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Scientists have revealed how to reduce your consumption of painkillers
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The most common components of painkillers are hydrocodone, oxycodone. Even if you do not need such substances and are far from the pharmaceutical industry, the name "Vicodin" will be familiar to you. The painkiller that Dr. Gregory House from the famous series "got hooked" on contains hydrocodone. The TV series shows the consequences of long-term use of "Vicodin": the constantly increasing dosage of the drug led the doctor to drug addiction and required emergency treatment.
Hydrocodone and oxycodone are a group of synthetic opioids that, by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, reduce pain. Among other side effects, drugs based on them are addictive on a physical and mental level. People under 18 or over 60 are especially susceptible to the negative effects of opiates. To maintain the usual positive effect, a constant increase in the dosage of the drug is required, which develops into an uncontrolled effect. And the process of reducing the dose or refusing to take Vicodin is accompanied by lacrimation, nasal discharge, loss of appetite, manifestations of causeless panic, nervous outbursts, irritable behavior, nausea, chills and active sweating. An overdose causes breathing problems, dizziness, weakness, convulsions, loss of consciousness and even coma. With a diagnosis of Vicodin overdose, 45 thousand patients are hospitalized in the United States every year and more than 500 die.
Scientists from the University of Michigan (USA) were able to maintain the pain-relieving effect at the required level without increasing the number of tablets used. The authors managed to discover a substance that interacts with the same receptors as opioids, but without suppressing the effect of the drug itself. By interacting with another part of the neuron receptor and changing its structure, the discovered substance made the receptors more sensitive even to a small amount of painkiller.
These discoveries were absolutely unexpected, both for the scientists themselves and for the entire medical world. The ability of an opioid receptor to bind to a non-opioid molecule seemed impossible until now. Not to mention the reaction of changing the sensitivity of the receptor itself.
The well-known pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb took part in the testing, which gives hope for the emergence of a new generation of painkillers in the near future. The discovered substance should protect the patient from the possibility of crossing the line, which is fraught with unpleasant side effects.
Perhaps this discovery will help develop methods and means for treating drug addiction, and the molecular receptor activator will be able to take its rightful place in modern drug addiction treatment.
Vicodin is on the list of drugs recommended for ban in the USA. Apparently for this reason the writers of the above-mentioned series quickly cured House of his pernicious addiction.
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