Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic narcotic that belongs to the prescription opioid class. Like morphine, but Fentanyl is between 50 and 100 times more potent. As a result, it is the most powerful prescription painkiller now accessible. Clinicians prescribe the medication to patients suffering from severe or chronic pain, as well as those recovering from surgical treatments. In this article we will discuss how fentanyl addiction treatment is conducted.
Patients who develop physical tolerances to other opioids are also treated with fentanyl. As a patients’ tolerance to opioids such as hydrocodone or morphine increases, physicians often turn to fentanyl as a substitute.
Fentanyl is also the most recent substance to be implicated in the increasing opioid crisis that has engulfed the United States. It has the same effects as heroin and pharmaceutical pain relievers do. Fentanyl is stronger, making it more popular for recreational use and misuse.
Drug producers combine fentanyl with heroin in order to improve the potency of the drug. They also sell fentanyl as heroin. Users who believe they are taking pure heroin may consume too much and end up overdosing accidentally. Over the past few years, an increase in the number of drug overdose deaths has been attributed to these activities.
What Is The Most Common Way That People Use Fentanyl?
Fentanyl can be utilized in a variety of ways, depending on the purpose for which it is being administered. Patients receive it from clinicians and doctors in a closely controlled environment. Recreational use is vastly different from professional medical use in almost every way.
Fentanyl is accessible in a variety of forms under the supervision of a doctor, including as a patch that is applied to the skin and lozenges.
It is available on an as-needed basis as an outpatient procedure. Patients who require fentanyl for at-home use are typically given the medication in patch form to make it more convenient to use.
There are a variety of methods for obtaining fentanyl for recreational purposes. Some people are able to locate authentic drugs or legitimate prescriptions. However, the most majority of fentanyl on the market is produced in other nations before being imported into the United States. This illegally imported fentanyl is accessible in a number of different forms, including:
- Pills
- Powder
- Dropped onto a piece of blotter paper
- Eyedroppers
- Sprays for the nose
Options For Fentanyl Addiction Treatment
Whenever the brain becomes hooked to a drug, whether it is fentanyl or another opioid, overcoming the addiction can be a difficult and painful endeavor, but it is never impossible. Consider the advantages of fentanyl addiction treatment if you are concerned about your own or a loved one’s fentanyl use.
It is the same as treating any other opioid addiction, and the intensity of the addiction determines the type of treatment that is needed. Depending on the severity of the addiction, treatment may include inpatient or outpatient detoxification, pharmaceutical therapies for cravings and relapse prevention, and residential and outpatient behavioral treatment programs.
The contact and admissions process are the first stages of fentanyl addiction therapy, during which the treatment center learns more about the client and their previous experiences with the drug.
Following admittance to a residential treatment center, clients are guided through a fentanyl detoxification process, during which they may be given medical assistance as the addictive narcotic is removed from the body, as needed. Medically assisted detoxification is a safe and successful means of gradually weaning the body off of fentanyl with the use of drugs that alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal. Rather than substituting one drug for another, it is the safe administration of non-addictive medication to gradually wean the body off of an addictive substance in a controlled manner.
As soon as the body has been cleared of its poisons, the second stage of recovery and fentanyl addiction treatment can be implemented. A partial hospitalization program (PHP) or an intensive outpatient treatment program (IOP) are examples of such options (IOP) Outpatient addiction treatment programs allow clients to continue their addiction therapy in a medical facility while still being able to return home each evening once their treatment is over. This provides not only a safe atmosphere in which to heal but also the comfort of one’s own home, which is ideal for many people.
Buprenorphine and methadone are two medications that may be used to treat opioid addiction because they operate on the same receptors in the brain that are affected by fentanyl. This aids in the alleviation of withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, a doctor may choose to administer naltrexone, which is a distinct type of drug that prevents fentanyl from having an effect on the body.
As with any opiate, there is a risk of dependence, tolerance, misuse, and addiction, as well as the development of tolerance. When people stop taking a drug abruptly, they experience withdrawal symptoms as a result of their physical dependence.
