Opioids: Meperidine, Morphine, Methadone mnemonic - Pharmacology mnemonics and tutorial

Opioids

Four opioid receptors: delta (D), mu (U), sigma (S), kappa (K) [DUSK]
- Stimulation of sigma results in hallucinations [psychedelic colors]
- Stimulation of mu (U) and kappa (K) results in analgesia [The orange pain comes from wounded hands but the letters turn it around (U-turn and K-turn) and prevent it from reaching the brain]
Meperidine [Me peri dinner]
- Stimulates mainly the kappa (K) receptor [Orange lightning bolt of pain is caught by K and bounced away]
- vasodilator [Big vase on T-shirt]
- Elevates intracranial pressure [Fountain from head]
- dilates the pupils [dilated pupils]
- Causes tremors [tremors]
Morphine [More fins]
- Intravenous administration [Needle swordfish]
- vasodilator [Big vase about to be pierced by morphine]
- Elevates intracranial pressure [Whale-like fountain from head]
- Stimulates mainly the mu (U) receptor [Orange lightning bolt of pain is caught by U and bounced away]
- Depresses respiratory function [Corked nose]
- Constipation [Corked anus]
- Causes urinary retention [full bladder - too bad one of the many fins obscures it!]
- Lowers blood pressure [Blood is only in the bottom of the fish]
- Bradycardia [Even the snail heart is outpacing the fish]
- Constricts the pupils [pupil constriction]
- vomiting [orange vomit]
- Metabolized by the liver [Liver chasing morphine]
Methadone [The drug dealer I met had one] - used to reduce withdrawal symptoms of heroin