Fentanyl is one of the strongest and most commonly used opioids. Its potency is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. That’s why medical professionals seldom prescribe it for an extended period of use. It’s usually prescribed only to address severe pain that hasn’t reacted well to other pain-relieving drugs.

Due to the potency of this drug, a person can get addicted to it, and it can be less hard to misuse it. Note also that individuals who have taken this drug even for a short time are susceptible to becoming addicted. As such, it’s advisable to switch to alternative medicine as a substitute for fentanyl to treat severe pain caused by health issues.

Overall, if you or someone you know may be addicted to fentanyl, knowing the signs and treatment options can help you get them back to normal. Read on to find out.

Fentanyl Brand And Street Names
Before digging deeper into more information regarding fentanyl, it’s good to know the familiar brand and street name for such a drug.

First, note that fentanyl can come in various forms to meet each patient’s individual needs. Some known brand names and forms for fentanyl include:
  • Sublimaze: This form of fentanyl is usually prescribed in hospitals. It’s often paired with anaesthetics and is generally administered through injections. Its purpose is to act as pain management before and after surgery.
  • Actiq: It’s also referred to as fentanyl lollipop. Here, the patient takes it beneath the tongue to ease pain immediately. Likewise, this drug is administered to patients already taking painkillers and has some military applications.
  • Subsys: This Fentanyl is a sublingual spray taken by a patient beneath the tongue to act as a quick pain reliever. Its goal is to address breakthrough cancer pain.
  • Lazanda: It comes in nasal spray and is mainly used for people with cancer who need a drug to address their pain.
  • Duragesic: Administered in the form of a fentanyl patch, this type of fentanyl is administered to address moderate or severe pain, with an effect that can take around three days.
  • Abstract: This form of fentanyl is mainly used for patients with breakthrough cancer pain but has tolerance for opioids. It comes in the fentanyl pill form of a tablet that dissolves immediately by being taken underneath the tongue.
Note that people can also obtain fentanyl on the streets besides having prescriptions. Some common street names for fentanyl that people on the street call it for are:
  • Murder 8
  • China Town
  • Dance Fever
  • Friend
  • Apache
  • Jackpot
  • Tango And Cash
  • Goodfellas
  • He-man

If you or someone you love is struggling with fentanyl addiction, consider visiting Jacksonhouserehab.com and other addiction treatment centres online.

Fentanyl Overdose

It doesn’t require much to take a lethal dose of fentanyl. In comparison to approved pharmaceutical forms of the drug, such as the fentanyl patch, illegally manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) isn’t monitored. And so, people who have it may not be fully aware of the amount they’re getting. Likewise, IMFs are usually mixed unknowingly with other drugs.

Increasing Deaths Caused By Fentanyl

Deaths related to opioid overdose were four times higher in 2008 than in 1999, and nearly 68% of the drug overdose deaths in 2017 were linked to opioids. The number of people who died because of opioid overdose in 2017 increased across various demographics such as race, age, and region. This report shows that fentanyl affects anyone regardless of status.

Note that between 2016-2017, an overdose of synthetic opioids increased by 45.2%, plus another 10% from 2017 to 2018.

How Long Does Fentanyl Withdrawal Last?

Though the fentanyl detox timeline can differ from one person to another, you can expect that the people can undergo withdrawal symptoms within 12 hours after the last use of the drug.

Like other short-acting opioids, withdrawal symptoms often reach the height of severity within a few days and start to settle across the following weeks. Note that some individuals may undergo less acute withdrawal symptoms for many weeks after that.

Here are some factors that can affect the duration of the fentanyl withdrawal:
  • Period and frequency of use
  • The average amount of fentanyl usage in a day
  • Any co-existing use of other drugs or prescription medicines

Signs Of Fentanyl Addiction

Here are the signs of fentanyl addiction that you should know.

1. Physical Changes

The most noticeable sign of fentanyl addiction is found physically. Obvious physical signs of opioid use generally happen when an individual ingests more than what’s prescribed by a doctor. Nodding off or drowsiness is one of the most apparent signs of fentanyl abuse. A person may suddenly fall asleep during times when such a person talks with other people or nods off during inappropriate times.

Other physical signs of fentanyl addiction include:
  • Convulsion
  • Constipation
  • Pale skin
  • Sunken eyes
  • Laboured or shallow breathing
  • Sneezing
  • Lightheadedness

2. Behavioural Changes

A warning sign of fentanyl abuse includes behavioural changes that occur even if the person uses it for a short period. The reason is that the drug is very potent. Some examples of behavioural changes that can happen include:
  • Mood swings
  • Extreme lethargy
  • Tendency to have risky behaviours
  • Social withdrawal
  • Lack of proper personal hygiene
  • Tendency to not take care of oneself such as avoiding exercise and having proper nutrition
Note that if a person becomes more and more addicted to fentanyl, the more a person will likely compromise health and wellness.

3. Psychological Changes

Opioids like fentanyl can cause a person to struggle to concentrate or recall things. This means an individual may seem to daydream or not pay attention when communicating.

Other psychological signs of fentanyl addiction include:
  • Depression
  • Confusion
  • Hallucinations
  • Impaired judgment
  • Rapid mood swings
  • Disorientation
  • Anxiety
  • Paranoia

4. Undergoing Negative Life Consequences

Drug addiction can adversely affect every area of a person’s life. Sadly, many individuals with challenges related to fentanyl addiction will go on with their use of drugs despite these negative repercussions.

Life consequences that might happen because of fentanyl addiction include:
  • Financial challenges
  • Job loss
  • Legal repercussions
  • Losing friends and loved ones
Overall, suppose you believe you or your loved one is struggling to deal with the adverse consequences that fentanyl brings. In that case, it’s ideal to know the treatment process below that addresses fentanyl addiction.

Treatment Options

Treatment for fentanyl addiction is a process that begins with detoxifying the person away from the drug up to offering support after the treatment ends.

People can have unique challenges in quitting fentanyl use, especially if they’ve become addicted. With that in mind, seeking a professional rehab is usually an essential factor for a successful long-term recovery. Because people get hooked to it quickly because of its potency, many individuals join a comprehensive residential rehab program before becoming a part of an outpatient treatment program.

The following are the rehab programs made to address fentanyl addiction:

1. Medical Detox

This program includes around-the-clock supervision by medical professionals who can get involved in the case of complications and, when necessary, offer medications that assist in managing withdrawal symptoms.

Examples of medications that medical professionals are offering to ease the withdrawal symptoms of fentanyl addiction include:
  • Naloxone
  • Methadone
  • Suboxone
  • Buprenorphine (aka Subutex)
Note that these FDA-approved medications are also opioids (minus naloxone). They’re not as addictive as fentanyl, but individuals can still have an addiction to them if left unsupervised.

2. Residential Rehab

The first days and weeks are usually the most challenging. As such, residential rehab programs offer patients the opportunity to attain early success without the danger of encountering triggers or falling into the temptation to retake the drug. Residential rehab centres provide structure, including activities and therapies in their facilities.

A typical day inside a residential rehab includes having breakfast early in the morning, daily therapy in the afternoon, and 12-step meetings in the evening. If there’s free time, the people who assist in-patients may provide activities such as swimming or playing basketball, volleyball, or soccer.

3. Outpatient Rehab

This program follows after the period of residential rehab. Here, many rehab centres provide a variety of outpatient programs designed to assist patients in various stages of recovery. This includes fentanyl treatment sessions and support groups that people can participate in at different periods throughout the week.

This schedule gives way for an individual to go on with daily tasks and continue to reside at home. However, such a person must check into treatment at their assigned time for medication and counselling.

4. Aftercare

Know that recovery is a lifelong journey. Aftercare programs also allow individuals in recovery to interact with other people in a group counselling session. Other things included in an aftercare program include continuous interventions, activities, and additional resources designed to help people with fentanyl addiction cope with stress, cravings, and triggers that they may encounter when the treatment ends. Note that each person’s plan for aftercare differs based on individual needs.

Summary

Fentanyl is a highly addictive opioid used to alleviate severe pain. It’s often used for the short term and isn’t usually prescribed by medical professionals.

Likewise, there are signs of Fentanyl addiction that you should know. Some of these signs can be physical, psychological, or behavioural. As the symptoms of fentanyl addiction can be worrying, the good thing is there are treatment options for this type of addiction. Some of those are residential rehab and aftercare.

Note that it’s better to learn the warning signs and treatment options for fentanyl addiction to be more armed in helping yourself or someone close to you who may have become addicted to such a drug. Overall, ask for advice from a doctor on the best path moving forward regarding this type of addiction.