A potent synthetic opioid painkiller, fentanyl may be given to people suffering from severe pain caused, for example, by surgery or advanced cancer. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.
Unfortunately, fentanyl also has a high potential for abuse and has been linked to the increase in deaths from an opioid overdose. The drug is sometimes mixed with cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, or MDMA and sold illegally. In most cases, the user has no idea they are getting fentanyl. They think they are buying cocaine, heroin, or another of the drugs mentioned. Using the drug mixture often results in an accidental overdose and death.
Fentanyl – A Schedule II Narcotic
Developed in 1959, fentanyl was introduced as an intravenous anesthetic in the 1960s. In the United States, it is legally manufactured and distributed. In 1970, under the United States Controlled Substance Act, it was listed as a Schedule II narcotic. This category of drugs is considered dangerous with a high potential for abuse that could potentially lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
How Fentanyl Works on the Body
When a person takes fentanyl, the levels of dopamine in the central nervous system increase because the drug binds the body’s opioid receptors. The increase in dopamine produces a state of relaxation resulting in an overall feeling of euphoria. When this occurs, the person’s perception of suffering and pain is relieved. However, the drug also depresses the respiratory system and the cough reflex. It usually causes the person to feel confused, drowsy, and dizzy.
Additional possible physical side effects of fentanyl include:
- Urinary retention
- Constipation
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Sedation
How is Fentanyl Administered?
When fentanyl is administered in the hospital, it is usually given as an IV injection or an IV drip. It can also be given using a pump that the patient controls. When the patient needs pain medication, they push a button that releases the drug through their IV.
Other methods of administering legal fentanyl include:
- Nasal spray (Lazanda – medication name)
- Injectable liquid (Fentanyl citrate – medication name)
- Oral lozenges – commonly known as fentanyl “lollipops” (Actiq – medication name)
- Dissolvable film strips or tablets (Fentora – medication name)
- Sublingual dissolving tablets (Abstral – medication name)
- Transdermal patches (Duragesic – medication name)
Fentanyl that is illegally produced is usually in a counterfeit tablet form or powder. It can be smoked, snorted, injected, taken orally, or spiked onto blotter paper. Illicit uses of pharmaceutical fentanyl include removing the gel from inside of fentanyl patches and injecting or ingesting it or freezing the patch and cutting it into pieces to place into the cheek cavity or under the tongue.
Common Street Names for Fentanyl
There are many different names for fentanyl when it is sold on the street, including Apache, Tango and Cash, Goodfellas, China Town, Drop Dead, Shine, China Girl, Friend, and King Ivory. Other popular street names include:
- TNT
- Jackpot
- Great Bear
- Dance Fever
- Murder 8
- Serial Killer
Fentanyl Overdose – Signs and Symptoms
A person can easily die from fentanyl overdose. This is especially true if the user is taking someone else’s prescription, not taking their own prescription correctly, or taking an illicit or illegal drug containing fentanyl. The person may experience difficulty talking or walking, feel dizzy, or have very cold, clammy skin.
Additional signs and symptoms of an overdose include:
- Confusion
- Feeling faint or lightheaded
- Extreme sleepiness
- Slow or shallow breathing
- Slow heartbeat
- Unresponsiveness
Fentanyl: a Dangerous Drug
Fentanyl is a very addictive, powerful, and dangerous drug. An overdose can result in sudden death from cardiac arrest, cardiovascular collapse, severe respiratory depression, or respiratory arrest. Another possibility is a severe anaphylactic reaction.
The dangers of fentanyl are wide-ranging and numerous. Here are just a few.
- In order to effectively reverse an overdose of fentanyl, it often takes multiple doses of Narcan because of the potency of the drug.
- An overdose of fentanyl can occur from just a very small amount of the drug. In fact, the amount needed is so tiny that 12 lethal doses can fit on the head of a penny.
- There is a very small difference between a dose of fentanyl that is therapeutic and one that is fatal.
- An overdose can occur just by touching the drug to bare skin.
- If you inhale airborne fentanyl powder, a reaction can occur.
- There is enough fentanyl in an oral formulation of the drug to cause the death of a child.
Help for Substance Abuse or Addiction
If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, speak to a professional staff member at English Mountain Recovery Center located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. They will answer your questions and help you take the steps you need to begin your journey to a sober and clean life.
