Thread by @NaturesPoisons

For some #PenAndInkPoison today I want to talk about thebaine, mentioned briefly yesterday when discussing laudanosine and papaverine. Morphine gets all the glory as an opium poppy alkaloid, but I'd argue that thebaine is much, much more important.

Thebaine is not used therapeutically but is used commercially in the synthesis of some of the most important opioids we have on the market today. In anywhere from 2 to 8 steps you can produce all of the opioids shown below - there are more, but these are the important ones.

On the right, we have the opioid agonists oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. Hydrocodone is the most frequently prescribed opioid analgesic (pain reliever) in the U.S. We all know about oxycodone (Oxycontin). And hydromorphone is used a ton in hospitals.

Opioids are vital for treating pain, both acute and chronic. It's a touchy subject, but I do think they are prescribed far too frequently and for too long, which can lead to dependence, misuse, and overdoses. Thankfully, thebaine gives us some tools to counter these effects.

Thebaine is also used in the synthesis of naloxone, an opioid antagonist and life-saving wonderdrug that reverses opioid overdoses. Since making naloxone available to the public in North Carolina, it has saved over 15,000 lives. Factor in EMS and ED use, it's saving lives.

Thebaine is also used in the synthesis of buprenorphine, a partial agonist for opioid use disorder. It keeps withdrawal symptoms at bay without giving the euphoria of opioids like fentanyl. Even though it is misused (I see it a lot), it is a vital tool in combating dependence.

To make all these drugs we obviously need a lot of thebaine. Where do we get it from? Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). The pods are dried - what we call poppy straw - the seeds removed, and then the alkaloids, like thebaine and morphine, are extracted out. It's big business.

tl;dr

And the most important part...the pen and ink!
Pen: TWSBI ECO (F) in transparent orange.
Ink: Robert Oster Orange Rumble

And if you missed yesterday's post on laudanosine and papaverine - also from opium poppy - have no fear, you can find it here:

https://twitter.com/NaturesPoisons/status/1499384111428816908

p.s. For more on the opium poppy used to isolate thebaine - the precursor to all those useful opioids mentioned above - see this. Most commercial opium poppy, bred to produce high concentrations of thebaine, is grown in Tasmania. It's worth the read. psmag.com/ideas/opioids-…