Marketed under the trade names of Actiq®, FentoraTM, Duragesic®; and available in the Street Names: Apache, China girl, China white, Dance fever, Friend, Goodfella, Jackpot, Murder 8, TNT, Perc-O-Pop, Lollipop, Tango and Cash, Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid. It was first introduced into medical practice as an intravenous anesthetic in the 1960s.
Fentanyl, as a prescription drug, can be found in oral transmucosal lozenges – or fentanyl lollipops – effervescent buccal tablets, transdermal patches and injectable formulations. Each of these applications is used to treat chronic pain, except for the injectable formulation, which is used for potent analgesia and anesthesia.
Abuses of Fentanyl
Fentanyl offers intense euphoric effects and comes in handy for those heroin addicts seeking a fix. The danger in this substitution is fentanyl is much more potent and addicts tend to use more than necessary to achieve the same effect as heroin. As a result, frequent overdoses occur, which can lead to respiratory depression and death.
The fentanyl patch is often abused by individuals seeking that euphoric high. These individuals remove the liquid contents from the patch and inject or ingest the contents. Patches may also be frozen, cut into pieces and placed under the tongue or in the cavity of the cheek to absorb the drug orally.
Effects of Fentany
As fentanyl is an opioid, it can be highly addictive, especially when used outside of a doctor’s care. A Schedule II controlled substance, fentanyl can produce drug dependence similar to that of morphine. Tolerance can initially be manifested by a decreased duration of the analgesic effect, followed by decreases in the intensity of analgesia.
Whether using fentanyl legitimately or not, the drug can cause certain effects, not the least of which is addiction. An individual using fentanyl can also experience liver damage, respiratory depression, severe allergic reaction, constipation, hot flashes, insomnia, loss of appetite and night sweats, especially when use has gone on for a long time.
An individual who has ingested too much fentanyl – for whatever reason – may experience slowed breathing and heartbeat; pinpoint pupils; cold, clammy skin; loss of or change in consciousness; or seizures. If a dependence upon the drug develops due to abusive use, these effects can still occur, but may require higher dosages of the drug.
Withdrawal of Fentanyl
Any fentanyl user will experience withdrawal once the drug is no longer taken. When a patch is removed, it takes 17 hours or more for a 50 percent decrease in serum fentanyl concentrations. It is highly recommended that a gradual decrease in the dose level take place as abrupt withdrawal can cause severe reactions.
Any and all of the following symptoms can occur in the fentanyl withdrawal stage:
• Anxiety
• Body aches
• Diarrhea
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fever
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Chills
• Sweating
• Yawning
• Anorexia
• Nausea or vomiting
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Shivering or trembling
• Stomach cramps
• Insomnia
• Weakness
Treatment of Fentanyl Addiction
As fentanyl falls into the opiate category, it is often very difficult to treat. Individuals develop a long-term mental and physical addiction to the drug, making it that much harder to successfully relieve the patient of an addiction. Detoxification is required to cleanse the body of this drug and must be done under the care of a physician.
Many treatment centers suggest comfortable detox using withdrawal medications for fentanyl abuse. A quality center will do a full physical on a person and have a board-certified addiction psychiatrist determine the right medications for comfortable detox.
This method helps to correct the chemical imbalances in the individual and should be combined with psychological evaluations and other medical care to address cravings for the drug. Such a method helps to identify the reason for the addiction, while treating the whole person.