Final answer:
Opioid overdose symptoms include pinpoint pupils, loss of consciousness, and respiratory depression. Methadone is used in treatment for heroin addiction because it lessens withdrawal symptoms and cravings without creating a significant high.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptoms of an overdose involving opioids such as Heroin, Morphine, Codeine, Opium, and Methadone are serious and can be life-threatening. These substances interact with opioid receptors in the brain to produce pain-relieving and euphoric effects. However, in excessive amounts, they can lead to respiratory depression, where breathing becomes shallow or stops, which is the primary cause of death in opioid overdoses. Common symptoms of an opioid overdose include:
- Pinpoint pupils
- Loss of consciousness
- Shallow, slow, or stopped breathing
- Extreme drowsiness or inability to wake up
- Limp body
- Blue or purple lips and fingernails
- Gurgling or choking sounds
Symptoms of opioid withdrawal include a severe flu-like condition, with additional effects such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, and sometimes more severe psychiatric symptoms.
As an intervention, a person with heroin addiction might be prescribed Methadone because it is a long-acting synthetic opioid that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the same high as heroin. This helps individuals in addiction treatment to stabilize and engage in recovery efforts such as therapy and support groups.