Though opium—the latex derived from the opium poppy—has been used for medicinal purposes for ages, it’s not without good reason that its use is strictly regulated today. Anyone who takes it risks not only becoming dependent but also overdosing on it. An opium overdose should never be taken lightly; in worst-case scenarios, it can lead to death.
Read on to learn more about opium overdose, including its signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, and more, in order to minimize the chances of falling victim to it.
What is Opium?
Opium is a potent and highly addictive opiate derived directly from the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). It is extracted in the form of a milky latex containing alkaloids like morphine and thebaine. These are often used to relieve pain resistant to non-opioid medications or synthesized to create semi-synthetic opioids.
Some examples of opium derivatives are:
Additionally, some street names for opium include Big O, Midnight Oil, and Dopium.
Opium is manufactured in liquid, solid, and powder forms and can be ingested in different ways, including smoked, taken orally, and injected intravenously. It reduces the perception of pain by interacting with opioid receptors. It can also cause intense feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and sedation, which can prompt some people to abuse the drug.
As a Schedule II controlled substance, opium has a high potential for dependence and addiction and should be taken strictly as prescribed.
Opium Usage in the US
Here are some insightful statistics illustrating the extent of opium use and abuse in the United States:
- Nearly 11,800 Americans died from an overdose caused by natural and semi-synthetic opioids, including opium, in 2022.
- In 2022, the most frequently misused prescription painkillers among people aged 12 and above were hydrocodone (45.1%), oxycodone (30.7%), and codeine (22.2%), all of which are derived from opium.
- Between 1999 and 2021, heroin overdoses claimed more than 150,000 lives across the United States.
- Close to 75% of all drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2020 involved opioids like opium.
Can You Overdose on Opium?
You can overdose on opium if you take a larger amount of it than your body can safely metabolize.
Opium misuse significantly increases the risk of opium overdose. Any time you take opium or its products in other ways than prescribed, you risk overdosing on it. If not treated on time, an opium overdose can result in coma, brain injury, and death.
The amount that could potentially cause an opium overdose varies from one person to the next. Some factors that could influence this include your weight, liver health, method of opium consumption, and opioid tolerance. The lower your opioid tolerance is, the more likely you are to overdose, even on small amounts of opium.
Carefully follow your doctor’s instructions to reduce the risk of opium overdose, and consult with them if you aren’t sure how much opium you should be taking. To avoid overdosing by accident, track your opium intake to ensure you don’t take an extra dose. If you miss one dose, skip it, as taking a double dose to make up for the missed one can lead to an overdose.
Is Opium Safe?
Opium is not safe, even though it is approved for medical use. While opioid overdose is one of the greatest risks associated with it, it isn’t the only one.
Prolonged opium use and abuse can also lead to opioid addiction, and everyone, including those who take this drug as prescribed, risks becoming dependent on it. This explains why opium is strictly controlled by the FDA and can only be obtained by prescription.
Moreover, opium can cause various short-term and long-term side effects, some of which may be dangerous. The common ones include:
- Itchy skin
- Dry mouth
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
Long-term opium use also increases the risk of opium dependence, addiction, respiratory depression, organ damage, and death.
Signs and Symptoms of Opium Overdose
The tell-tale signs and symptoms of an opium overdose include:
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Disorientation
- Slow heart rate
- Muscle weakness
- Constricted pupils
- Unresponsiveness
- Low blood pressure
- Extreme drowsiness
- Cold and clammy skin
- Loss of consciousness
- Discolored skin and lips
- Slowed, shallow, or stopped breathing
Opium overdose can often resemble a very strong high or opioid side effects, which is why it isn’t always easy to recognize when someone has taken too much opium.
When it comes to opium overdose, however, it is always best to take a “better safe than sorry” approach. If you notice anyone displaying any signs of an opium overdose, seek medical attention immediately. Receiving timely medical care is the only way to prevent an opium overdose death.
How Does Opium Affect Your Body?
Opium primarily affects your body by relieving pain. Once consumed, it attaches to the opioid receptors located in the central nervous system (CNS), thereby preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.
Moreover, opium can induce feelings of euphoria and deep relaxation by stimulating dopamine release, especially when taken in high doses. Since people are naturally inclined to repeat actions that cause a surge of dopamine, this dramatically increases the drug’s potential for abuse and addiction.
Repeated exposure to opium can also cause your brain to stop producing endorphins—the body’s natural pain relievers—and start creating increasingly more opioid receptors. Eventually, this leads to tolerance and dependence, causing your body to rely on opium to maintain normal function.
How Long Do Opium Effects Last?
Opium effects can last anywhere between 2 and 12 hours. How long the effects of opium last depends on various individual factors, such as the method of administration, dosage, and body weight.
When smoked, for example, opium starts working within 15 minutes, producing effects lasting 2–3 hours. Taking it orally, on the other hand, may delay the onset of effects but increase their duration.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what causes opium overdose.
What Causes Opium Overdose?
Opium overdose is caused by an excess of the drug in the system. In other words, consuming more opium than your body can tolerate will lead to an overdose.
Here are the main risk factors for opium overdose:
- Opium abuse. Taking opium in higher doses or more frequently puts you at an increased risk of opium overdose.
- Low opioid tolerance. Even small amounts of opium may be potent enough to cause an overdose in opioid-naïve people. Those who relapse are also at a higher risk of overdosing due to reduced tolerance.
- Mixing opium with other substances. Taking opium in combination with other substances, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other opioids, can cause respiratory depression and overdose.
The bottom line is that you can prevent an opium overdose by taking it strictly as prescribed and for medical purposes only.
Do not mix opium with any other substances, including herbal medicines and supplements, without your doctor’s permission. If you experience any side effects while taking the drug, talk to your doctor.
Opium Addiction vs. Opium Dependence
Opium addiction and opium dependence are two distinct conditions, even though some may use these terms interchangeably.
While opium dependence refers to the physical dependence on opioids marked by tolerance and opioid withdrawal symptoms, opium addiction is mainly psychological. People addicted to opium continue to take it regardless of the harmful consequences.
If you take opium for an extended period of time, you will eventually develop tolerance for it. Even if you follow your doctor’s directions, your usual dose will ultimately lose effectiveness. This is often the first sign of opium dependence. Opium-dependent people also need to take the drug to prevent uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
When left untreated, opium dependence can develop into an addiction. Unfortunately, many of those dependent on opium switch to illicit drugs if their healthcare provider refuses to renew their prescription. This can also make them more susceptible to opium addiction and overdose.
The main symptoms of opium addiction are:
- Feeling unable to control opium use
- Deteriorating work or school performance
- Taking opium despite the negative consequences that may emerge
- Being preoccupied with obtaining and using opioids
- Abusing opium by taking it in large doses, more frequently than prescribed, etc.
- Experiencing opium withdrawal symptoms upon quitting the drug or cutting back on it
Opium Withdrawal Symptoms
Opium withdrawal symptoms happen in opium-dependent people when they quit their medication or cut back on it. These symptoms usually start within the first couple of days after taking the last dose.
While physical withdrawal symptoms typically subside within the first two weeks, it’s not uncommon for people to struggle with depression, cravings, and other psychological symptoms for much longer than that.
The most common opium withdrawal symptoms are:
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Irritability
- Shivering
- Depression
- Body aches
- Opium cravings
- Stomach cramps
- Sleep disturbances
- Flu-like symptoms, such as fever and runny nose
Since opium withdrawal symptoms make you vulnerable to relapse and can increase the risk of suffering a potentially deadly opium overdose, you should never quit opium suddenly or without medical supervision.
While quitting opioids “cold turkey” can exacerbate the severity of withdrawal symptoms, seeking professional treatment for opium dependence can help you quit opium safely and effectively.
ANR Treatment for Opium Dependence
Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is a groundbreaking opium dependence treatment that can help you make a lasting recovery from opioid dependence within a matter of days.
ANR is the only treatment that tackles the root cause of opioid dependence rather than its symptoms, resulting in a very high success rate. It has helped nearly 25,000 people worldwide return to an opioid-free life.
The ANR treatment works by re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system to its normal levels.
Since ANR addresses the underlying cause of opioid dependence—the opioid-induced chemical imbalance—it allows you to forget about the fear of relapse. Once you’re done with the treatment, you will no longer suffer from any withdrawal symptoms, including cravings. The average hospital stay for the ANR treatment lasts just 36 hours.
Furthermore, ANR is carried out by highly experienced board-certified medical professionals, including critical care physicians and anesthesiologists, in an ICU setting of accredited hospitals This, coupled with our personalized approach to opioid dependence treatment, makes the procedure very safe. It can even be performed on those with complex medical conditions.
To get started with ANR, contact us today and book a free consultation.
Key Takeaways
Opium overdose is one of the greatest dangers associated with opium use and dependence. You can avoid it by taking it strictly as prescribed; however, this doesn’t eliminate the risk of opium dependence. For this reason, it is best to avoid using opioids, including opium, whenever possible.
Lastly, let’s summarize the key points we covered:
- Opium is a natural opioid derived from the poppy plant in the form of latex that has a high potential for abuse, dependence, and addiction.
- You can overdose on opium by taking too much of it. Opium abuse, low opioid tolerance, and taking opium with other substances can make you more susceptible to an opium overdose.
- Some signs of opium overdose include difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, pinpoint pupils, decreased blood pressure, and seizures.
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