Fentanyl Addiction Treatment, Effects & SympToms
Fentanyl, also spelled fentanil, is an opioid used as a pain medicine and collectively with different medicines for anesthesia. Fentanyl can also be utilized as a recreational drug, frequently mixed with cocaine or heroin. It has a quick onset and effects normally last less than two hrs.
What Is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is one of the most powerful and fast-acting synthetic opioid narcotics available. Fentanyl is available in prescription versions, but illicitly manufactured versions are also sold illegally on the black market. The use of fentanyl has been one of the primary contributing factors to the opioid epidemic as well as the surge in deaths related to opioids.
Fentanyl can be prescribed only in certain situations because of its potency and habit-forming potential. Fentanyl is intended to be prescribed to treat breakthrough pain for patients with cancer.
Someone prescribed fentanyl should already be on another around-the-clock opioid for constant pain management. Then, the fentanyl can treat any pain that occurs while the patient is on that constant opioid treatment. That’s what breakthrough pain refers to.
Fentanyl should only be prescribed to cancer patients 18 and older, or in a few cases, patients 16 and older may be prescribed some forms of the narcotic.
Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
Fentanyl Dependence
Fentanyl is a drug that causes not only addiction but also dependence. Dependence can occur even if a person uses fentanyl exactly as prescribed. First, someone will start to develop a tolerance. This means that they need larger and larger doses of fentanyl to get the same effects they once did when taking a smaller dose.
As someone develops a tolerance, they’re also likely becoming dependent on fentanyl. Fentanyl dependence means that if someone stops taking it, it sends their brain and body into a type of shock. This is called withdrawal.
Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable and can lead to physical and psychological health complications.
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