Fentanyl Abuse

What’s Fentanyl? It is typically prescribed to patients for acute pain or harm, or after a patient has undergone surgery. It works quickly to remove any pain in the body. But, it can also be very addictive. Fentanyl is considerably more powerful than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine.

Fentanyl was initially synthesized by Paul Janssen of Janssen Pharmaceuticals in 1960. It works to relieve pain fast, and its effects do not last long. Users of fentanyl may experience a state of euphoria and comfort and might abuse it in effort to seek out these feelings on a regular basis.

There are several techniques of taking fentanyl. It’s often shaped into:

Patches.
Dissolvable tongue movie.
Pills which dissolve in the cheek.

Since Fentanyl is often administered in a hospital setting, individuals with easier access to the drug (those working in or about a medical care setting) may fall prey to fentanyl addiction. Others may begin taking fentanyl as prescribed, but eventually become dependent on it.

Fentanyl is frequently sought out for illegal purposes because of the powerful pain-relieving and relaxing results. Fentanyl is occasionally combined with cocaine or heroin to heighten their consequences. Combining these drugs is extremely dangerous, as while the effects are heightened, so are the risks.

NOTE: Many prescriptions are designed to discharge their consequences over time for security nonetheless, like many medications there are ways users control fentanyl to discharge the effects faster, e.g, with the addition of warmth to a fentanyl patch. Doing this is harmful since it sabotages the slow-release mechanism and can result in Infection.

Signs and Symptoms

There are many common signs that someone is abusing fentanyl, in addition to symptoms of fentanyl abuse. All these signs and symptoms of fentanyl abuse contain the following:

Confusion.
Slowed altered heartbeat.
Sleepiness

In certain scenarios, fentanyl use may also result in unconsciousness, coma, or even death.

Effects of Fentanyl Abuse

When somebody has a long-term fentanyl problem, that individual will probably experience several adverse outcomes. There are serious physical and mental side effects of protracted fentanyl abuse along with the symptoms and signs of abuse listed above.

Physical Effects

Severe gastrointestinal problems, including bowel obstruction and perforation.
Weakened immune system.
Difficulty breathing.
Seizures.

Mental Effects

Paranoia.
Social withdrawal.
Lack of inspiration.
Delusions and character changes.

Lethal Combinations

When coupled with other street drugs such as heroin which depress the central nervous system, the consumer is at heightened risk of:

Respiratory distress.
Coma.
Death.

Fentanyl Abuse Treatment

Therapy is a vital element of the recovery process from dependency to Fentanyl. Drug addiction therapy involves a variety of elements typically starting with detox.

Detox

Since fentanyl is both physically and psychologically addictive, a fentanyl enthusiast will encounter physical, psychological and psychological withdrawal symptoms upon stopping the drug, which may consist of:

Chills.
Confusion.
Diarrhea.
General weakness.
Irritability.

Joint and muscle pain.
Loss of desire.
Restlessness.
Shaking and tremors.
Stomach pain.

Because of the severity of withdrawal symptoms which may happen, it is important to work with a qualified medical practitioner to detox comfortably and safely. Detoxing under the supervision of an experienced professional reduces the risk that the consumer will quit detoxing and sabotage his own healing in an effort to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

Drug Rehabilitation

Drug rehab centers are an effective method to take care of fentanyl abuse. But, opiate dependence is a stubborn condition with a high relapse rate and not all treatment facilities are equipped to take care of fentanyl addiction. Before picking a rehab facility, find out if they know and are equipped to take care of somebody with a fentanyl addiction.

Generally speaking, you will find a wide range of treatment options for those seeking rehabilitation from drug use. These choices include:-

12-step recovery programs, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
SMART Retrieval (Self-Management and Recovery Training).
Inpatient rehab programs.
Outpatient rehab programs.

Residential rehabilitation programs usually last anywhere from 30 to 90 times — several programs last up to a year when treating acute cases, which opiate addiction will be.

12-measure programs provide lifetime support for addicts, those seeking to obtain sobriety and people seeking to maintain it.

Fentanyl Statistics

Fentanyl is an extremely addictive substance that has many inherent dangers. Note these statistics:-

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), involving 2005 and 2007, fentanyl abuse killed over 1,000 individuals at the U.S.
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Journal, nurses and anesthesiologists have a greater likelihood of abusing Fentanyl than the general public.
Per the DEA, over 12 forms of medication now being trafficked have been produced illicitly in labs to resemble fentanyl.
Per a report from the CDC, those addicted to opiate painkillers are 40 times more likely to abuse or become dependent on heroin.