Exercise is the best kept secret to maintaining a healthy mood. A body of research has suggested that exercise may be as effective as antidepressant medications in treating depression and the physical problems associated with depression....
Depression in men often manifests the same as it does in women, yet men have a tendency to ignore or minimize the symptoms. Chronic sadness or irritability, sleep disturbance, changes in appetite or weight, problems with attention and memory,...
Substance abuse is a condition where physical dependence on a substance is present and the illness affects the relationships of the people around the abuser, according to "Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing" by Kathy Neeb. In 2008, the U.S....
The first step in seeking treatment for depression is to see a mental health professional who can accurately diagnose the problem and outline a treatment plan. Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists are well trained in psychological evaluations...
The psychological response and individualized perception of pain differs in each individual, according to "Core Concepts in Pharmacology" by Norman Holland and Michael Adams. The chronic pain syndrome (CPS) diagnosis is a challenge to treat...
Opiate drugs are those that are derived, either naturally or synthetically, from the opium plant. There are opiate drugs that are illegal, such as heroin, and others that are legally available with a prescription. Opiates are often prescribed to...
Methadone is a narcotic, controlled substance most famous for being the treatment of choice in the treatment of heroin addiction. Methadone is a synthetic derivative of morphine, according to the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse...
Painkillers come in many variations and treat mild to severe pain. These medications include over-the-counter and pain killers available only by prescription. The strongest painkillers are prescription medications and are used to treat chronic...
Depressant drugs depress the central nervous system and bring on muscle relaxation, sedation, drowsiness and, in the extreme, coma. They can disinhibit emotions and impulses. They may also create a "high." Opiates, sedative-hypnotics and alcohol...
Nalbuphine hydrochloride is a potent pain reliever that is considered to be equally effective as morphine. A synthetic opioid analgesic, nalbuphine works primarily on the central nervous system as an opioid receptor agonist and antagonist. Because...
Methadone, a synthetic opioid related to morphine, is long-lasting. Although opioids tend to have a negative connotation, clinical studies published in 2002 in the journal "Pain Medicine" suggested that methadone has the potential to ease the pain...
Endorphins are chemical messengers in your brain, responsible for your feelings and moods. They are your own personal narcotic, responding to stimuli such as stress, fear and pain. Just as morphine, a synthetic narcotic, suppresses pain,...
Narcotic analgesics are derived from opium and are known as opioids. This is the same source of heroin. The first use of a narcotic analgesic came when Friedrich Serturner, a German pharmacist, isolated morphine in 1803. Morphine came into wide...
Opiate drugs are extracted from poppies grown mostly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Opium and its derivatives temporarily block pain. Drowsiness, abnormally contracted pupils and facial scratching are signs of opiate use. Abrupt...
Successful termination of prescription drug therapy for certain illnesses or recovery from prescription drug abuse often coincides with severe withdrawal symptoms, according to Scripts, a prescription drug rehabilitation center. Many people find...
Opiates are a classification of medications that are derived, either naturally or synthetically (man-made) from the opium plant. These medications are very effective pain relievers because they attach to the opiate receptors in the peripheral...
Pain relievers, or analgesics, come in many different forms and in varying degrees of potency. When pain is severe and not responding to milder medications, opioids--often referred to as narcotics--can be an effective form of pain relief. Opioid...
Those going through detoxification from opium addiction or coming down from using narcotic painkillers containing the alkaloid morphine are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms may be graded from less severe drug craving and...
Pain killers, or analgesics, are essential medications for pain sufferers. Many types are available. The analgesics that begin with "oxy" are oxycodone and oxymorphone. They belong to a class of drugs known as opiods, or narcotics. They are...
Psychoactive, psychotropic or mind-altering drugs change behavior by acting on the central nervous system, or CNS, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Psychopharmacology is the study of how psychoactive drugs affect the brain and behavior....
Opioids, also known as narcotics, are a class of medications used to control pain. They are the most effective pain medications. Examples of frequently used drugs are oxycodone, morphine, codeine and fentanyl. As a class, opiods have a high...
According to Anesthesia Assisted Medical Opiate Detoxification, methadone is a synthetic narcotic drug that is often likened to heroin or morphine. Methadone is also used to help detox heroin addicts. According to Drugs.com, methadone minimizes...
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), methadone (Diskets, Dolophine, Methadose) is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. It is also known for relieving the symptoms of withdrawal for people addicted to opiate drugs including...
Neuropathy describes a group of conditions caused by nerve damage resulting in chronic pain. Diabetes, a disease involving increased levels of glucose--sugar--in the blood, causes neuropathy in 60 to 70 percent of patients, according to the...
Prescription pain killers, also called analgesics, are widely prescribed to treat chronic pain. Opium alkaloids, semi-synthetic opioids and fully synthetic opioids are widely prescribed classes of prescription pain medicines. According to an...
The text "Neurobiology of Addiction" explains that opiates, also called opioids, are natural or synthetic substances that have actions similar to those of morphine. Morphine is a naturally derived substance from the plant Papaver somniferum, or...
Labor is a painful experience. Many women in labor receive some sort of medication; medical practitioners in obstetrics are always aware that they have two patients and that both will be affected by any drugs given in labor. Common medications...
Methadone or Methadose/Dolophine assists with the treatment of chronic pain or withdrawal symptoms associated with addiction. Physicians can administer methadone through oral ingestion, intramuscular, intravenous or subcutaneous injection....
Nerve pain is a form of neuropathy, the general term for a nerve disorder. Neuropathic pain typically arises when inflammation, infection, metabolic disturbances or physical degeneration provokes repetitive pain signaling to the brain. Sensory...
