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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Americans reporting they use hydrocodone for nonmedical purposes. Some of the most popular formulations of the drug, including Norco, Vicodin and Lorcet, contain hydrocodone in combination with acetaminophen.Morphine (MS Contin, Avinza, Kadian, Oramorph)Two centuries after it was first discovered, morphine remains one of the most widely used painkillers in the world, with more than 230 tons of morphine prescribed legally each year. Morphine is approximately three times as strong as codeine and “remains the standard against which all new medications for postoperative pain relief are compared,” according to Dr. Jonathan Moss, a professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago.How Dr. Huckaby Found SobrietyAfter an opioid use disorder relapse, Dr. Huckaby got serious about recovery. He is now the medical director for Orlando Recovery Center.Read His StoryOpioids Stronger than MorphineThe opioid death toll in this country is growing rapidly, and increased use of the drugs is not solely to blame. It’s also because people are taking increasingly strong opioids recreationally. Among them is the potent painkiller fentanyl. Stronger still is carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer so powerful that sometimes Narcan cannot even counter its effects.Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, Roxicodone)Milligram for milligram, oxycodone is about 50 percent stronger than morphine. At one time, oxycodone was rarely used in settings outside of hospice or cancer treatment. That changed, however, in 1995, when Purdue Pharma released a new extended-release formulation of the drug called OxyContin.While the drug manufacturer touted OxyContin as nonaddictive and safe, the opposite was true. Amid Purdue’s aggressive marketing campaign, OxyContin prescriptions soared. The drug made its way onto the streets and into the hands of abusers who snorted and injected it, methods that increase the potency of the time-release medication.Methadone (Methadose, Dolophine)Three times stronger than morphine, methadone is often prescribed to help people recover from addiction to heroin and other opioid pain medications. It lessens the painful symptoms of opioid withdrawal, and it is effective at reducing cravings. It also lacks the euphoric effects of other opioids. Methadone can be taken in the form of a pill, a liquid or a wafer. It is sometimes used for pain management in cancer patients and others with chronic pain.Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)Though it has a comparatively shorter duration of effect than morphine, Dilaudid is five to 10 times stronger. Hydromorphone is a popular second-line treatment for pain after morphine, but it has a high potential for abuse and dependence. An extended-release version of hydromorphone called Palladone was pulled from the market in 2005 amid safety concerns when several patients died after mixing the medication with alcohol.HeroinDepending on who is using it and how it’s consumed, heroin is approximately two to five times stronger than morphine. Heroin is a naturally occurring substance
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