Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

New theory of addiction as a disease of learning and memory

Morphine, as little as a single dose, blocks the brain's ability to strengthen connections at inhibitory synapses, according to new Brown University research published in Nature.

26 Apr 2007

First large-scale study to assess treatment for prescription drug addiction

UCSF is launching a new study to evaluate treatments for addiction to prescription painkillers and has openings for patients to enroll.

19 Apr 2007

Use of stimulant drugs may be linked to a higher risk for stroke

The use of stimulant drugs, including cocaine and amphetamines, may be linked to a higher risk for stroke, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Apr 2007

Promising new pain-killing drug

A potential new pain-killing drug developed by medical scientists at the University of Leicester and Ferrara in Italy is to be discussed at a public lecture on 20th March.

19 Mar 2007

Morphine for euthanasia is a myth

Using morphine to end a person's life is a myth, argues a senior doctor in a letter to this week's British Medical Journal.

4 Mar 2007

Epidurals affect how successful breastfeeding will be

According to researchers in Australia having an epidural to relieve labour pains may affect how successful breastfeeding will be.

12 Dec 2006

Prescription drugs rather than heroin the drug of choice in Canada

A new study carried in seven Canadian cities, has revealed that prescription opioids, rather than heroin, are the biggest form of illicit opioid currently in use.

21 Nov 2006

New guidelines for nausea and vomiting

After five years of reviewing the latest research findings, a panel of experts led by a Duke University Medical Center anesthesiologist has developed new guidelines to help physicians reduce the occurrence of nausea and vomiting in patients after surgery.

16 Oct 2006

Treating battlefield injuries and pain in veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq

The August issue of Pain Medicine features two original research studies on treating pain in veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.

15 Aug 2006

Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States

Trends analysis of drug poisoning deaths has helped explain a national epidemic of overdose deaths in the USA that began in the 1990s, concludes Leonard Paulozzi and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

24 Jul 2006

Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States

24 Jul 2006

Novel research points to promising relief target for chronic pain

By some accounts, chronic pain affects nearly 100 million Americans from such varied causes as arthritis, sciatica, cancer, diabetes. Most forms of pain result from identifiable causes which serve the "good" purpose in warning of a real physical problem that needs attention, or rest.

6 Jun 2006

Buprenorphine is more effective than clonidine at helping people withdraw from opioids

It probably has similar effect as methadone, but withdrawal symptoms may resolve more quickly with buprenorphine.

18 Apr 2006

Researchers identify potential targets for more effective analgesic drugs with potentially fewer side effects

Studying mice, pain researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified two key components in the pain cascade that may provide targets for more effective analgesic drugs with potentially fewer side effects

6 Apr 2006

UV light has "feel-good" effects that may be similar to those of some addictive drugs

Frequent users of tanning beds may be getting more out of the experience than darker skin, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

3 Apr 2006

High narcotic use among headache sufferers

A new analysis of nearly 6.2 million insured patients shows that migraine was under diagnosed and often untreated.

9 Mar 2006

More training needed to ensure accuracy of urine drug tests

In a survey of primary care physicians, most reported not using proper techniques when collecting urine samples for drug tests on adolescents and were often unaware of the tests' limitations, according to an article in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

New theory of addiction as a disease of learning and memory

First large-scale study to assess treatment for prescription drug addiction

Use of stimulant drugs may be linked to a higher risk for stroke

Promising new pain-killing drug

Morphine for euthanasia is a myth

Epidurals affect how successful breastfeeding will be

Prescription drugs rather than heroin the drug of choice in Canada

New guidelines for nausea and vomiting

Treating battlefield injuries and pain in veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq

Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States

Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States

Novel research points to promising relief target for chronic pain

Buprenorphine is more effective than clonidine at helping people withdraw from opioids

Researchers identify potential targets for more effective analgesic drugs with potentially fewer side effects

UV light has "feel-good" effects that may be similar to those of some addictive drugs

High narcotic use among headache sufferers

More training needed to ensure accuracy of urine drug tests

New insights into pain mechanisms

Link between eating and pain relief - brain stem blocks pain to protect key behaviors

Fentanyl transdermal patch is an effective way to control pain in children

Innovations in baculovirus–insect cell expression systems

Compound Management and its Crucial Role in Early Pharmaceutical Research

Natural products: the next frontier in drug discovery

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