Morphine vs. Heroin?

[William_Again]

First off I would like to say that I don't know much about opiates so
if this question has been asked in forum either close this topic or
point me in the right direction. I was watching a special on the
history channel about drugs and in it they said that heroin was
metabolized into morphine when it enters the bloodstream. Now what I
want to know is why would someone do heroin, why not just shoot
straight morphine? What is it about heroin (the chemistry, processing,
etc...) that makes it so much more powerful/accessable/addicting/faster than morphine. If any of
this is wrong please correct me.






Edited by: William_Again

[justin77]

heroine is not metabolized into morphine until after it goes to the brain. which is why the high isnt the same as morphine.

[moldie]

heroin can enter the brain probably 100 times better than morphine due to better lipid solubility. this provides a better rush. heroin is converted into morphine fairly rapidly in the bloodstream though, and as heroin from the brain recrosses the bbb back into the bloodstream, it is metabolized into morphine and re-enters the brain. this is over-simplified but I believe will suffice.

[hacnslash]

yea, those two acetyl groups make heroin cross the bbb a lot easier until it loses them (ie turns into morphine).

[bogumil]

lately it is supposed that if you swollw some aspirin (acetysalicyalcid)together with your shot, they will convtert a part of the heroin that was transformed to MAM back to H. Check it out, i sent the text to the opiate chem. forum.