Hydromorphone

Hydromorphone is chemically only two or three steps removed from heroin, making it one of the most potent narcotics in clinical use. The United States accounts for more than 50% of all opioids prescribed globally, with some estimates as high as 60–70%. Narcotics do not resolve the source of pain the way anti-inflammatory agents reduce inflammation; they numb pain perception in the brain. Respiratory depression — suppression of the drive to breathe — is the most life-threatening acute risk of hydromorphone.