14 May What is Fentanyl Addiction?
Fentanyl is one of the strongest opiate drugs on the market. It is not a long-lasting drug so it is often used for surgery recovery and for breakthrough pain – meaning that when a person is already taking an opiate but has temporary pain that breaks through the opiate barrier, they may be given fentanyl.
There are several ways of administering Fentanyl, but the most common method is through a patch. The drug is similar to morphine in the way it acts in the body. It is manufactured to provide release of Fentanyl over an extended period of time. This is why patients are advised that they should not alter the patch. To do so could cause a life-threatening overdose, as the entire dosage of the Fentanyl is suddenly released into the person’s system.
When prescribed by a physician, fentanyl is often administered via injection, transdermal patch, or in lozenge form. However, the type of fentanyl associated with recent overdoses was produced in clandestine laboratories and mixed with (or substituted for) heroin in a powder form.
Mixing fentanyl with street-sold heroin or cocaine markedly amplifies their potency and potential dangers. Effects include: euphoria, drowsiness/respiratory depression and arrest, nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, unconsciousness, coma, tolerance, and addiction.
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