The chronic use of opiates (i.e., narcotics such as the natural derivatives of opium including morphine or codeine) or opioids (i.e., semisynthetic derivatives of opium and other molecules that activate opioid receptors) induces dependence, which is associated with various specific behavioral and somatic signs after their withdrawal or after the administration of an opioid antagonist. Among the...

Pain is an unpleasant sensation that originates from ongoing or impending tissue damage. Management of different types of pain (acute, postoperative, inflammatory, neuropathic cancer) is challenging and yet the most frequent issue encountered by clinicians. Pharmacological therapy is the first line of approach for the treatment of pain and opioid drugs are prescribed for acute and chronic pain ...

BACKGROUND Chronic opioid treatment in animal models has shown to alter hematological parameters. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of opium on the number of peripheral blood cells and red blood cells (RBCs) indices in diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Peripheral blood samples were collected from diabetic, opium-addicted, diabetic opium-addicted and ...

BACKGROUND Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, especially delirium commonly occurs after cardiac surgery. Clinical evidences suggest an increase in delirium in opium abusers after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery. In this study, the prevalence of delirium in addict (opium user) and nonaddict patients after CABG were compared. METHODS In a cross-sectional study after obtaining inst...

Objective To describe an outbreak of lead poisoning among opium users in the Islamic Republic of Iran and estimate the number of affected people in the country. Methods We used data from the country's largest poison treatment centre to illustrate the epidemiology of an outbreak of lead poisoning in oral opium users. We describe the government's referral and treatment guidelines in response to...

BACKGROUND The effect of opium on glycemic control in diabetics is a controversial issue, as some studies have shown glucose lowering effect of opium in diabetes while the results of other studies do not support this idea. The possible role of opioid peptides in the regulation of food intake has been previously investigated. However, there is no data available about relationship between opium u...

Novel drug delivery systems for controlled-release of opioid agonists as a long time painkillers or opioid antagonists for opium, heroin, and alcohol addiction are under development or in clinical use today. In this article, the field of “new drug delivery systems” is momentarily reviewed from the viewpoint of the marketed opioid agonists/antagonists dosage forms today.

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of 1, 3 and 8 mg per day doses of buprenorphine in the maintenance treatment of opium-dependent subjects in Iran over a treatment period of 12 months. Participants were randomized to three equal groups (171 subjects per group) of opium-dependent individuals who met the DSM-IV criteria for opioid dependence and were seeking treatment. They were t...

Background: The risk of infectious, autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases and cancers rise in opioid addicts due to changes in innate and acquired immune responses. Three types of opioid receptors (К،δ،μ) are expressed on the surface of lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes. The present study was designed to examine the effects of different concentrations of opium on the secretion of some c...

first undisputed reference to "poppy juice" is found in the writings of Theophrastus in the third century B.C. the word opium being derived from the Greek word for "juice" the drug being obtained from the juice of the poppy Papaver sominiferum Arabian physicians were well versed in its uses and introduced the plant to the Orient Paracelsus, circa 1500, is credited with repopularising the drug i...