which medications are opioids
Some types of opioid drugs include: 1  codeine (only available in generic form) 2  fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora) 3  hydrocodone (Hysingla ER, Zohydro ER)  hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, 1  Vicodin) hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo)  meperidine 1  (Demerol) methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)
Your brain on opioids. A lot of different drugs are called opioids. As we mentioned, many of them are prescription medications used for pain relief (like after you have dental surgery), but heroin is also an opioid. Opioid drugs bind to opioid receptors on cells in the brain and throughout the body.
When used properly, opioids such as morphine have long been known to help the severe pain that follows surgery and to alleviate the suffering of people with advanced cancer. Recently, morphine and similar drugs have been used to treat chronic pain not caused by cancer. For many people, they have been remarkably helpful; for others, it either hasnât worked or has created problems over time. Taken as directed, opioids can manage pain effectively when used for a short amount of time. With long-term use, people need to be screened and monitored because a fraction of those treated will develop an addiction disorder, abuse the drugs, or give them to others.
Opioids Used to Treat Chronic Pain. 1  Codeine -- Codeine is a pain medication that is taken by mouth. It is short-acting, meaning it lasts only for a few hours per dose. 2  Oxycodone -- Oxycodone is available in both a short-acting and long-acting pain medication form.