What Is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a potent synthetic opioid similar to morphine. Still, it produces analgesia to a greater extent] This robust pharmacologic agent is typically 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, with a dose of only 100 micrograms capable of producing equivalent analgesia to approximately 10 mg of morphine.
How Is Fentanyl Used?
While fentanyl has become a highly abused street drug, it does have legitimate medical uses as well.
Medical uses
When prescribed by a doctor, fentanyl can be given as a shot, a patch that is put on a person’s skin, or as lozenges that are sucked like cough drops. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.
Illicit use and diversion
Licit fentanyl pharmaceutical products are diverted via theft, fraudulent prescriptions, and illicit distribution by patients, physicians, and pharmacists. The illegally used fentanyl most often associated with recent overdoses is made in labs. This synthetic fentanyl is sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like other prescription opioids. fentanyl can be injected, snorted/sniffed, smoked, taken orally by pill or tablet, and spiked onto blotter paper.
Fentanyl patches are abused by removing their gel contents and then injecting or ingesting these contents. Patches have also been frozen, cut into pieces, and placed under the tongue or in the cheek cavity. Illicitly produced fentanyl is sold alone or in combination with heroin and other substances and has been identified in counterfeit pills, mimicking pharmaceutical drugs such as oxycodone.
Mixing with other drugs
Some drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. This is because it takes very little to produce a high with fentanyl, making it a cheaper option. This is especially risky when people taking drugs don’t realize they might contain fentanyl as a cheap but dangerous additive. They might be taking stronger opioids than their bodies are used to and can be more likely to overdose.
What Are the Effects and Risks of Fentanyl?
Fentanyl use and abuse pose several different types of side effects, some of which are euphoric in the short term but can cause long-term, serious consequences.
Short-term Effects
Fentanyl’s effects include
- Extreme happiness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Sedation
- Tolerance
Since fentanyl is so potent, many feel its effects almost immediately, depending on how it’s taken. When taking fentanyl recreationally, a person might experience short-term symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, and a deep state of relaxation.
Overdose Symptoms and Treatment
The high potency of fentanyl significantly increases the risk of overdose, especially if a person who uses drugs is unaware that a powder or pill contains it, as they can underestimate the dose of opioids they are taking, resulting in an overdose.
An overdose occurs when a drug produces adverse severe effects and life-threatening symptoms. When people overdose on fentanyl, their breathing can slow or stop, decreasing the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia, which can lead to a coma, permanent brain damage, and even death.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a medicine that can treat a fentanyl overdose when given right away, as it works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs.
Long-term Effects and Addiction Potential
A person taking prescription fentanyl as instructed by a doctor can experience dependence, characterized by withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped, and dependence can sometimes lead to addiction. Addiction is the most severe form of a substance use disorder (SUD), characterized by compulsive drug seeking and drug use that can be difficult to control despite harmful consequences.
What Is Fentanyl Treatment and Recovery?
Like other opioid addictions, medication with behavioral therapies is effective in treating people with fentanyl addiction. Medications for opioid use disorders—including fentanyl use disorder—are safe, effective, and save lives. These medicines interact with the same opioid receptors in the brain on which fentanyl acts, but they do not produce the same effects.
- Medication-assisted treatment options:
- Methadone, an opioid receptor full agonist, attaches to and activates opioid receptors to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Buprenorphine, an opioid receptor partial agonist, attaches to and partially activates opioid receptors to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, prevents fentanyl from attaching to opioid receptors, thus blocking its effects.
- Behavioral therapies and support. Counseling and behavioral treatments for addiction to opioids like fentanyl can help people modify their attitudes and behaviors. Some examples include
- Cognitive behavioral therapy helps modify the patient’s drug use expectations and behaviors and effectively manage triggers and stress.
- Contingency management uses a voucher-based system that gives patients “points” based on negative drug tests. Patients can use the points to earn items that encourage healthy living.
- Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered counseling style that addresses a patient’s feelings about change.
These behavioral treatment approaches have proven effective, especially with medicines.
The devastating impact of fentanyl addiction has become a pressing public health crisis, claiming countless lives and leaving families shattered. This article has shed light on the alarming rise of this potent synthetic opioid, exploring its effects, risks, and the multifaceted strategies required to combat this complex issue. By understanding the root causes, modes of consumption, and treatment options, we can take proactive steps to address this urgent challenge.