WHAT ARE OPIOIDS?
Opioids (sometimes called narcotics) are a class of drugs that are chemicals-natural or synthetic-that interact with nerve cells and have the potential to reduce pain. Healthcare providers typically prescribe opioids to manage moderate to severe pain.
However, opioids can become addictive because they not only dull pain but also produce a sense of euphoria. This, combined with tolerance building (needing to increase doses to produce the same effect), can lead to opioid use disorder.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPIATES AND OPIOIDS?
Opiates are derived from the naturally occurring poppy plant (Papaver somniferum), which creates the active ingredient in the drugs. Common opiates include opium, heroin, morphine, and codeine.

An opioid is a substance that can be derived from the from the poppy plant, be synthetic or be semi-synthetic, meaning the active ingredients are created chemically in a lab. Common opioids include morphine, oxycodone, OxyContin, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and others.
WHAT ARE OPIOIDS APPROVED FOR?
Prescription opioids are approved for managing moderate to severe pain. This can include:
Some types of acute pain (sudden and short-term).
Cancer-related pain
Post-surgical pain.
Vascular pain, such as an acute sickle-cell crisis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of some opioids to treat intense coughing and chronic diarrhea. Loperamide is an opioid that healthcare providers use to treat diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
HOW DO OPIOIDS WORK?
"Opioid" is an umbrella term that represents all compounds that bind to opioid receptors. Opioid receptors are found throughout your central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These receptors regulate many body functions, including:

Pain.
Mood.
Stress.
Reward.
Gastrointestinal functions.
Breathing (respiration).
Once activated, opioid receptors initiate a cascade of chemical reactions that ultimately modulate the transmission of pain signals. Opioids also cause neurons that produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter that plays a role in how we feel pleasure, to fire more frequently. This creates feelings of euphoria (intense happiness).

Some opioids are used to stop diarrhea by slowing gastric motility, the process by which food travels through your digestive tract via a series of muscular contractions. This allows more time for the absorption of the food in your system.