg, the green are 10mg.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule II in US.
Medical Dosage
Pain relief: 5mg to 20mg (or more) oral or 5mg to 15mg by injection.
Nonmedical Dosage: Doses similar to those used in a medical setting are used.
Routes Of Administration: Can be administered orally, three injection routes, sniffed and possibly smoked.
Other: OxyContin, a time release formulation of oxycodone, was introduced by Purdue Pharma in 1995. Developed for treating pain continuously for up to twelve hours at a time. In most cases it need only be taken two to three times daily. If oxycodone was used, it would need to be taken four to six times a day to get the same results.
OxyContin is (or has been) available in 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 milligram strengths. An oxycontin 20 contains 20mg of oxycodone, an oxycontin 80 contains 80mg of oxycodone, etc.
Roxicodone is another form of oxycodone.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours for oxycodone. Time release preparations like OxyContin last longer.
Dependency Potential: Moderately high.
Fentanyl
Drug Source: Synthetically produced.
Trade Name: Sublimaze.
Street Name: China White.
Medical Uses: Mainly relief of moderate to severe pain and as a surgical anesthetic.
Drug Combinations: None.
Physical Appearance: Found as a injectable solution, and a transdermal patch.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule II in US.
Medical Dosage
Pain relief: 50ug to 200ug. Measured in micrograms, millionths of a gram. Other drugs on this page are measured in milligrams, thousandths of a gram.
Nonmedical Dosage: Same range as medical use.
Routes Of Administration: Can be administered via three injection routes, sniffed and smoked.
Duration: 1 - 2 hours.
Dependency Potential: Moderately high.
Methadone
Drug Source: Synthetically produced.
Trade Name: Dolophine.
Street Name: Dollies.
Medical Uses: Occasionally used for pain relief, but main use is in opioid withdrawal treatment as a substitute drug.
Drug Combinations: None.
Physical Appearance: Found as a fruity solution for oral use, in wafers, and tablets also found as a injectable solution.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule II in US.
Medical Dosage: 3mg to 5mg provides same pain relief as 10mg morphine.
Nonmedical Dosage: Rarely used non-medically, but doses used are about the same as medical doses.
Routes Of Administration: Can be injected via three routes, taken orally, unknown if methadone can be smoked.
Other: Developed by Nazi Germany during W.W.II as Germany was unable to acquire adequate supplies of morphine.
Duration: First dose last about 8 hours and subsequent doses last 18 - 24 hours.
Dependency Potential: Oral use provides little euphoria so little abuse potential in that form. When injected, methadone give very similar effects to morphine so has similar addiction potential.
Propoxyphene
Drug Source: Synthetically produced with similar structure to that of methadone.
Trade Name: Darvon, Darvon N.
Street Name: None.
Medical Uses: For relief of mild pain.
Drug Combinations: Darvon compound is aspirin and propoxyphene.
Physical Appearance: Darvon N as pink oval pills.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule III in US.
Medical Dosage: Range from 50mg to 150mg.
Nonmedical Dosage: Similar to medical dose ranges.
Routes Of Administration: Can be taken orally, three possible injection routes, no info on possible intranasal or smoked administration.
Other: IV use is reported to give rush similar to heroin; mild analgesic with standard dose providing pain relief similar to standard aspirin dose. Mild euphoria in some users that have little or no experience with opium related drugs, when taken orally in doses of 200mg or higher.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours.
Dependency Potential: Low
Pentazocine
Drug Source: Synthetically produced.
Trade Name: Talwin.
Street Name: Yellow Footballs.
Medical Uses: For relief of moderate to moderately severe pain.
Drug Combinations: Talwin NX - pentazocine and nalaxone (opioid antagonist).
Physical Appearance: Usually found in orange-yellow tablets.
Controlled Substance Status: Schedule III.
Medical Dosage
Pain relief: 50mg to 100mg.
Nonmedical Dosage: Similar to medical dosage.
Routes Of Administration: Can be taken orally, three injection routes, sniffed, possibly smoked.
Other: As a opioid agonist/antagonist has potential to cause psychotic effects such as hallucinations, severe confusion.
Duration: 3 - 4 hours.
Dependency Potential: Moderate potential, similar to hydrocodone.
Opioid Dependence And Withdrawal
Opioids have specific withdrawal and dependence characteristics common to all opioids, varying according to the specific drug. All opioids cause both physical and psychological dependence with prolonged use. Depending on the opioid in question withdrawal can become evident after continued use in as little time as 2 weeks or as long as 2 months.
Withdrawal is commonly overstated by media and tends to be similar to bad case of flu. This is due to the fact that most opioid users don't tend to be able to acquire enough drug to result in severe withdrawal. It must be noted that physical symptoms may be similar to flu, psychological symptoms can be very painful. Depression, mood swings, hypersensitivity to pain are some common symptoms.
Opioid withdrawal DOES NOT endanger life as does alcohol and other depressant withdrawal.
Books Hydroponic Heroin:
How to Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil
Although this book is out of print, it is worth getting if you can find it for a good price. It shows how to grow opium poppies with a hydroponic set up. From how to sprout the seeds and care for the plants to harvesting. This is the book to get if you want to try growing the opium poppy indoors, in a hydroponic environment.
A short history of opium is presented along with the risks of addiction, pain of quitting, obtaining materials, laws, dosages, overdose antidotes and more. Shows how to harvest raw opium from the opium poppies you have grown and describes how to convert the opium to morphine or heroin.
Hydroponic Heroin The Heroin User's Handbook
The author is a doctor and former heroin user. He does a very good job of describing heroin from the users point of view. Although it is written about heroin, anyone who uses opium based drugs will benefit from reading it. An important part of the book is how to use this class of drugs without becoming addicted.
In addition to how to use without getting addicted, the book covers many other aspects of heroin use including how to get it, safe injection techniques, smoking and snorting procedures, chemically purifying street heroin, dealing with the legal system, social aspects of heroin use, detoxing yourself, and more.
The Heroin User's Handbook
Opium Related Books About Opium And Related Drugs More Opium And Related Drug Articles Various Opium And Related Drug Links