Opioid comparison

Opioids are a class of compounds that elicit analgesic (pain killing) effects in humans and animals by binding to the μ-opioid receptor within the central nervous system. The following table lists commonly used opioid drugs and their relative potencies. Values for the potencies of opioids listed on this table are given as taken orally unless another route of administration is provided. As such, their bioavailabilities differ, and they may be more potent when taken intravenously.

Analgesic/opioid Strength [1] (morphine) Equivalent dose (10 mg morphine) Bioavailability Half-life (hours) [active metabolite(s)]
Aspirin (non-opioid) 1/360 nil "total" 3.1 - 9
Diflunisal (NSAID, non-opioid) 1/160 1600 mg 80-90% 8-12
Dextropropoxyphene[2] 1/13 to 1/20 130-200 mg
Codeine 1/20 200 mg ≈90% 2.5-3 [ CG6 1.94[3]; morphine 2-3]
Tramadol 1/10 100 mg 68-72% 5.5-7 [≈9]
Anileridine[4] 1/4 40 mg n/a n/a
Pethidine 0.36 28 mg 50-60% 3-5
Hydrocodone 0.6 17 mg 80%+ 3.8-6
Morphine (oral) (1) (10 mg) ≈25% 2-3
Oxycodone 1.5–2.0 5.0–6.7 mg up to 87% 3-4.5
Methadone[5] 3-4 2.5-3.33 mg 40-90% 15-60
Morphine (IV/IM) 4 2.5 mg 100% 2-3
Diacetylmorphine (heroin; IV/IM)[6] 1.9–4.3 2.3–5.2 mg 100% <.6
Hydromorphone[7] 5 2 mg 30-35% 2-3
Oxymorphone 7 1.4 mg 10% 7.25-9.43
Levorphanol[8] 8 1.3 mg 70% 11-16
Buprenorphine[9] 40 0.25 mg 35-40% (sublingual) 20-70 mean 37
Fentanyl 50–100 0.1–0.2 mg 33% (oral) 92% (transdermal) .04 (IV); 7 (transdermal)
Sufentanyl 500–1,000 10–20 μg n/a 4.4
Etorphine[10] 1,000–3,000 3.3–10 μg n/a n/a
Carfentanil10 10,000–100,000 0.1–1.0 μg n/a 7.7

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In simple terms, analgesic "strength" in this table means how much more or less potent the indicated drug is compared to morphine. The values can be used to calculate approximately equivalent dosages of different opioids. Because some of these compounds (for example, codeine and tramadol, but not morphine) are prodrugs, differences amongst people in their liver enzymes (such as the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6) may result in a significantly altered drug effect
  2. ^ http://www.dea.gov/pubs/abuse/4-narc.htm
  3. ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2867071/
  4. ^ http://designer-drugs.com/pte/12.162.180.114/dcd/chemistry/anileridine.html
  5. ^ http://www.psicofarmacos.info/images/graficos/Tabla4_opiaceos.JPG
  6. ^ Claus W. Reichle, Gene M. Smith, Joachim S. Gravenstein, Spyros G. Macris and Henry K. Beecher. Comparative analgesic potency of Heroin and Morphine in postoperative patients [1]
  7. ^ http://www.palliative.org/PC/ClinicalInfo/PCareTips/MorphineVSHydromorphine.html
  8. ^ http://redpoll.pharmacy.ualberta.ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard.cgi?CARD=APRD00764.txt
  9. ^ http://www.dea.gov/pubs/abuse/4-narc.htm
  10. ^ Because of their extreme potency, etorphine, carfentanil, and other similarly powerful opiates are only used for the sedation of large animals. Sufentanil is the strongest opioid used in human medicine.

References