Does autism affect psycho-emotional response to opioids?

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Ive noticed a number of autists around the forums mentioning struggles with opioid addiction. There is a fringe element in the scientific community who claim that there is a relationship between ASD symptomology and the MU/Kappa opiate receptors.Under activation of the former and over activation of the latter has been mentioned in relation to social functioning and intellectual reward.

My question is whether autism affects the way in which one both metabolises and responds psycho emotionally to exogenous opioids such as codeine morphine and fentanyl.

EDIT:Hmm just realised that this is a little "mature" for GAD. At least the subject matter is decidedly innapropriate for minors. Should this be moved to another more suitable forum or am I being over cautious?

Last edited by binaryodes on 24 Jan 2014, 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

When I was on Tussionex last month, which contains the opioid hydrocodone as one of its active ingredients, I didn't seem to run into any problems with addiction. Once I no longer needed it, I stopped it no problem.

Well, I doubt anyone could accurately respond without much research beforehand... and I'd do that if only I was a bit more organized (have a million tabs open right now, so they'll probably just end up languishing there as well at some point...) - but I'm also far more interested in hallucinogens than any other type of drug. And, if you mean pure addiction... completely anecdotal, but I personally seem to handle any possibility of addiction well (if you mean to think that people on the ASD spectrum are usually more prone to it), although admittedly I haven't experimented with opioids, the most addictive type of drug (although I could easily increase/reduce the amount of tobacco I smoke, which most other people seem to have trouble with).

Only thing I experimented with that happens to be a k-opioid agonist (despite being a dissociative) is Salvia Divinorum, and... well, it's in its very nature, but it so happens to be widely regarded as anti-addictive (probably due to the subjectively powerful nature of the experience)... and so it was with me (tried it once every few months, which in no way indicates any form of reliance on it, despite affecting such a receptor).

I have been on opioid painkillers several times for sciatica in my back for a 3 to 5 month period. I did not become addicted despite being on a high dose. I don't find them particularly addictive even though I have had addictions to other substances (alcohol a long time ago (14 years) and nicotine until I quit nearly a year ago now).

When I stopped needing the painkillers I stopped taking them. They made me bad tempered anyway.

have been on co codamol for many years for severe pain issues from head banging and sensory overload build up and was hospitalized last year for undiagnosed chrohns disease,being under the mental capacity act was already on a legaly binding gradual withdrawal program that shoudnt be altered by anyone else other than those involved in it.
unfortunately the arrogant consultant just looked at the fact was on co codamol and without even the smallest gradual withdrawal steps he completely removed all co codamol saying it was those that were causing the problem.
-it was a different consultant who recognised crohns but he wasnt able to bring back the painkillers because he didnt want to overrule a fellow doctor,he said only the doctors of mine who are in charge of 'best interest decisions' [decisions made on behalf of self due to being under the mental capacity act] can do that but he didnt seem to recognise that the other doctor had also overruled them.

had detailed the withdrawal on here when it happened and it was one of the worst experiences have ever had,was puking everything up including liquids,food that managed to get through woudnt even digest it just went straight to diorreah,had the most incredible headaches, became even more agressive,homicidal,pyschotic and suicidal-it caused self to be kicked out of the most stable residential home have ever lived in and ended up in a LD acute hospital for four months.

was not addicted but was dependant on them,still on them but the hospital forced self to drop to weaker co codamol which contains 15mg codeine and only allowed six of them a day if needed.

K opioid agonism is dysphoric from what ive read. Activation of the kappa receptors produces delirium and dissociation. It has also been implicated in addiction where it can attenuate cocaine cravings and even promote the up regulation of down regulated mu opioid receptors.

Ive never understood the appeal of salvia - if kappa opioid agonism is dinstinctly UNrewarding why do people purposefully seek it out?

Attenuate cravings? Which is why SD can never become addictive, I suppose...

Why people... lately, have done it? I suppose it's just due to people urging their friends to try it as a dare... most people do, in fact, seem to try it only once.

But... why people try it more than once? Doesn't curiosity merit to be a reason? Not every experience is ultimately euphoric, and some hallucinogens are indeed interesting for their very raw trip.

I've been addicted to codeine (not massively so) and I remember there was a thread about codeine addiction here a few years back. I'm very sensitive to the effects of drugs, like most but not all, people here.

I take a muscle relaxant which has a mood stabilizing effect on me so I can see how it can become addictive.

So, are you saying that the regulation/activation of the opioid system might be a bit askew/out of balance in those with ASD ? This is something I've pondered, because I've been using relatively small amounts of various opioids over the years, not to purely get high off of, but because I feel balanced and at ease with them in my system...taking them almost as a supplement, as ridiculous as that sounds






I'm not sure...but I'll chime in with my experience/use of opioids.

I thoroughly enjoy opiates, and have been utilizing them with the utmost moderation for 6 years or so now. Generally either of the following is what I've used/taken at one point or another...hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and poppy pod tea . I have only once had a stretch of regular use, taking 5mg to 10mg of oxycodone a day for about a month. After that stretch, I simply decided to stop taking them daily, which wasn't an issue.....and it was a month or so before I touched any again.

Generally though, I'll only touch them here and there, I'd take them every day if I could but I know that can't be done with opioids considering the physical addiction aspect, that's something I avoid. I use them primarily for social interaction and just to take the edge off and make certain days go by a bit smoother. I feel more "normal" so to speak, and have a bit more motivation to do things. I'm not using them to get as high as possible and nod out (though that is nice very occasionally). I'm very sensitive to opioids, so it doesn't take much to get what I want out of them. With the amounts I take, most people that use them to purely get high off of wouldn't even feel it...but I feel that opiated warmth and sense of being at ease from a mere 5mg to 10mg of hydrocodone, or 0.5mg to 1mg of oxymorphone. I never increase my dosage because of tolerance, and I really never use often enough to actually develop much of a tolerance at all. Even the times I have used for several days in a row, or more often than usual, I can take the same amount every day and not notice any pronounced gain in tolerance.


I know a lot of people allow themselves to fall into addiction with opioids. It's a slippery slope, and though I've never let my self become physically addicted, I know the physical addiction is quite pronounced and difficult when it comes to opioids (only thing worse I can think of would probably be benzodiazepines and alcohol) ...but I know what it is I'm working with, I approach these sorts of things responsibly and have self control, I know to keep things in moderation and have been doing so for years now with out any problems.


I actually haven't touched any of the pharmaceutical opioids in many months....I have started to use kratom, a leaf from a tree that grows in south eastern Asia which is a close relative of coffee. Kratom is my panacea, I take it as an anti-depressant, an anxiolytic, for energy and motivation, as well as a sleep aid, it dulls down all my little aches and pains that have developed because of my bad posture...It's loaded with a huge amount of anti-oxidants, immunostimulants, a bunch of other anti-cancer and anti-diabetic compounds, and on and on. It's a medicinally rich plant with all sorts of uses.

Kratom has a broad spectrum of alkaloids...but the primary actives are partial-opioid agonists (there's a bunch of other activity though, even touches 5-HT2A). The alkaloid profile of this plant is balanced nicely, it even has opioid antagonists in there, where potential for addiction & withdrawal is minimal.

I've actually been intending on making a thread about this terrific leaf, kratom...as I'm sure a whole bunch of folks around here could really benefit from it.


I'm rambling and my mind feels a bit cloudy at the moment so I'll just finish this post here...I have some other things to say in regards to this topic I'll try to get to at another time.

I do not have an addiction problem with opiods - however I very much fit the under activation description- I am subject to migraines & other pain and I need MASSIVE doses of meds to even affect the pain

in hospitals they are shocked at my reactions. Once I was in for two weeks and they were dosing me on max morphine - they expected me to sleep, it did not even stop the pain, let alone make me drowsy.

When I finally stopped taking Vicodin after several years (120 a month) I did it cold turkey - no problems.