BRAIN'S OWN OPIATES

Opiates and plasticity.

Opiates are among the most powerful analgesics and pain-relieving agents. However, they are potentially extremely addictive thereby limiting their medical use, making them exceedingly susceptible to abuse and adding to the global drug problem. It is believed that positive memories associated with the pleasurable effects of opiates and negative memories associated with dysphoria during opiate wi...

Exercise and Endogenous Opiates

Overdosing on opiates

Essential practice points from this article Part I of this article ( issue 4) identified the things drug users and others do or don’t do which affect the risk of overdose, and the influences which make these behaviours more or less likely. Key conclusion: overdose deaths are avoidable: rarely is taking heroin or taking a high dose the sole cause. Other factors turn potential risk into reality, ...

Exercise and Endogenous Opiates

The discovery of endogenous opiates in 1975 (1) generated considerable research concerning the effects of exercise on the release of these peptides, particularly on -endorphin, which represents the main focus of this chapter. Previous research considered changes in peripheral blood concentrations induced by different modes of physical activity, influences of training status on the secretion of ...

Opiates: Benefits and Overuse Potential

This study reviews opiates (endorphin agonists) in treatment of pain and addiction with specific focus on their addictive potential versus benefits. This review suggests endorphin agonists enjoy mood stabilizing and antidepressant properties and have been helpful in treatment of pain, mood and addictive disorders. The evidence is consistent with the observation that slow release opiate preparat...