Stimulation and Excitation may Indicate Higher Likelihood of "Addiction"

Characteristics of "addict" and "non addict" patients in subjective responses to narcotics

This study examined the subjective effects of opioids initially experienced by CP-patients who had not developed addiction, compared with the subjective effects experienced patients who did develop an opioid addiction. The study found that those in the addiction group had experienced a much higher incidence of euphoria upon initiation of treatment than did those in the non addiction group. It also identified one predictive effect in particular possibly indicative of vulnerability for opioid addiction - those who experience stimulation, the upper-like effect many users refer to, which is especially pronounced with oxycodone,,, This is a relatively unusual reaction to the opioid drugs, at least compared to most of the general population who have no issues with narcotic use; So according to this literature, as well as the anecdotal observations of many narcotic users, the stimulation, excitement, and motivation experienced by certain individuals may be predictive of a higher likelihood of compulsive opioid use (i.e. "addiction").

Not everyone experiences euphoria with opioid therapy. There is even a subgroup of patients who do particularly enjoy their medications, but never develop a harmful habit with their medication.