the morphine the better
06-20-2007, 04:43 AM
I came across this article... I have a feeling this is complete bullshit. Tell me if its true.. It came from
http://www.thatspoppycock.com/articles/2006_11_29_otc_ops.htm
heres the article:
Over-the-counter opiates used to stop diarrhea and maybe ease withdrawal
by Chris Strosser
11/29/06
Discussion: http://www.thatspoppycock.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20
Did you know that opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) can be found over-the-counter at your local drugstore? It's true, and anyone can buy them. In fact, they aren't even restricted to those under 18. Loperamide, meperidine's weird distant cousin, and the active ingredient in Imodium AD, is an opioid. Diphenoxylate, also an opioid, is the active ingredient in Lomotil, which is also used to stop diarrhea. One annoyingly persistent side effect (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#effects) of all opiates is constipation.
The inner workings
Opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) cause constipation by binding to opioid receptors (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#receptors) throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This binding causes muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to become tense. The increased muscle tension causes the normal progressive movement of food waste to stop—thus, causing the infamous, unrelenting, opiate-induced constipation. Though a powerful effect is exerted on the gastrointestinal tract, loperamide and diphenoxylate do not affect the brain. Ultimately, this means no euphoric high. The powerful high is avoided because the molecules cannot cross the blood-brain barrier which works sort of like a "drug filter." Typical opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) are fat-soluble enough to cross the BBB, and bind to opioid receptors (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#receptors) in the brain.
From controlled substance to over-the-counter wonder
When loperamide was first introduced to the public, it was classified as a Schedule V controlled substance. This was done because opiate withdrawal symptoms (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/articles/library/opiate_basics.htm#withdrawal) were present upon abrupt cessation of long-term therapy with lopermide. It was eventually downgraded to nothing more than an over-the-counter medicine. Recent studies have put forth evidence that it is possible to get the molecules across the BBB. "Drug-containing nanoparticles were coated with polysorbate 80 and injected intravenously into mice." A prolonged, as well as significant analgesic effect occurred upon injection of the coated loperamide.
As withdrawal treatment?
Loperamide may also work as an aid in detoxification. Several medical journals, as well as a countless unofficial accounts report significantly diminished withdrawal symptoms (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#withdrawal) upon dosing loperamide; however, there is a lot of mixed information on this topic. It will, at the least, get rid of the gut-retching diarrhea that comes with most opiate detoxifications. It works for some, and doesn't work for others. As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any sort of withdrawal treatment (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/addiction/otc_comfort_meds.htm).
I dunno seems a little fishy to me.
http://www.thatspoppycock.com/articles/2006_11_29_otc_ops.htm
heres the article:
Over-the-counter opiates used to stop diarrhea and maybe ease withdrawal
by Chris Strosser
11/29/06
Discussion: http://www.thatspoppycock.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20
Did you know that opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) can be found over-the-counter at your local drugstore? It's true, and anyone can buy them. In fact, they aren't even restricted to those under 18. Loperamide, meperidine's weird distant cousin, and the active ingredient in Imodium AD, is an opioid. Diphenoxylate, also an opioid, is the active ingredient in Lomotil, which is also used to stop diarrhea. One annoyingly persistent side effect (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#effects) of all opiates is constipation.
The inner workings
Opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) cause constipation by binding to opioid receptors (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#receptors) throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This binding causes muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to become tense. The increased muscle tension causes the normal progressive movement of food waste to stop—thus, causing the infamous, unrelenting, opiate-induced constipation. Though a powerful effect is exerted on the gastrointestinal tract, loperamide and diphenoxylate do not affect the brain. Ultimately, this means no euphoric high. The powerful high is avoided because the molecules cannot cross the blood-brain barrier which works sort of like a "drug filter." Typical opiates (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/opiates/opiates.htm) are fat-soluble enough to cross the BBB, and bind to opioid receptors (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#receptors) in the brain.
From controlled substance to over-the-counter wonder
When loperamide was first introduced to the public, it was classified as a Schedule V controlled substance. This was done because opiate withdrawal symptoms (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/articles/library/opiate_basics.htm#withdrawal) were present upon abrupt cessation of long-term therapy with lopermide. It was eventually downgraded to nothing more than an over-the-counter medicine. Recent studies have put forth evidence that it is possible to get the molecules across the BBB. "Drug-containing nanoparticles were coated with polysorbate 80 and injected intravenously into mice." A prolonged, as well as significant analgesic effect occurred upon injection of the coated loperamide.
As withdrawal treatment?
Loperamide may also work as an aid in detoxification. Several medical journals, as well as a countless unofficial accounts report significantly diminished withdrawal symptoms (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/library/opiate_basics.htm#withdrawal) upon dosing loperamide; however, there is a lot of mixed information on this topic. It will, at the least, get rid of the gut-retching diarrhea that comes with most opiate detoxifications. It works for some, and doesn't work for others. As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any sort of withdrawal treatment (http://www.thatspoppycock.com/addiction/otc_comfort_meds.htm).
I dunno seems a little fishy to me.