An opioid crisis has started sweeping different parts of the country. New drugs continue to come out which makes the crisis get even worse. One drug that is less known with a higher potency is fentanyl. Considered to be heroin’s synthetic prototype, fentanyl has become one of the most abhorrent culprits in narcotic overdose.
Fentanyl is a prescription drug that is used to help patients with pain relief for an injury, or after a surgery, that has a quick release for a short acting opioid effect. Although the high can be short lived, the medication will stay in the system for 24-72 hours to help alleviate pain. The potency of fentanyl is around 50 times higher than heroin and 100 times higher than morphine, which indicates how strong the efficacy really is.
Different forms of the drug include a patch, a lollipop, piece of medicated film, or a pill. Originally fentanyl was injected during a hospital stay under supervision. Knowing the difference between an injected curative dose and a fatal dose is such a small percentage, that injecting fentanyl outside of hospital guidance can be very dangerous.
The abuse of fentanyl has risen over the last few years mostly by addicts capitalizing on the patch. Placing the patch on the skin allows the drug to provide a time-release pain relief to pass through the skin a little at a time. There is a waiting period of up to 24 hours for the medicine to work. Addicts who want to feel the effects of the patch in a quicker manner will use the patch in a more complex fashion. Extracting the fentanyl directly from the patch to inject the liquidized product into a vein is one way. Chewing on the patch, applying more than one patch at a time, and inserting the patch rectally are other ways that addicts can abuse the prescription. Disarming the time-release apparatus can rapidly intensify the effects of fentanyl for addicts.
The main reason that fentanyl has become so lethal is that heroin and cocaine can be laced with fentanyl, making these illicit drugs even stronger than they are normally thought of. When addicts do not know what has been added to their drugs, their bodies can be in for a huge shock of overdose. Fentanyl is also known for slowing down the respiratory system significantly because opioid receptors are found in the part of the brain that controls breathing.
Fentanyl works well for the right kind of treatment, but not long-term for an addict. Abusing the drug can create results that are hard to come back from, especially when death by fentanyl occurs.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, Serenity Oaks Wellness Center has a 5-week program that can be designed especially for you or a loved one. Our partial-care program will adorn your soul by disarming your fears and reconnect you to the life you were meant to live. Call our staff today: 844-720-6847
