Opiate

Opiates are a class of drugs that are derivatives (in the broadest sense of the word) of opium. These include two groups of alkaloids: phenanthrenes[?] and papaverines[?]. Opiates in the narrower sense of the word are only the phenanthrenes[?]. Opioids are synthetic drugs that are chemically unrelated to the opiates, but act on the same receptors in the central nervous system and have similar clinical effects.

Phenanthrenes[?]:

Naturally occurring in opium:

• Morphine
• Codeine

Semisynthetic[?] derivatives:

• Heroin
• Hydromorphone[?]
• Oxymorphone[?]
• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone

Fully synthetic[?]:

Phenylheptylamines[?]:

• Methadone
• levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride (LAAM)

Phenylpiperidines[?]:

• Meperidine[?]
• Fentanyl
• Alfentanil[?]
• Sufentanil[?]
• Remifentanil[?]

Veterinary:

• Etorphine[?]
• Carfentanyl[?]

A high number of opiates are considered to be highly addictive. One exception is loperamide[?], which cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.

See also nootropics

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Opiate is an EP by Tool, an American rock band formed in 1989. See Opiate (album)

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Opiate is also the name of a rock-metal band based in the United Kingdom and signed to Visible Noise[?] records, home of lost prophets[?]. See Opiate (band)[?].