Opioid use disorders
Also known as: Disorders due to use of opioids, unspecified
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
Opioids are a type of drug that includes strong prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and tramadol, as well as the illegal drug heroin. Opioid use disorder is a problematic pattern of using opioids that causes distress and impairment, and it is sometimes referred to as opioid dependence or opioid addiction. Signs of an opioid overdose can include very small pupils, loss of consciousness, slow or shallow breathing, choking sounds, vomiting, a limp body, pale or blue skin, a faint heartbeat, and purple lips or fingernails. If someone shows signs of an overdose, call 911, and the medicine naloxone can be used to treat the overdose and prevent death if given quickly.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
What are opioids?
Opioids, sometimes called narcotics, are a type of drug. They include strong prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and tramadol. The illegal drug heroin is also an opioid. Some opioids are made from the opium plant, and others are synthetic (man-made).
A health care provider may give you a prescription opioid to reduce pain after you have had a major injury or surgery. You may get them if you have severe pain from health conditions like cancer. Some providers prescribe them for chronic pain.
What are the side effects and risks of opioids?
Opioids can cause side effects such as drowsiness, mental fog, nausea, and constipation. They may also cause slowed breathing, which can lead to overdose deaths. If someone has signs of an overdose, call 911. These signs may include:
- Very small pupils of the eyes
- Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
- Slow, shallow breathing
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Vomiting
- Limp body
- Pale, blue, or cold skin
- Faint heartbeat
- Purple lips and fingernails
When using opioids, there is also a risk of opioid use disorder (OUD).
What is opioid use disorder (OUD)?
Opioid use disorder (OUD) means that you have a problematic pattern of using opioids. The pattern causes a lot of distress and impairment (meaning that it causes problems in and interferes with your daily life). Instead of OUD, sometimes people use the terms "opioid dependence" and "opioid addiction." Dependence means feeling withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that causes a person to compulsively seek out drugs, even though they cause harm.
The risk of OUD is higher if you misuse the medicines. Misuse can include taking more than your prescribed dose or taking it more often, using it to get high, or taking someone else's opioids.
Opioid use disorder and overdoses are serious public health problems in the United States. As more people misuse opioids, more women are misusing opioids during pregnancy. This can lead to health risks for the mother and baby. The baby may be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS is a group of withdrawal symptoms that a baby has after being exposed to drugs during pregnancy.
Another problem with increased opioid misuse is that it can also lead to more heroin use. There are some people who switch from prescription opioids to heroin because heroin may be cheaper and easier to get.
How are opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose treated?
There are effective medicines to treat OUD. Using medicines to treat OUD is called medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). MOUD can help you stop using the drug, get through withdrawal, and cope with cravings. It is often combined with behavioral therapy and counseling. Having support from family and friends can also help.
There is also a medicine called naloxone which can treat opioid overdoses. It can reverse the effects of the overdose and prevent death if it is given quickly.
How can I prevent problems when taking prescription opioids?
To prevent problems with prescription opioids, be sure to follow your doctor's instructions when taking them. Do not share your medicines with anyone else. Contact your doctor if you have any concerns about taking the medicines.
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Related terms in the cited sources
Medicines with an official indication for this condition
- Buprenorphine Treatment
- Methylnaltrexone Treatment
- Naloxegol Treatment
In alphabetical order.
Next to it in ICD-10
- F05Delirium
- F07Personality and behaviour changes due to brain disease or injury
- F10Alcohol use disorders
- F12Cannabis use disorders
- F13Sedative or sleeping-pill use disorders
- F14Cocaine use disorders
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Opioid use disorders?
F11 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Opioid use disorders?
6C43.Z: Disorders due to use of opioids, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA) — EPAR. © European Medicines Agency.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
About this page. This page brings together public information from official sources, each cited where it is used. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you which treatment to take.
Treatments. Indications are quoted unchanged from official product information (European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). They describe what a medicine is approved for, not whether it is right for you. Approved uses can differ between countries. Always read the package leaflet and follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice.
What people report. Figures marked "reported by Anpheros users" are anonymous counts from at least 20 people who agreed to share them. They show what people report, not what works, and they are not clinical evidence.
Links between terms. "May be associated with" means the link appears in a cited source. It does not mean you have that condition.
In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number). Do not delay seeking medical help because of something you read here.