Opiate Painkillers

WHAT ARE OPIATE PAINKILLERS?

Opiate painkillers are medicines usually prescribed. Most opioid painkillers are not illegally manufacture but diverted from a prescription. As of 2018 a prescription is needed to purchase all Opiates painkillers in Australia.

OTHER NAMES:

Brand names: – Tylenol III, Demerol, Vicodin, Percocet, morphine, , OxyContin, Oxycodone, MS Contin, , Panadiene, Panadiene Forte, Codeine, Mersyndol
Nicknames: – captain cody, schoolboy, doors and fours, loads, M, monkey, white stuff, demmies, pain killer, apache, China girl, goodfella, jackpot, TNT, Oxies, hillbilly heroin

EFFECTS:

• Opiate painkillers can be ingested, snorted or injected.
• The effects of opioid painkillers include pain relief, feelings of wellbeing, contentment, relaxation and sleepiness as well as drowsiness, constipation, vomiting, sweating, itching.
• If you had too many opioids you might have shallow breathing, bluish lips, or an inability to be roused or woken. Call an ambulance if anything like this happens for you or someone you are with.
  DURATION
• Duration depends on the type, amount and the way you take it (administration).
• You might feel the effects from 15 minutes and can last up to 36 hours.
• Some opiates can stay active in the body for up to a couple of days even if you don’t feel the effects.
  OVERDOSE
• Shallow breathing, blue lips, inability to be roused or woken. An ambulance should be called if any of these symptoms occur.

SOME COMMON HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Encourage a young person to: –

• Use somewhere safe and around people you trust
• Follow the instructions on the pack (if available)
• Carry Naloxone (Narcan) – It reverses the effects of heroin and other opioids and can be injected given easily by a nasal spray or injection into the muscle
• Wait at least 30 minutes after eating.
• If injecting, use safe injecting practices
• Understand snorting and injecting delivers a more concentrated immediate dose
• Avoid using opioid painkillers with other substances especially other depressants such as benzos or alcohol because this significantly increases the risk of overdose.
• Call an ambulance if an overdose is suspected

NB: Naloxone is available from these pharmacies free of charge: Take home naloxone program

This is only a little bit of information check out Harm Reduction Victoria’s fact sheet or the ADF’s comprehensive info on painkillers which includes opioid painkillers.