Question

Narcotic analgesics are:

• A. alcohols
• B. alkaloids
• C. steroids
• D. haemorrhoids

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

alkaloids

Narcotic analgesic or opioid medications are used for treating moderate to severe pain.
They include natural opium alkaloids (eg. morphine, codeine), semisyntheticanalogs (eg. hydromorphone, oxymorphone, oxycodone), and synthetic compounds (eg. meperidine, levorphanol, methadone, sufentanil, alfentanil, fentanyl, remifentanil, and levomethadyl).
Narcotic analgesics attach to receptors on nerves in the brain that increase the threshold to pain (i.e., the amount of stimulation it takes to feel pain), and reduce the perception of pain (the perceived importance of the pain). Most men and women take narcotic analgesics for short-periods of time until pain lessens or goes away. Some adults have chronic pain, which requires proper pain management since long term use can lead to drug addiction and tolerance (the need for increasing doses). Narcotic analgesics have a high potential for misuse, abuse, and diversion (to addicted persons).