This could be very good news. Though the article seems highly speculative at the moment, any new source for potential painkillers should be rigorously studied. Why you ask? We have Vicodin, and Percocet, for “moderate” pain, OxyContin, and morphine for “severe” pain, so what’s the problem? The problem is opium.
That’s right, opium. Every “real” painkiller we have, that is substances that block perception of moderate to severe pain, is opium based. Every one. They are all more-or-less heroin. Of course, formulations and concentration vary; many are synthetic, and supposedly “safe” if “used as directed”.
But they all work using the same “action” as opium—lowering pain perception and inducing euphoria. For severe and/or chronic, lasting pain, opium is all we’ve got, and we need a better solution. We’ve known since the 1600’s that opiates lead to addiction. Choosing between living with pain, and living with addiction is not good enough for us. We need to do better.
Source: http://sify.com
Tags: OxyContin, Painkiller, percocet, vicodin
