Opioids slow down messages between your brain and body. They relieve pain but can cause physical dependency.
They include:
- opiates - made from chemicals in the opium poppy, for example morphine or heroin
- synthetic opioids - made in a lab to mimic opiates, for example fentanyl or nitazenes
Opioids can be medicines or illegal drugs. Doctors only prescribe opioids as painkillers if the benefits of using them outweigh the risk of dependency or overdose.
Other names for opioids
Other names include: downers, synthetic opioids, opiates, narcotics
Opiates
Opiates are made from chemicals in the opium poppy.
They include:
- opium
- morphine
- heroin
- codeine
Opiates may also be called opioids.
Synthetic opioids
Synthetic opioids are made in a lab to mimic the effects of opiates. Some synthetic opioids can be stronger than other opioids or have different effects.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is stronger than opioids such as morphine or heroin.
Doctors may prescribe fentanyl for pain:
- after an operation or serious injury
- from cancer
- if other painkillers do not work
It can come as patches, tablets, sprays or injections.
Fentanyl sold without a prescription can be very strong in low doses. This increases the risk of overdose.
Learn more about non-medical use of fentanyl.
Nitazenes
Nitazines were developed as an alternative to morphine. But they were never approved to use as medicines. They are also called benzimidazole opioids.
Nitazines come as pills, powder or liquid.
They may be sold:
- as new heroin or strong heroin
- mixed with other drugs such as heroin or benzodiazepines
Nitazenes are often stronger than fentanyl and other opioids. They have a very high risk of overdose and death.
Learn more about nitazenes.
Oxycodone
Oxycodone is a medicine to treat severe pain.
Doctors may prescribe oxycodone for pain:
- after an operation or serious injury
- from cancer
- if other painkillers do not work
It can come as tablets, capsules, liquids or injection.
Oxycodone sold without a prescription can be:
- fake - this means the effects are unpredictable
- mixed with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or MDMA
- contain other drugs such as nitazenes
This increases the risk of overdose.
Other names for oxycodone include oxy or OC.
Tramadol
Tramadol is a prescription medicine to treat pain. It comes as tablets, capsules, liquid drops or injections.
Learn more about non-medical use of tramadol.
Medicines to treat opioid dependency
Some synthetic opioids are opioid agonist treatments (OATs). These are prescription medicines to treat dependence on opioid drugs such as heroin.
OATs help people to reduce or stop opioid use, manage cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms.
They include:
- buprenorphine
- methadone
Effects of opioids
The effects of opioids can vary depending on:
- your size, weight and sex
- if you have any health conditions or mental health difficulties
- how you take the drug
- the strength of the drug
- how much you take
- if you take alcohol, medicines or other drugs at the same time
- where you take the drug and how you feel before you take it
- if you have taken the drug before and how often
How you may feel or behave
You may feel:
- relaxed or calm
- intense wellbeing or happiness (euphoria)
- confused
- energetic
Effects on your brain and body
Opioids relieve pain and can cause:
- drowsiness
- memory problems
- dizziness
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (getting sick)
- slower breathing and heart rate
- pinpoint pupils
- constipation
- lower blood pressure
Opioids and mental health
Opioids can cause mental health difficulties or make existing difficulties worse.
For example:
- low mood and depression
- anxiety
- mood swings
- thoughts of suicide
If you use opioids and have mental health difficulties, you can get support for both.
Opioids and dependency
Regular use of opioids can cause:
- tolerance - when you need to take more of the drug to get the same effects
- dependency
Signs of dependency can include:
- cravings for a drug
- withdrawal symptoms
- continuing to use a drug even when it causes you harm
Withdrawal symptoms
If you stop taking opioids after regular use, you can get withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms can include:
- muscle aches and spasms
- tremor
- diarrhoea
- sweating and chills
- sleep problems
- mood swings
It is not safe to suddenly stop taking opioids after regular use.
If you want to stop taking opioids, you can get support from:
- your GP or practice nurse
- a pharmacist
- a drug service
How long do opioids stay in your system?
It can be hard to know how long opioids stay in your system.
How long a test can detect opioids depends on the type of opioid. Different types of tests have different detection times.
Things that affect how long a drug stays in your system
The time it takes for a drug to leave your system depends on many things.
For example:
- how much you took
- how often you take the drug
- how strong the drug was
- your age, sex and metabolism
- your general health