Fentanyl Drug Addiction, Signs, Effects, Overdose & Treatment Options

What is Fentanyl Drug Addiction?

Fentanyl Drug Addiction is a serious condition that affects more Americans than one would think. Synthetic opioids, including Fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017, 59.8% of opioid-related deaths involved Fentanyl compared to 14.3% in 2010. 

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery. 

It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. Tolerance occurs when you need a higher and/or more frequent amount of a drug to get the desired effects. In its prescription form, Fentanyl is known by such names as Actiq®, Duragesic®, and Sublimaze®. 

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. 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.

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.

Fentanyl brand names and forms

This drug can come with different names and forms, here are some of them:

Fentanyl works by blocking pain receptors in the brain and increasing the production of the happiness-inducing chemical dopamine. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), street names for Fentanyl include: 

Fentanyl Drug Addiction Effects 

Fentanyl represents a high risk of addiction and abuse regardless of its prescription form. Those ingesting Fentanyl at unprescribed levels experiences an intense euphoria and sense of relaxation similar to a Heroin “high.”

The most commonly known symptoms of Fentanyl abuse might include:

Fentanyl abuse is especially dangerous to those without tolerance to Opioids. The substance’s already-elevated risk of overdose is multiplied when someone without a tolerance abuses it. Mixing Fentanyl with illicit Narcotics like Heroin or Stimulants like Cocaine amplifies the drug’s damaging side effects. Whether taken as prescribed or abused recreationally, Fentanyl is a volatile and potentially lethal drug.

Signs of Fentanyl Drug Addiction

Since many patients don’t believe Fentanyl harbors significant addictive potentials like Heroin or other street drugs, Fentanyl has a higher likelihood for accidental and intentional abuse.

Fentanyl impacts the Central Nervous System (CNS) to a significant degree, causing excess amounts of dopamine to flood and chemically alter the brain over time. Due to these neurochemical changes, someone prescribed Fentanyl might become dependent on the drug and turn to illegal methods of getting it after exhausting their prescribed amount.

Once someone develops a tolerance to Fentanyl’s Narcotic properties, he or she will depend on it to feel “normal,” requiring more of the drug to reach the previous sensations.

Fentanyl use can escalate from abuse to full-blown addiction rapidly. Thanks to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for diagnosing substance use disorder, healthcare professionals can pinpoint problematic behavior like building a tolerance or suffering withdrawal symptoms.

Fentanyl Drug Addiction Overdose

As the National Institute on Drug Abuse states,  it is very possible for a person to overdose on Fentanyl. An overdose occurs when a drug produces serious adverse effects and life-threatening symptoms. When people overdose on Fentanyl, their breathing can slow or stop. This can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can lead to a coma and permanent brain damage, and even death.

Fentanyl Overdose Symptoms

A person that is overdosing on Fentanyl may exhibit the following signs and symptoms:

The presence of the “opioid overdose triad of symptoms,” which is comprised of pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, and a decreased level of consciousness, are strongly suggestive of Fentanyl overdose symptoms.

To better educate first responders and bystanders on how to identify people who have Fentanyl overdose symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study to investigate the characteristics of a Fentanyl overdose. During the study researchers interviewed more than 60 people with firsthand accounts of a Fentanyl overdose; all of the respondents had illicitly used Fentanyl during the past year and either witnessed an overdose or survived an overdose in the past six months.

One of the most commonly described characteristics of the Fentanyl overdose symptoms was the rapid speed of onset, with 75% of the respondents describing symptoms of an overdose occurring within seconds to minutes. One respondent stated, “I would say you notice it [a Fentanyl overdose] as soon as they are done [injecting the Fentanyl]. They don’t even have time to pull the needle out [of their body] and they’re on the ground.” When asked to describe what happens during a Fentanyl overdose, the most common responses were:

Fentanyl Drug Overdose Treatment

As mentioned above, many drug dealers mix the cheaper Fentanyl with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamine to increase their profits, making it often difficult to know which drug is causing the overdose. Naloxone is a medicine that can treat a Fentanyl overdose when given right away. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs. But Fentanyl is stronger than other opioid drugs like morphine and might require multiple doses of Naloxone.

Because of this, if you suspect someone has overdosed, the most important step to take is to call emergencies so they can receive immediate medical attention. Once medical personnel arrives, they will administer naloxone if they suspect an opioid drug is involved. Naloxone is available as an injectable (needle) solution and nasal sprays (NARCAN® and KLOXXADO®).

People who are given Naloxone should be monitored for another two hours after the last dose of this medicine is given to make sure breathing does not slow or stop. Some states have passed laws that allow pharmacists to dispense Naloxone without a personal prescription. Friends, family, and others in the community can use the nasal spray versions of naloxone to save someone who is overdosing.

Fentanyl Drug Addiction Treatment

Like other opioid addictions, a convergence of medication with behavioral therapies is effective in treating people with Fentanyl Drug Addiction.

Medications: Buprenorphine and methadone work by binding to the same opioid receptors in the brain as Fentanyl, reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Another medicine, Naltrexone, blocks opioid receptors and prevents Fentanyl from having an effect. People can discuss treatment options with their health provider.

Counseling: Behavioral therapies for addiction to opioids like Fentanyl can help people modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug use, increase healthy life skills, and help them stick with their medication. Some examples include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps modify the patient’s drug use expectations and behaviors, and effectively manage triggers and stress
• Contingency management, which uses a voucher-based system giving patients “points” based on negative drug tests. They can use the points to earn items that encourage healthy living
• Motivational interviewing, which is a patient-centered counseling style that addresses a patient’s mixed feelings to change

These behavioral treatment approaches have proven effective, especially when used along with medicines.

Reclaim your life from Fentanyl Drug Addiction

Fentanyl Drug Addiction is a condition that can cause major health, social, and economic problems that should not be taken lightly. We Level Up Washington treatment center can provide you, or someone you love, the tools to recover from mental disorders associated with Fentanyl Drug Addiction with professional and safe treatment. Feel free to call us to speak with one of our counselors. We can inform you about this condition by giving you relevant information. Our specialists know what you are going through. Please know that each call is private and confidential.

We Level Up Washington Mental Health Center: Primary Mental Health Treatment with Secondary Co-Occurring Treatments

The We Level Up Washington primary mental health center stands ready to help. Offering secondary treatment programs for underlying conditions of Fentanyl addiction that frequently fuel harmful behaviors. Taking that first step to get the professional support you need can be life-transforming.

We know how mental health disorders and secondary co-occurring substance abuse diagnoses directly affect one another. The We Level Up Washington treatment center provides recovery programs through science-based mental health treatments that can help you feel better. Call us now for a free mental health evaluation! 

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at affiliated facilities at other We Level Up Treatment Centers locations beyond the Washington treatment facility.