The difference between all these drugs is how quickly they reach the opiate receptors and then in how much it takes to activate the receptors, or their potency. Serious dependence and addiction develops quickly as well as tolerance. The suppression of pain and breathing decrease over time, but constipation and pinpoint pupils do not, but enough of euphoria to keep abusers hooked. WIthdrawal is miserable, but not life threatening. Early signs are watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, and sweating like the flu.
Biggest problem is withdrawing- addicts just feel bad for months and see the drug as a cure.
Patterns of Use SOme maintain steady habits of infrequent use, but most quickly escalate to using every 4 to 6 hours. Surprisingly, most addictions have a pattern of lasting 10 to 15 years when the addict finally quits. Doctors are not sure why. Short Term Effects OD occurs often as user simply stops breathing. Major problem is many are in poor health, so will pose a larger problem.