Hydrocodone: therapeutic uses, characteristics and side effects

Let's see what hydrocodone is, a synthetic opioid that has the risk of being highly addictive.

Many substances can be classified as pharmaceuticals or as drugs, depending on their use, addictive potential, effects and other characteristics. Although the essential difference between the two is that a drug has a therapeutic use, and a drug does not.

In this article we will learn about hydrocodonea semi-synthetic opiate. We will talk about the differences between opium and opiate, we will compare hydrocodone with other substances, and we will see what uses and effects this type of opiate has, as well as its side effects.

Hydrocodone: drug or drug?

What we mentioned in relation to the difference between a drug and a drug, is what happens with hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opiate manufactured from a substance derived from opium called codeine.. Opium, as we will see below, includes substances that come from a plant called opium poppy.

Thus, hydrocodone can be used both as a drug and as a medicine. This substance produces analgesic and pleasurable effectsIt can be used to treat pain, or for recreational use, and has a significant addictive potential.

Origin of the substance

Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic (artificial) opiate, and is synthesized in laboratories. In other words, it is not natural, it is not obtained directly from opium, but is synthesized.

It is manufactured in laboratory settings from codeine.Codeine, also called methylmorphine, is an alkaloid (a type of substance) found in opium (opium includes a series of substances extracted from a plant, which we will learn more about in this article).

Hydrocodone was first used in the USA in 1943. However, itsHowever, its use is controlled and restricted, as it is a substance with a very high potential for abuse.. This is thanks to its inclusion in the Controlled Substances Act, 5 years ago, in 2014.

Its addictive potential is high, and that is why its use must be well controlled and if taken, taken with great caution. It is for all these reasons that hydrocodone is only available with a doctor's prescription. However, despite being a very addictive drug and with side effects that can be lethal, this substance is increasingly consumed in the USA.

Characteristics

As we have seen, hydrocodone is synthesized in a laboratory from a natural opioid obtained from the opium poppy plant (from its seeds). Its main therapeutic indication is the treatment of pain.. Curiously, hydrocodone can also be used for coughs.

Chemically, it is derived from codeine, an alkaloid substance found in opium. In terms of its format and routes of administration, hydrocodone can be found in different formats in different forms: tablets, capsules or syrup.. Thus, it is always administered orally.

Comparison with other substances

If we compare it with morphinethe opiate analgesic par excellence, we find that hydrocodone is slightly less potent in terms of pain reduction (although the difference is minimal).

On the other hand, in comparison with codeine, the substance from which hydrocodone is synthesized, we see how hydrocodone is slightly more potent than codeine, and this is demonstrated by certain studies.

Effects on the organism

But... what effects does hydrocodone produce, in addition to the reduction or elimination of pain? It also generates a pleasurable effect, such as "happiness", as well as a pleasant sensation that can even reach a pleasant sensation that can even reach euphoria, a feeling of calmness, etc.etc. All this makes it an addictive substance and it becomes a drug, because people tend to become addicted to pleasure.

In addition, hydrocodone also has some of the effects of heroin, another semi-synthetic opiate which is also one of the most addictive drugs.

Finally, and as we have mentioned, it also produces a cough-relieving effect that also occurs in codeine.

Side effects

As we have seen, hydrocodone is a substance that can be used as a drug to reduce pain, but also as a drug, and when its use becomes abusive and additive, it ends up being harmful to the person. Thus, it is a substance that can potentially be dangerous, as we will see below.

Like any drug and like any drug, hydrocodone can generate certain side effects. Generally, these are nausea and vomiting, constipation, tiredness and euphoric symptoms. In severe cases, breathing difficulties may occur..

Combination with other substances

The side effects of hydrocodone can be even more serious if used in combination with other substances, medications or drugs.. Thus, if we combine hydrocodone with other drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates, cocaine or amphetamines, it can generate important cardiac, pulmonary and renal failures.

On the other hand, it can also cause heart attacks, amnesic symptoms, coma, or even death.

What is opium?

As we have seen, hydrocodone comes from codeine, which in turn is part of opium. Opium includes the opioids obtained from the opium poppy, a plant; its scientific name is opium poppy.a plant; its scientific name is Papaver somniferum. Specifically, the substances are obtained from its seeds.

The effects produced by opium are basically of three types: analgesic effects (reducing pain), pleasurable effects (or a feeling of peace and tranquility) and euphoric effects.

What is opium used for? Medicines can be created from its compounds, used especially in treatments that cause pain. such as Cancer treatments. It is also used to create addictive drugs, such as heroin.

Differences between opium and opiate

We have seen how opium is a natural substance from the seeds of a plant, which also has analgesic properties. Opiates, such as hydrocodone, on the other hand, are psychoactive chemicals derived from opium. They have similar effects to opiates, producing a state of happiness, calmness and reducing the person's pain.

Opiates can be of two typesendogenous (those synthesized naturally by the body itself, through the Central Nervous System [CNS]) or exogenous. Exogenous opioids try to mimic the effect of endogenous opioids, and are divided into three subtypes (where we will find hydrocodone): natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic.

1. Natural exogenous opioids

Natural exogenous opiates are extracted directly from the opium plant (the opium poppy). This group includes morphine, which is widely known, as well as codeine and thebaine..

At the chemical level, these are the alkaloids (a type of substance) of opium.

2. Semi-synthetic exogenous opioids

Semi-synthetic exogenous opioids, also called artificial opioids, are synthesized in laboratories. This group includes hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid.hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid, is part of this group. But how are they manufactured? From the previous opiates, the natural ones, which are extracted directly from the opium plant.

Specifically, hydrocodone is synthesized from codeine, an alkaloid substance found in opium.

Another well-known semi-synthetic opiate used as a psychoactive drug is heroin, which is synthesized from morphine.

Finally, there is a third artificial opiate: oxycodone, manufactured from thebaine (another alkaloid derived from opium).

3. Synthetic exogenous opioids

Finally, Synthetic exogenous opioids are more artificial than the previous onesand are intended to mimic their effect. The difference with semi-synthetic opiates such as hydrocodone is that their structure does not have to do with the alkaloids of opium itself, unlike semi-synthetic opiates. Examples of synthetic opioids are methadone and pethidine.

Methadone, on the other hand, is widely known for its use as a detoxification drug for people addicted to opiates (as maintenance treatment). Broadly speaking, what it does is to simulate the effect of the drug without causing the damage it produces.