Fentanyl Transdermal How Long Does It Stay in Your System?

Fentanyl transdermal can take roughly 36 hours to be cleared from the body. Several factors affect the metabolism of fentanyl and the length of time that it remains in the patient’s system. Because fentanyl is primarily metabolized by the liver, a history of liver failure or poor health can result in a longer clearance time. Other factors include the patient’s weight, overall health, and pre-existing opioid tolerance.

Fentanyl is produced in a variety of forms including transdermal, intravenous, intrathecal, intravenous, sublingual, and lozenge. Fentanyl transdermal patches are considered to be the safest and most effective route of administration for the management of chronic pain.

Fentanyl transdermal patches release fentanyl into the bloodstream through the skin. Patches should be applied on a flat area of undamaged, fully-intact skin. Any lacerations or damage to the skin can increase permeability and cause the drug to enter the bloodstream at a faster rate. Fentanyl transdermal patches are absorbed over a 72-hour period. Compromised epidermal layers increase the risk of an overdose.

Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act. Many health insurers require physicians to pre-certify before they are eligible to write prescriptions. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued several public health advisory warnings regarding the dangers of fentanyl transdermal patches. The warnings cite incidences in which adult patients may have been prescribed unnecessarily high doses.

Fentanyl transdermal patches have occasionally surfaced on the black market after being diverted from medical supplies. People extract the gel from inside the patches before ingesting or injecting them. Fentanyl is frequently mixed with other street drugs without disclosing the fentanyl content to the buyer. Traces of fentanyl have been found in fake Oxycontin tablets, MDMA (ecstasy), heroin, Xanax, and cocaine.

Beginning in 2015, Canada saw a sharp increase in fentanyl overdose cases. Authorities tracked many of the cases back to fentanyl that had been mixed into fake Oxycontin pills. In 2006, an outbreak of overdose deaths occurred in the US and Canada after illegally manufactured fentanyl was mixed with cocaine and heroin.

Fentanyl transdermal patches achieve their effects by binding to specific opioid receptors in the brain that modulate pain response. As a result, the patient perceives less pain. Fentanyl transdermal patches also have widespread depressant effects on the central nervous system. Fentanyl depresses the respiratory drive by affecting mechanisms in the brainstem that regulate autonomic respiration.

The half-life of fentanyl varies depending on the route of administration. Fentanyl transdermal patches and lozenges have an elimination half-life of approximately seven hours. This is the amount of time that it takes for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug. When fentanyl is taken intravenously, the half-life of fentanyl is reduced to between two and four hours.

Fentanyl transdermal patches affect everyone differently. Older patients and those with a history of liver disease tend to have a lower tolerance for the drug. Decreased liver function can lead to higher fentanyl blood plasma concentrations. This increases the fentanyl transdermal patches effects on the central nervous system.

The patient’s size, weight, and overall health affect the drug’s elimination time as well. Individuals who already have a tolerance for synthetic opioids will be able to take higher doses with a lower risk of overdose. Fentanyl transdermal patches are produced in a range of doses to accommodate for the vast metabolic differences of patients. Fentanyl transdermal patches are available in 12 mcg/hour, 25 mcg/hour, 50 mcg/hour, 75 mcg/hour, and 100 mcg/hour doses. Doses enter the bloodstream gradually over the course of 72 hours.

Fentanyl transdermal patches can remain in the body for up to 36 hours -depending on how efficiently the patient processes the drug. A portion of fentanyl is converted into traces of the drug called metabolites. These may remain in the body for up to several days following the time of the last dose.

Typical blood plasma concentrations for therapeutic medication range between 0.3 ug/l to 3.0 ug/l. When fentanyl transdermal patches are abused recreationally, plasma levels may range between 3 ug/l to 300 ug/l -in cases of acute overdose. Fentanyl can be tested for in the blood and urine. Immunoassays are typically used for initial screenings. Chromatographic techniques are often used for follow-up analysis.

If you or someone you love needs help recovering from opioid misuse or abuse, The Recovery Village is available 24/7 at 855-548-9825 to answer any questions you may have. You can also visit us at www.TheRecoveryVillage.com to jumpstart your road to recovery.