Fentanyl: What You Need To Know National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse

Carrying naloxone can provide them with an extra layer of protection from overdose. As with any opiate, there is a risk of dependency, tolerance, misuse, and addiction with fentanyl. Physical dependence results in withdrawal symptoms when individuals suddenly stop taking the drug. When someone with an opioid use disorder misuses fentanyl, it is usually illegally manufactured fentanyl rather than a prescription product. For example, the person may obtain it as powders or pills or add it to containers such as eyedroppers or nasal sprays.

• As you progress through treatment, we will adjust your plan to align with your changing needs.
• Fentanyl deaths are rising quickly for young people in WA State.
• Additionally, it can induce severe muscle rigidity, particularly in the trunk, which combines with the impaired cognitive function to keep them in this fixed, slumped position.
• “Nodding off” is when someone using opioids such as fentanyl drifts in and out of consciousness.
• When fentanyl reduces muscle tone, these muscles become relaxed to the point that they can’t do their job of supporting the body.

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• “I just didn’t care about anything, drugs were my only driving force every day,” said Ben Campofreda, once a heavy fentanyl user who weighed only 100 pounds when a spine infection sent him to the emergency room.
• This effect can lead to both physical and psychological dependence, even with short-term use.
• A dose of only 100 micrograms can produce equivalent analgesia to approximately 10 mg of morphine.
• However, fentanyl exhibits vastly different properties and pharmacokinetics.

Here is what you need to know about fentanyl, what it’s used for, what it does to you, side effects, fentanyl lean drug interactions, withdrawal symptoms and why fentanyl is so dangerous. People taking a daily prescribed dose will become dependent on the drug and will have withdrawal symptoms if they stop it. This is not an addiction but instead a physiological response. If you or someone you know is showing these symptoms, it is important to seek professional help immediately. Users and family members should have immediate access to naloxone (Narcan), an opioid agonist medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdose.

Sustained Recovery

While some of these videos helped raise awareness about the drug crisis, others led to people making fun of people with addiction. If you think someone is overdosing on fentanyl, call 911 immediately. While waiting for paramedics, try to wake the person by calling their name loudly if you know it and rubbing your knuckles firmly on their chest or shaking their shoulders. If they don’t respond, check if they’re Alcohol Use Disorder breathing by looking at their chest to see if it’s moving up and down. If you can’t tell if they’re breathing or their breathing is very slow and shallow, this confirms they’re having an overdose.

How Do People Take Fentanyl?

• If fentanyl is used by a child or an adult who has not been prescribed the medication, try to remove the medication from the person’s mouth and get emergency medical help.
• For instance, there have been reports of purple fentanyl, a form of the drug mixed with other substances that give it a distinctive color.
• Effective treatment sees the whole person – not just the substance use, but the underlying pain and struggle beneath it.
• Calling the number is free and confidential, but treatment services may involve costs depending on your insurance coverage and the level of care required.

While more research is needed on the causes of fentanyl fold, it is clear that it is an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous side-effect of fentanyl use. Living with both addiction and mental health conditions like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, or PTSD is like trying to sail a boat with two different leaks. In the darkness of addiction, pinpoints of light still break through. I’ve sat in recovery meetings where people who once seemed beyond reach share stories of rebuilding https://cbnmyanmar.org/what-is-etoh-ethanol-alcohol-abuse/ their lives piece by piece. Always call 911 if someone is unconscious or unresponsive, even if they appear to be breathing.