Viminol is an opioid

Opioid

An opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...

 analgesic

Analgesic

An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....

 developed by the drugs company Zambon

Zambon

Zambon Group is a multinational pharmaceutical and chemical company founded in 1906, with headquarter in Bresso , Italy. It operates directly on three continents - Europe, South America and Asia....

 in the 1960s. It has an unusual chemical structure that is not similar to other opioids.

Viminol has both antitussive (cough suppressing) and analgesic

Analgesic

An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....

 (pain reducing) effects. It has six different stereoisomers which have varying properties, with the 2-(R) isomer being a μ-opioid

Mu Opioid receptor

The μ-opioid receptors are a class of opioid receptors with high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin but low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ opioid peptide receptors. The prototypical μ receptor agonist is the opium alkaloid morphine; μ refers to morphine...

 full agonist around 5 times more potent than morphine

Morphine

Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...

, while the 2-(S) isomer is an antagonist. Since vimonol is supplied as a racemic

Racemic

In chemistry, a racemic mixture, or racemate , is one that has equal amounts of left- and right-handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule. The first known racemic mixture was "racemic acid", which Louis Pasteur found to be a mixture of the two enantiomeric isomers of tartaric acid.- Nomenclature :A...

 mixture of isomers, the overall effect produces a mixed agonist-antagonist profile similar to that of opioids such as pentazocine

Pentazocine

Pentazocine is a synthetically prepared prototypical mixed agonist-antagonist narcotic drug of the benzomorphan class of opioids used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain...

, although with somewhat fewer side effects.

Viminol has similar effects to other opioids, and produces analgesia, sedation

Sedation

Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...

 and euphoria

Euphoria

Euphoria is an emotional and mental state defined as a sense of great elation and well being.Euphoria may also refer to:* Euphoria , a genus of scarab beetles* Euphoria, a genus name previously used for the longan and other trees...

.

Side Effects

Side effects are similar to other opioids, and can include:

• Itching
• Nausea
  Nausea
  Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
  
  
• Sedation
  Sedation
  Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
  
  
• Respiratory depression - can be potentially life-threatening

However, since viminol is supplied as a racemic mixture of agonist and antagonist isomers, the abuse potential and respiratory depression tends to be less than that of μ-opioid full agonist drugs.