Research published in Current Biology suggests that one reason we don't get hooked on on our endogenous "heroin" (endorphins and enkephalins) is that these natural ligands for the opioid receptor activate what can be seen as an "on/off" switch for the system, while morphine does not.
Consequently, the scientists engineered mice in which morphine does produce this effect-- and lo and behold, the mice were able to get pain relief from morphine, but developed less tolerance and fewer symptoms of withdrawal.
Of course, the media will now herald this as a way to create the long-awaited "non addictive" opioid-- but in fact, this research tells us nothing about whether the drug produces what's really important in addiction: euphoria and craving. We need to know whether these mice press levers to receive morphine-- or whether they like to hang out in the spot in the cage where they were given it. My bet is that they do: and while it will be easier to quit a morphine-like drug which doesn't produce physical withdrawal symptoms and such drugs will absolutely benefit pain patients by reducing tolerance and withdrawal, we can't expect them not to appeal to addicts.
After all, cocaine doesn't produce physical withdrawal illness either: it makes you cranky when you quit, but you don't puke, shake and have diarrhea.
This is why in the early 80's, Scientific American actually claimed coke was "as addictive as potato chips." It would be a shame to make that same mistake again.
Like everyone else, addicts will almost certainly prefer a drug that doesn't make them sick if they miss a few doses and they will absolutely love one that doesn't get less effective the more you take it-- but that won't stop them trying to take that same drug as much as possible!!!
Comments
R O'Connell says:
There's this disease called addiction from which there is no known cure. It can be arrested at some point and recovery is then possible.
An addict is a person for whom drugs have become a major problem. The ways and means of getting and using become an addicts primary focus despite the harm caused to themselves and others.
The obsession with using and the uncontrollable compulsion which follows are the hallmarks of this progressive, incurable and ultimately fatal disorder. If the drugs don't eventually kill an addict the lifestyle will.
It doesn't matter what or how much an addict uses. It's the inability to stop using even with the greatest desire or willpower that that separates an addict from a non addict. It has little or no relationship to physical addiction. An addict is an addict is an addict. Drugs are a symptom of the disease. An addict cannot successfully use any mood or mind altering substance including the drug alcohol.
There is a simple program of recovery that has been working in the lives of many addicts called Narcotics Anonymous. It is a spiritual, not religious fellowship that believes the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel.
For more info on NA visit na.org.
The preceding is the opinion of the writer and not of Narcotics Anonymous.
January 29, 2008 7:20 PM
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