Medicine

What are the uses of narcotics?

Link to this answer

CloseClose

Link to this answer

Share this credible answer with others. Simply paste this code into your blog or Web page:

<a href="http://qanda.encyclopedia.com/question/uses-narcotics-130037.html" >What are the uses of narcotics?</a>
E-mail this answer Link to this answer

In small doses narcotics have valuable medical uses, numbing the senses, relieving severe pain, and inducing sleep. They are also given preoperatively to relieve pain and anxiety. Common side effects include constipation, nausea, and allergic reactions. In large doses narcotics can be highly dangerous, causing stupor, coma, convulsions, or death. All narcotics are addictive; several morphine derivatives as well as chemically dissimilar narcotics that have been developed for medical use have fewer side effects and are less addictive than morphine, but they are also generally less potent. Unlike general anesthetics such as ether and chloroform , narcotics depress the respiratory center and in low doses relieve pain without inducing sleep. Respiratory depression occurs in newborns whose mothers have been given narcotics such as meperidine (Demerol) during labor. Narcotics differ from barbiturates and other sedatives in that they have no anticonvulsant action; also, narcotics relieve pain, while sedatives do not.

Answer verified with
Get more facts and information about narcotic . Or, view the full encyclopedia entry from The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.

Similar questions: What are narcotics used for? What are the effects of narcotics? What do narcotics do? [ Hide these questions ]

Related research questions

Related research articles

Protocol works for narcotic bowel syndrome.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
Magazine article from: Clinical Psychiatry News ...psychosomatic medicine, said narcotic bowel syndrome often gets pushed to the background. Narcotics are prescribed because that...patients, Dr. Drossman said. Narcotic bowel syndrome is probably a U.S. phenomenon, since narcotics are not used as frequently...of the world's medical use of ...
Narcotic bowel syndrome requires withdrawal.(Gastroenterology)
Magazine article from: Internal Medicine News ...background and prescribe more narcotics because that is what the patient...patients, Dr. Drossman said. Narcotic bowel syndrome is probably...of the world's medical use of narcotics occurs in the United States...mg per day. One day before narcotic withdrawal begins, lorazepam...
Furor builds over employee narcotics tests
Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times ...Judging by the furor over employee narcotics testing, you might suppose...year to narcotics and alcohol use. Studies have found that one...consider testing for narcotics use among employees. Opponents...linking on-the-job narcotics use to accidents, increased worker...
Is your narcotics practice `significantly different?'.
Newspaper article from: Nursing Law's Regan Report ...peers. Although the level of use of narcotics dispensed will...never attempt to withhold narcotics from those who are in need...some cases, the amount of narcotics dispensed in excess of what...Dulude for allegedly diverting narcotics, falsifying her patient...medication. A medication and ...
BOARD OKS NARCOTICS FOR CHRONIC PAIN STATE MEDICAL PANEL REVERSES ITS POLICY,...
Newspaper article from: The Virginian Pilot ...physicians and endorsing the use of powerful narcotics to manage...also steer patients away from narcotics to avoid added scrutiny...doctors prescribe a lot of narcotics. Investigators may show up...black market for prescription narcotics. For example, a single tablet of the narcotic ...
See all results at HighBeam

HighBeam gives you access to newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles plus press releases, facts, information, and biographies from thousands of sources.