Fentanyl Addiction
Fentanyl is a prescription opioid painkiller that is chemically related to other addictive prescription painkillers, like hydrocodone and methadone. In a hospital setting, this narcotic is used to rapidly treat severe pain in people who are tolerant to other opioids. Fentanyl is so potent that doctors often reserve it for patients who have terminal cancer and most surgical patients.
Though this drug has medical uses, a euphoric fentanyl high can occur if a person takes too much of it. Thus, it is no surprise that fentanyl has been sold illicitly for decades. Today, fentanyl is often substituted for heroin — and it is just as dangerous as the notorious street drug.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid prescribed to relieve chronic pain related to terminal cancer or severe pain. Available as a transdermal patch and in oral and injectable formulations, fentanyl is easy to use. In 2015, approximately 9,580 Americans died from drug overdoses involving fentanyl. Though most of those people resided in the Northeastern United States, fentanyl overdose deaths were reported from all across the country, many of which were preceded by fentanyl addiction.
When music superstar Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, the drug was still relatively unknown among Americans. Meanwhile, fentanyl addiction and abuse had quietly grown more common in the years prior to Prince’s death, spiking between 2014 and 2015. During this time, the death rate of non-methadone synthetic opioids like fentanyl increased by over 70%. On the streets, fentanyl and its illicit variations may appear as a powder, which can be melted into a liquid and administered like a heroin injection. Fentanyl is most dangerous when it is crushed then snorted or injected, and when it is combined with other drugs — including alcohol. However, even with medical supervision, fentanyl addiction and dependency can develop. It does not take long for a fentanyl addiction to develop. For some people, mental fentanyl addiction can begin upon their first use of the drug. Due to its potency, physical dependency and fentanyl addiction can occur after a person has used the drug just a couple of times. “Controlled Substance Schedules.” Drug Enforcement Administration, https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. “Drug Fact Sheets.” Drug Enforcement Administration, https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/concern_fentanyl.shtml. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. “Fentanyl.” DEA Diversion Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Dec. 2016, www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/fentanyl.pdf. “Fentanyl.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, June 2016, www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/fentanyl. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. Lockett, Jon. “Latest Hollywood Craze is for Berry-flavoured Lollipops Laced with Powerful Opiates.” The Sun, 26 June 2016, www.thesun.co.uk/news/1344287/latest-hollywood-craze-is-for-berry-flavoured-lollipops-laced-with-powerful-opiates/. “Synthetic Opioid Data | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Dec. 2016, www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. Gatehouse, Jonathon, and Nancy Macdonald. “Fentanyl: The King of All Opiates, and a Killer Drug Crisis.” Macleans, 22 June 2015, www.macleans.ca/society/health/fentanyl-the-king-of-all-opiates-and-a-killer-drug-crisis/. Mandal, Ananya. “Fentanyl Illicit Use.” News-Medical.net, AZoNetwork, 3 July 2014, www.news-medical.net/health/Fentanyl-Illicit-Use.aspx. Volkow, Nora D. “America’s Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, 14 May 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. “Fentanyl: MedlinePlus Drug Information.” MedlinePlus – Health Information from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 15 Sept. 2016, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a605043.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. Clark, H. W. “Colleague Letter.” SAMHSA, 6 Feb. 2014, www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/medication_assisted/dear_colleague_letters/2014-colleague-letter-fentanyl-contaminated-heroin-deaths.pdf. Seeking addiction treatment can feel overwhelming. We know the struggle, which is why we're uniquely qualified to help. Your call is confidential, and there's no pressure to commit to treatment until you're ready. As a voluntary facility, we're here to help you heal -- on your terms. Our sole focus is getting you back to the healthy, sober life you deserve, and we are ready and waiting to answer your questions or concerns 24/7.