It seems for decades that the United States has been mired in an epidemic of heroin abuse. Just when things can’t seemingly get any worse, a new drug hits the street and things do get worse. The latest drug menace to start ravaging the nation’s communities is called fentanyl.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is yet another opioid pain medication. A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is only available legally with a prescription from a physician. Doctors will typically prescribe this medication under the names Actiq, Duragesic or Sublimaze for the treatment of severe pain issues. Sometimes, it will be used to induce anesthesia during surgical procedures. At higher doses, fentanyl is used to treat large mammals (elephants and horse) after surgery.
The drug is also manufactured illegally (China and Mexico) and distributed on the streets through illicit drug dealers. Some experts estimate fentanyl’s potency to be 10x higher than that of heroin. It is fast-acting with a short life.
What Everyone Needs to Know About Fentanyl Abuse
It should be clear by the rash of recent deaths caused by fentanyl overdose that this drug takes no prisoners. Its instant effect on the pain and pleasure receptors in the brain is alluring. That’s a major problem for people who like to self-medicate their problems away.
There are two primary dangers of fentanyl abuse. The first is the drug’s propensity for causing overdoses. Illicit drugs users have no real frame of reference to determine just how potent this substance can be. That puts an overdose on the table every time a drug user puts the needle in their arm.
The other primary danger is the highly addictive nature of the drug. People are literally falling victim to fentanyl addiction within weeks of taking their first dose. Once the addiction sets in, the drug user is subject to some rather substantial adverse effects of addiction. One of those effects would be the onset of fentanyl withdrawal symptoms, should the user decide to suddenly stop using the drug.
Withdrawal Symptoms of Fentanyl
Along with deaths caused by fentanyl overdose, the withdrawal process has to be considered equally dangerous. Here are a few of the more disturbing withdrawal symptoms a drug user is likely to encounter:
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Severe muscle cramping in the extremities and stomach region
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Nightmares and hallucinations
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Tremors and body convulsions
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Significant breathing issues
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Blood pressure and heart rate problems
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Vomiting and diarrhea
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Severe anxiety and depression
Any attempts to go through withdrawal from fentanyl without help from a professional detox center would risky at the highest levels.
Treating Fentanyl Addiction
There are no self-help methods for beating a fentanyl addiction. The only safe recourse would be for the drug user to seek help from a reputable addiction treatment center.
Treatment will almost always include a detox program to help the patient get past withdrawal as safe and comfortable as possible. After detox, the patient will need to spend time in an inpatient facility working with counselors. The objective will be identifying the root causes of the patient’s addiction. Once those causes come to light, the patient will need to develop better-coping skills in order to avoid falling prey to chronic relapses.
The dangers of fentanyl use are well-documented. If you or someone you love is involved in the abuse of fentanyl, the time to stop using the substance is now. If addiction seems evident, drug addiction rehab is the only viable recourse. Get help right away.