Types of medicine
What Is an Opioid? Pain Medicines and Their Warnings
Opioid · say it: OH-pee-oydAlso written: opiate, opioid analgesic, narcotic, opioids
Short answer
An opioid is a strong pain-relieving medicine, such as morphine, oxycodone or codeine. Opioids can slow breathing and cause dependence.
What it means
Opioids are a group of medicines that relieve pain by acting on opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord and gut. Examples include morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, tramadol and fentanyl. They are used for moderate to severe pain, and some are used for cough, diarrhoea or treating opioid dependence.
Opioid labels carry some of the strongest warnings. They can slow or stop breathing (respiratory depression), especially when starting, after a dose increase, or with alcohol, benzodiazepines or other sedating medicines. Regular use can lead to physical dependence, tolerance and, in some people, addiction. Accidental swallowing by a child can be deadly. Common side effects include constipation, nausea and drowsiness.
'Opiate' strictly means a medicine that comes from the opium poppy, like morphine; 'opioid' covers both natural and man-made ones. 'Narcotic' is an older or legal term that is used loosely.
Where you may see it
- Boxed warnings on opioid prescribing information
- Medication Guides given at the pharmacy
- Controlled-drug prescriptions and discharge medicine lists
📄 How it looks on a report
Keep out of reach of children. Accidental ingestion, especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Taking an opioid for pain as prescribed does not mean you are addicted.
- Physical dependence (withdrawal symptoms on stopping) is not the same as addiction.
- It does not mean you can combine it with alcohol or sleeping medicines; this can be dangerous.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Opioid”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Opioid”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Alprazolam
a benzodiazepine, a type of central nervous system medicine
- Citalopram
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medicine
- Clonazepam
a benzodiazepine, a type of medicine that slows activity in the central nervous system
- Clopidogrel
A platelet inhibitor of the P2Y12 type (a thienopyridine). It is a blood thinner that keeps platelets from sticking together.
- Diazepam
A benzodiazepine, a type of medicine that slows activity in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
- Escitalopram
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant
- Fluoxetine
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medicine
- Gabapentin
An antiepileptic (seizure) medicine. The label also describes it as a treatment for nerve pain after shingles.
- Lorazepam
A benzodiazepine, a type of anxiety medicine
- Metoclopramide
A stomach and gut medicine. The label describes it as affecting how the stomach and intestines move. The label does not give an FDA drug class.
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Opioid” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “opioid”
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More words: types of medicine
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.