How do synthetic opioids differ from natural opioids?

Natural opioids come from the opium poppy plant, while synthetic opioids are man-made chemicals created in laboratories. Synthetic opioids are designed to mimic how natural opioids work in the body but can be more potent and have different effects.

What are natural opioids?

Natural opioids are medicines that come directly from the opium poppy plant. The two main natural opioids are morphine and codeine. For thousands of years, people have used the poppy plant for pain relief. Today, natural opioids are still used in hospitals and prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain from surgery, cancer, or injuries.