Fentanyl Overdose Prevention

Endorphins, the substances in the body that normally bind to opioid receptors and naturally relieve pain, are also connected with “pleasure centers” in the brain. Repeated activation of these centers by narcotic drugs is suspected of playing a role in drug addiction. Hence, fentanyl, similar to other narcotic drugs, carries a high risk of addiction and accidental overdose. In the second decade of the 21st century in the United States, fentanyl was one of the deadliest drugs of abuse. Because of its high potency and rapid action on the brain’s opioid receptors, fentanyl is highly addictive.

Overdose Prevention

It can cause harm or death to people with opioid use disorders or who may have accidental exposure to the drug. A person with a substance use disorder might obtain fentanyl by misusing prescribed medication or acquiring the drug from an illegal laboratory. Misuse of fentanyl includes taking it orally, smoking it, snorting it, or injecting it. Older people are more likely than younger individuals to experience adverse effects, especially the respiratory depressant effects of fentanyl.

• Fentanyl can be made into pills or powders, which can unknowingly get mixed into other drugs.
• If you have ever witnessed what looks like seemingly intoxicated people bent over or frozen in place on sidewalks or in parks, you might be seeing someone in the throes of opioid use.
• 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.
• Deaths from fentanyl — the synthetic, often deadly opioid frequently present in illicit street drugs — have contributed to the United States’ soaring opioid overdose deaths in the last decade.
• Its strength means even a small amount can have significant effects.

How does fentanyl make people feel?

It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. Fentanyl may cause serious harm or death if used accidentally by a child or by an adult who has not been Twelve-step program prescribed the medication. Even partially used fentanyl may contain enough medication to cause serious harm or death to children or other adults. Dispose of partially used lozenges according to the manufacturer’s directions immediately after you remove them from your mouth.

What Are The Treatments For Fentanyl Addiction?

Fentanyl is fully synthetic, which means it’s made entirely in a lab and not directly from the opium poppy plant. Regardless of how it’s made, though, all opioids affect the brain in similar ways and can carry serious risks, including overdose and addiction. Because https://mnewscelebrity.com/how-to-fall-asleep-without-alcohol/ of the potency, even tiny doses can slow breathing to a stop. This is a key reason fentanyl is involved in so many overdose deaths in the United States.

What Are The Signs Of A Fentanyl Overdose?

• Death can follow quickly if the overdosed person isn’t treated.
• It is also increasingly found mixed into street drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration DEA, 2024).
• Because of the so-called “War on Drugs” and criminalization of people who use drugs, people often are unaware of the exact composition of the substances they’re using.
• Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be prescribed by doctors for pain management (National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA, 2021).
• That got him hooked on painkillers, and he’s now on the streets of SF, sometimes slouched.

Typically, a fentanyl overdose manifests as an extrapolation of its pharmacological side effects. Although the clinical scenarios may vary among patients, one of the main concerns is the level of expression of OIRD. In such cases, oxygen administration and respiratory assistance are a priority. An opioid drug antagonist such as fentanyl fold naloxone can help to correct OIRD symptoms.