Journal 3

TuBinh Luong
Health 1050
Prof. Gustavo Ibarra
September 30, 2018
Heroin & Other Opioids
From what we’ve all known and heard about heroine, is that they are one of the most
addictive drugs and can deadly enough if used without congest. Heroin is a semi-synthetic opiate
drug. It is a very strong drug that has been used to relieve pain and has been abused for years. If
we didn’t already know dept about what’s behind heroine, then we should understand some of
the affects that it can happened to the brain when use. When heroin is in the brain it is converted
to morphine like substance, endorphins and combines rapidly with opioid receptors. Affecting
the brain stem, where vital signs are regulated, and that part of the brain gives off a sensation of
pain are perceived. Activating the release of generous amount of dopamine therefore pleasure
regular heroin use changes the functioning of the brain.

However, some of the immediate effects that involved are when use of heroine are
feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation a "rush." The intensity of the rush is a function of how
much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the opioid receptors.
With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a
heavy feeling in the extremities. Nausea, vomiting, and severe itching may also occur. After the
immediate effects some of the withdrawal effects that users might experience will be drowsy for
several hours; mental function is clouded; heart function slows; and breathing is also severely
slowed, sometimes enough to be life-threatening. Slowed breathing can also lead to coma and
permanent brain damage.
Following to that we can’t seem to forget what the long-terms effects are having usage of
heroine. There are six components to different areas of long-term effects. Being the central,
circulatory, heart, respiratory, liver, and lastly the systemic. These six categories have their own
effects and ways of functioning when using too much dozes of heroin.

What is Naloxone? Naloxone can either blocks or reverses the effects of opioid
medication, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. An opioid
is sometimes called a narcotic. Naloxone injection is used to treat a narcotic overdose in an
emergency. There is a kit that includes vial syringes or nasal spray, as well as instructions. But
each person that carries it goes through a class on how to use it as well. How it can save life is
when someone takes overdoes on too much heroin, the drug locks on to receptors in the brain,
and it slows down the body and disrupts breathing. Naloxone can rapidly free up those receptors
and restore consciousness and normal breathing, bring them back to life. In October of 2010 in
Quincy, Ma they administered the drug 221 times and reversed 211 overdoses.

Lastly, we all want to know about how neurons communicate in relationship to heroine
and opioids. There are 3 steps to how neurons communicate. First step would be “the nerve
impulse” that abundant release of endorphins. Second would be “the binding” when endorphins
interact with the opioid receptors, and lastly the re-uptake that is recycling of endorphins is
minimal, most of them has been use up.