Fentanyl is a powerful pain reliever that doctors sometimes prescribe for those in advanced stages of cancer. However, it’s more commonly used as a recreational drug. This pain reliever is 50 times as potent as morphine and comes in the form of lozenges or transdermal patches when prescribed for legal use. However, illicit fentanyl can be dangerous. It can be cut with other substances and could be more potent than expected, making it easier for an individual to overdose.
According to the CDC, fentanyl deaths are increasing. Coalition Recovery offers Fentanyl rehab programs that can help those who are struggling with fentanyl addiction avoid overdose and begin the road to recovery.
The Dangers of Fentanyl Overdose
Most cases of fentanyl overdose come from illegally manufactured drugs. Suppliers distribute the drug to those who crave its heroin-like effect. Fentanyl often comes packaged with cocaine or heroin to increase its potency. Therefore, users may not know the exact contents of the drugs they purchase, which can lead to fentanyl overdose and death.
What Makes Fentanyl Addictive?
According to the DEA, an increase in heroin use has led to an uptick in opioid overdose deaths, including those caused by fentanyl abuse. Doctors typically reserve the drug for dying cancer patients, and illegal use of the drug can cause death even in small doses. In its unadulterated form, fentanyl is a grainy white powder that looks like salt. Street drugs are often laced with other components, leading to accidental fentanyl deaths.
Fentanyl creates an extraordinarily euphoric high, leading to dependence and addiction after one or more uses. While the FDA has approved fentanyl for medical use, illegal consumption now accounts for the majority of uses. The drug is manufactured mainly in Mexico and China and sold illegally in American cities.
Manufacturers typically extract fentanyl from patches. Legal manufacturers have taken precautions to make it more difficult to extract the liquid form of the drug by modifying their products. However, it’s still easier to extract the drug from patches than to make heroin from scratch. To make heroin, manufacturers have to grow poppies and extract the opioid from the plant.
For those looking to make fast money, fentanyl makes an appealing option. Because of its potency, small doses go a long way, making fentanyl much easier to transport than heroin.
Fentanyl’s Impact on the Body
Fentanyl is an opioid that has a dramatic impact on the brain. It quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier to bind with opioid receptors. This provides a numb, pleasant feeling or high. Fentanyl exceeds the potency of heroin or morphine, and dosages come in micrograms, a much smaller unit than milligrams used to prescribe legal opioids.
Fentanyl’s side effects include the following:
- Nausea
- Sedation
- Respiratory impairment
- Vomiting
Fentanyl deaths often result from respiratory arrest, as the drug impairs the nervous system to the point that the lungs stop working.
Help for Fentanyl Addiction
Those who are struggling with fentanyl addiction should reach out for help as soon as possible. Early intervention for addiction can lead to positive long-term outcomes. Lasting recovery is possible. In a fentanyl addiction treatment program, you might participate in all of the following:
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Family therapy
- Job skills training
At Coalition Recovery, we offer a fentanyl addiction treatment program designed to help our participants make sustainable changes in their lives.
Reach Out to Coalition Recovery Today
We incorporate traditional and holistic approaches to fentanyl addiction treatment. You don’t have to remain in the thrall of this drug any longer. Instead, get the help you need from our compassionate medical and therapeutic team. Contact our caring admissions team at 888.707.2873, or contact us online today to learn how the process works and to enroll in an addiction treatment program.
