Fentanyl Addiction: Definition, Causes, Health Complications, Symptoms, and Treatment
From 2012 to 2018, fentanyl overdose death rates increased by over 1,000%. Opioid overdose deaths rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 40,000 deaths in 2019, 68,630 in 2020, and 80,411 in 2021. According to data from NIDA, women are more sensitive to pain than men and, therefore, more likely to abuse and self-medicate with opioids. However, NIDA also reports that men are dying of synthetic overdose at a rate of 2-3 times that of women. Fentanyl is the primary driver of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S.
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Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are responsible for thousands of overdose deaths annually. Ongoing research is focused on developing new analgesic drugs with reduced abuse potential and less risk of overdose, targeting novel neurobiological mechanisms. This research direction is highlighted in “Current status of opioid addiction treatment and related preclinical research” by Kreek et al., published in Sci. The United States is in the middle of a devastating opioid epidemic, and its deadliest driver is fentanyl. This synthetic opioid, far more potent than heroin, is fueling a tragic and alarming surge in overdose deaths.
Suboxone: a key tool in recovery from opioids
It helps individuals safely manage acute withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, severe cravings, and anxiety. Detoxification ensures physical stabilization, reduces health risks during withdrawal, and lays the foundation for further treatment in a controlled environment. https://accusurveys.com/2024/06/14/how-to-stop-alcohol-cravings-2/ The prevention of fentanyl addiction involves education and awareness, regulation and monitoring, community and family support, access to treatment, and addressing root causes.
Stop Overdose
“It took time to create this opioid epidemic, and it is taking time as we learn how to best combat it. There is hope, and there is treatment that works, is safe and is effective.” Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids. You can buy naloxone over the counter from a local pharmacy, and you do not need training or authorization to use it. Share information about harm-reduction tools like naloxone and fentanyl test strips.
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Prevention, treatment, monitoring, and enforcement are needed to solve the fentanyl problem. Only cross-sector collaboration can reduce the devastating effects of fentanyl on individuals, families, Sober living house and society. Enhancing prescription opioid monitoring also reduces criminal diversion. Prescription medication monitoring programs and tighter controls can help identify and manage overprescribing and misuse.
But for the people using these drugs, it creates a high-risk gamble where even a trusted source or familiar dose could suddenly turn deadly. Because of fentanyl’s extreme potency, addiction can develop quickly. Even when you use it as prescribed for pain relief, fentanyl is highly addictive. People dealing with chronic pain, those with a history of substance use, or those struggling with their mental health may be more vulnerable to developing an addiction. It becomes less sensitive to the drug’s how long does fentanyl stay in your system effects and requires it to feel normal—a condition called tolerance. Regular use can also lead to physical dependence, where your body needs fentanyl to function and you experience withdrawal symptoms without it.
- The person should receive immediate medical attention for supportive care and to ensure the emergency has ended.
- Misuse of fentanyl includes taking it orally, smoking it, snorting it, or injecting it.
- Federal and state programs distribute free naloxone and make it available through pharmacies, often without requiring a prescription.
- As a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, fentanyl binds tightly to opioid receptors, producing intense euphoria and pain relief that can quickly lead to physical dependence.
In blood, fentanyl is usually detectable for up to 12 hours due to its short half-life of 3 to 7 hours. In urine, the drug is identified for 24 to 72 hours, while hair tests, which reflect long-term exposure, detect fentanyl for up to 90 days. The drug is primarily metabolized in the liver via the CYP3A4 enzyme system, with most excreted in urine and a smaller amount in feces.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp. According to 2022 data from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), fentanyl misuse was at 19.0%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that fentanyl is odorless and tasteless, and there is no visible way of knowing if or how much fentanyl a pill contains.
- To put it in perspective, it’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
- Kayla holds over 6 years of experience in the rehab space, including in-house content management at a leading treatment center.
- People taking a daily prescribed dose will become dependent on the drug and will have withdrawal symptoms if they stop it.
Founded in 2014, Addiction Resource provides free support and guidance for addiction recovery. Illegal fentanyl, however, has an unknown amount of fentanyl and may be mixed with other drugs, which may result in harmful behaviors. Some people claim they can tell they are taking fentanyl, rather than heroin, due to its pale color (which ranges from bright white to off-white) and sweet taste. However, this is not a reliable indicator of whether a person is taking real fentanyl or not. People who take fentanyl may develop a tolerance to high doses, meaning that more of the drug is needed to achieve the desired effect.
In one year, Trump pivots fentanyl response from public health to drug war
Yes, you can overdose on fentanyl overdose, and highly likely due to its extreme potency, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Overdose occurs when the drug overwhelms the central nervous system, leading to respiratory depression, unconsciousness, and death. The treatments for fentanyl addiction are Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), residential treatment programs, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), behavioral therapies, and support groups. The causes of fentanyl addiction are prolonged medical use, recreational misuse, and exposure to illicit fentanyl in counterfeit drugs. According to a study by Schifano et al., the drug’s high potency and rapid onset of euphoria make it highly addictive, especially for individuals with unmanaged pain or existing substance use disorders. Fentanyl is very addictive, up to 100 times more potent than morphine and about 50 times stronger than heroin, making it one of the most powerful opioids available.
In addition to receiving treatment for a substance use disorder, people who use illegal drugs can help prevent overdoses by using fentanyl test strips. These are low-cost paper strips that can detect fentanyl in all kinds and forms of substances. Among adults aged 18 to 44, opioid overdoses have become the leading cause of mortality, exceeding transportation accidents and diseases like cancer. Each day, approximately 150 people lose their lives to synthetic opioid overdoses, a sobering figure that highlights the scale of this public health challenge. Initial reports of fentanyl abuse were linked to prescription products, but in recent years, illicit fentanyl has become the most commonly abused form. In fact, most fentanyl-related deaths are from fentanyl made in illegal laboratories.