HOW OPIOIDS ACTUALLY WORK IN THE BODY (CELLULAR MECHANISM EXPLAINED) │ EP90

Welcome to the Atomic Anesthesia podcast hosted by CRNA professor Dr. Rhea Temmermand and Co-Founder Sachi Lord. On this show, you'll hear clear, clinically grounded discussions designed for nurse anesthesia residents and CRNAs who want to feel more confident in complex pharmacology, physiology, and real-world anesthesia decision-making.

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In this episode:

1. How opioids produce analgesia by decreasing synaptic transmission in central pain pathways rather than blocking nerve conduction
2. μ, κ, and δ opioid receptor pharmacology and how Gi-coupled GPCR signaling alters calcium, potassium, and cAMP
3. How opioids reduce pain by suppressing ascending nociceptive signaling and enhancing descending inhibitory pathways
4. The physiologic basis of common opioid effects including respiratory depression, sedation, bradycardia, and GI effects

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