Question regarding heroin and morphine

[Rio Fantastic]

I don't understand why heroin is so much stronger then morphine. If heroin is just converted into morphine in the body anyway by removing the acetyl groups, doesn't it just end up as morphine anyway? So what's the point of it being turned into heroin?

[Mint boi]

heroin is a prodrug, it is more effective than morphoine because it gets to the brain alot easier, it has better bioalavailability but thats irrelevant if iv administration is the route (right??)

[Rio Fantastic]

Originally Posted by mint boi

heroin is a prodrug, it is more effective than morphoine because it gets to the brain alot easier, it has better bioalavailability but thats irrelevant if iv administration is the route (right??)

So, with I.V administration, morphine and heroin are exactly the same?

[Mint boi]

no, because heroin crosses the blood/brain barrier faster or more effectively than morphine due to the acetyl groups (swim has read 3 heroin molecules for every morphine molecule). the bioavailability was just a side note.

this is very basic info and swim is by no means an expert, he is sure that a more scientifically capable member would give a much better dcescription of the difference!