What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the packaging it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store fentanyl in a safe place so that no one else can use it accidentally or on purpose. Use the child-resistant locks and other supplies provided by the manufacturer to keep children away from the lozenges. Keep track of how much fentanyl is left so you will know if any is missing. Store fentanyl at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture . Do not freeze fentanyl.
You must immediately dispose of any medication that is outdated or no longer needed through a medicine take-back program.. If you do not have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, then flush the fentanyl down the toilet so that others will not take it. Dispose of unneeded lozenges by removing each lozenge from the blister package, holding the lozenge over the toilet, and cutting off the medicine end with wire cutters so that it falls into the toilet. Throw away the remaining handles in a place that is out of the reach of children and pets, and flush the toilet twice when it contains up to five lozenges. Dispose of unneeded tablets or films by removing them from the packaging and flushing them down the toilet. Throw the remaining fentanyl packaging or cartons into a trash container do not flush these items down the toilet. Call your pharmacist or the manufacturer if you have questions or need help disposing of unneeded medication.
People Who Understand Your Struggle
With the right fentanyl addiction treatment programs, you never have to feel alone. Group therapy and individual counseling offer a safe space for people struggling with fentanyl use. When youre with people treading the same healing path as you, you will feel less alone and more motivated to fight for your sobriety.
What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else use your medication, even if he or she has the same symptoms that you have. Selling or giving away this medication may cause severe harm or death to others and is against the law.
This prescription is not refillable. Be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor on a regular basis so that you do not run out of medication.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
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Getting Help For Fentanyl Addiction
If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to fentanyl, the best decision you can make is to seek fentanyl addiction treatment options in Massachusetts. At Vertava Health Massachusetts, we offer individualized plans of recovery to help you or your loved one overcome fentanyl addiction and lead a fulfilling life in sobriety.
To learn more, contact a Vertava Health Massachusetts treatment specialist today at or contact us online.
Program Options For Long
Aftercare programs at Windward Way Recovery help people to get through withdrawal symptoms. You also learn how to stay sober for life by building a support group of people who care. With a support group, youre never alone. If you have a long-term addiction to fentanyl, you may need extra support to:
- Develop healthy relationships with family members
- Re-learn social skills you lost while using drugs
Who can you turn to when going through fentanyl addiction recovery? Many sources of help are available during your journey toward sobriety, including:
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Cautions With Other Medicines
Some medicines and fentanyl interfere with each other and increase the chance that you will have side effects.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines:
- to help you sleep
- to help stop you feeling or being sick
- to treat symptoms of an allergy
- for mental health problems including depression, or to reduce stress or anxiety
- for any infection
- to control fits or seizures
Signs Of Withdrawal From Fentanyl
Whether someone takes fentanyl exactly as prescribed by a medical professional, or they abuse the drug, they may experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using it or take a lower dose. These withdrawal symptoms may be a red flag to friends or family members, indicating that someone has a problem with fentanyl and that their body has become physically dependent on it.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with fentanyl include irritability, chills, sweats, insomnia, anxiety and nervousness, agitation and restlessness.
With fentanyl addiction and abuse of other prescription drugs, people may do immoral or illegal things to maintain their addiction. This behavior could involve stealing money or stealing pills either from people they know or even places they might work.
Individuals who abuse fentanyl and other drugs often become incredibly preoccupied with the drug and making sure they get more. This preoccupation can cause them to withdraw from friends and family or form new social groups. People who are on fentanyl and are abusing it may also start to have school or work performance declines.
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Factors That Influence The Elimination Time
Like fentanyl half-life depicts, this substance stays in human systems for certain periods of time. However, the elimination times differ from person to person. Several factors could be responsible for the different duration in ones body.
They Include:
Fentanyl is a potent opioid, and many factors can influence its elimination from the system, such as age, dosage and even ingestion route. However, if one is concerned about not testing positive for this drug, it can be dangerous to quit cold turkey. The most effective way is tapering off slowly under medical supervision. Treatment centers have all the necessary tools to help a patient go through fentanyl withdrawal safely and without complications. If one is worried about an addiction that has already developed in them or their loved one, enrolling in an inpatient treatment program is a good way to overcome it.
Hope Without Commitment
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What You Need From A Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Program
Quality addiction treatment program help comes from a high-quality rehab center. Furthermore, accreditation is important. It proves the program works for people who engage in it. Accreditation also ensures the rehab provides the highest quality programs, facilities, staff, treatment methods, and therapies.
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What Happens When You Are Addicted To Fentanyl
All opioids, including fentanyl, have a strong risk of addiction. That means that when you use them, especially over a prolonged period of time, it creates changes in our brain that lead to addiction. Once addicted, you will develop overwhelming cravings for fentanyl. Urges to use will be overpowering, taking over all other priorities. When you try to stop using fentanyl, you will experience painful withdrawal symptoms which makes it even harder to resist using more of the drug. If you are addicted to fentanyl and are like most other addicts, you will not be able to stop using the medication without help.
Fentanyl Addiction: Treatment & Recovery
The majority of people who become addicted to fentanyl are normally already addicted to other opioid drugs. These are people who are typically using heroin or prescription painkillers on a regular basis.
Once these drug users start using fentanyl, the new addiction is simply an extension of their existing opioid use disorder .
Opioid addiction, like other substance addictions, occurs because a person has been taking these drugs for an extended period of time. However, it is possible to get addicted to both legal and illegal opioids in as little as a few weeks of regular use.
One of the criteria for any substance use disorder is the rapid emergence of withdrawal symptoms if the user abruptly stops their drug use.
Some of these fentanyl withdrawal symptoms can be severe in nature, and can, in themselves, prompt the users to make a quick return to their original opioid use.
IMPORTANT: Detoxing from the drug by going cold turkey can be fatal if the person then relapses and takes too high a dose, or if they have a pre-existing medical condition that is severely worsened by the detox process.
Fentanyl Addiction: Common Withdrawal Symptoms
Please remember, it is possible for people to fully recover from a fentanyl addiction or another opioid use disorder .
However, it is only with professional addiction treatment that any chance of success is guaranteed this typically means going through both the detox and rehab elements of the treatment.
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Whether You’re Calling For Yourself Or A Loved One Our Intake Coordinators Are Here To Help Your Call Is Confidential And There’s No Pressure To Commit To Treatment Until You’re Ready
Substance addiction is caused by two broad factors:
- Genetic factors
- Environmental factors
There is no single addiction gene that causes people to become addicted when they are exposed to drugs. Rather, there are various genes that influence whether a particular person is predisposed to addiction. There are genes that are protective against developing addiction. The combination of these genes determine individuals predisposition to becoming addicted when they are exposed to drugs.
Addiction is also closely tied to other mental health disorders because they each can cause the other. Mental health disorders and substance use disorders share many of the same genetic causes, risk factors and even symptoms. A co-occurring mental health disorder occurs in more than 50% of people with addiction. Many people begin their drug or alcohol use to self-medicate symptoms of a mental health disorder.
Likewise, many people use drugs or alcohol as a dysfunctional coping mechanism for dealing with life stressors, past traumas or other elements that cause negative thoughts, emotions and feelings.
Individual Therapy Or Group Counseling Sessions
Counseling sessions help you learn new ways to deal with cravings on your own, without turning back to drugs. A professional will also help identify any underlying problems like depression or anxiety that may have contributed to your drug use. They will guide you toward treating the conditions effectively, so you dont relapse in the future.
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How And When To Take It
Follow your doctor’s instructions about how to use this medicine. This is particularly important because fentanyl can be addictive.
Doses vary from person to person. Your dose will depend on how bad your pain is, how you’ve responded to other painkillers and if you get any side effects from fentanyl.
Fentanyl tablets, lozenges, nasal spray and injections are fast-acting. They’re used for pain that is expected to last for a short time.
Fentanyl patches are slow-release. This means fentanyl is gradually released through the skin into your body.
Symptoms Of Fentanyl Addiction
Along with overdose and death, two of the most serious possible effects of fentanyl use is addiction and dependence. Addiction is a diagnosable medical condition with certain specific symptoms. Addiction to fentanyl or any other substance can be characterized as mild, moderate or severe. This is primarily dependent on the number of symptoms a person experiences.
Detecting signs of opioid abuse and addiction early on can be key to a more successful opioid or fentanyl rehab process.
Some of the possible symptoms of fentanyl addiction that indicate a person might need fentanyl rehab can include:
- Feeling out of control when it comes to the use of fentanyl
- Wanting to stop using fentanyl but being unable to
- Having at least one failed attempt to cut down on or stop using fentanyl
- Becoming secretive or lying to cover up fentanyl use
- Cravings for fentanyl
- Changes in sleep or hygiene habits
- Relationship problems
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How Addictive Is Fentanyl
Due to its potency and the high it creates, fentanyl is a highly addictive drug. Other factors leading to fentanyl addiction might include:
- Past addiction history
- Emotional stability
- Living environment
Many reasons can cause addiction to or dependence on fentanyl after using it for a short period. In addition, fentanyl is often cut into heroin and sold on the street, leading to a user taking more of it than they intended. This may cause them to overdose. The overdose could be fatal if not treated in time with naloxone, an opioid antagonist drug used to counteract fentanyl.
How Can A Fentanyl Overdose Be Treated
As mentioned above, many drug dealers mix the cheaper fentanyl with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine to increase their profits, making it often difficult to know which drug is causing the overdose. Naloxone is a medicine that can treat a fentanyl overdose when given right away. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs. But fentanyl is stronger than other opioid drugs like morphine and might require multiple doses of naloxone.
Because of this, if you suspect someone has overdosed, the most important step to take is to call 911 so they can receive immediate medical attention. Once medical personnel arrive, they will administer naloxone if they suspect an opioid drug is involved.
Naloxone is available as an injectable solution and nasal sprays .
People who are given naloxone should be monitored for another two hours after the last dose of naloxone is given to make sure breathing does not slow or stop.
Some states have passed laws that allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a personal prescription. Friends, family, and others in the community can use the nasal spray versions of naloxone to save someone who is overdosing.
Read more in Naloxone DrugFacts.
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Key Points: Understanding Fentanyl Abuse
- Many people who consume fentanyl dont mean to
- Fentanyls characteristics of ultra-high potency and short half-life make it a difficult drug to withdraw from
- Many people with addiction have a co-occurring mental health disorder, and may not even be aware of it
- Fear of withdrawal is a major barrier to sobriety for many people
- Medical detox is a safe and comfortable way to get off fentanyl without having to endure the harsh withdrawal effects
- Simply the absence of drug use is not recovery, because it does nothing to address the underlying causes of the addiction
- Residential rehab following medical detox is the mainstay of treatment for those who are ready to break free from fentanyl addiction
If you or a loved one are ready to address a substance use disorder, contact The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health to speak with a representative about addiction treatment. By using individualized treatment plans that cater to each clients specific needs, The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health helps people achieve their sobriety goals. A healthier future is one telephone call away, call today.
- Sources
Boyer, Edward. Management of opioid analgesic overdose. The New England Journal of Medicine, July 12, 2012. Accessed July 13, 2019.
Fentanyl Addiction Now The No 1 Cause Of Drug Overdose
Fentanyl addiction treatment includes a blend of medication, counseling, and possible complementary therapies to address the needs of mind, body, and spirit during recovery.
Fentanyl is sometimes prescribed to treat severe pain following surgery. It may also be prescribed to treat chronic pain in individuals who have become drug-tolerant to other opioid medications. As a prescription medication, fentanyl comes in the branded forms such as Duragesic, Actiq, and Sublimaze.2
Like other opioid drugs, fentanyl affects areas of the brain that control pain and emotions.2 After using fentanyl over time, a person may develop physical and psychological dependency and find it hard to experience pleasure from anything else.2
Fentanyl addiction, whether starting from a legal prescription or from street versions of the drug, can have devastating consequences. With the widespread availability of illegally made fentanyl, this drug has surpassed heroin as the leading cause of overdose death in the U.S. In 2020, nearly 60,000 people in the U.S. died from overdoses related to fentanyl addiction.4
Illegal fentanyl includes fentanyl analogs or slightly altered versions of the drug, such as acetylfentanyl and carfentanil, that are even more powerful than prescription fentanyl.2 Fentanyl analogs are made in labs outside of the country and distributed illegally as white powder, tablets, nasal sprays, or eye droppers.2
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Signs Of A Fentanyl Addiction
Since many patients dont believe OPRs like Fentanyl harbor significant addictive potential like Heroin or other street drugs, Fentanyl has a higher likelihood for accidental and intentional abuse.
Fentanyl impacts the Central Nervous System to a significant degree, causing excess amounts of dopamine to flood and chemically alter the brain over time. Due to these neurochemical changes, someone prescribed Fentanyl might become dependent on the drug and turn to illegal methods of getting it after exhausting their prescribed amount.
Once someone develops a tolerance to Fentanyls narcotic properties, he or she will depend on it to feel normal, requiring more of the drug to reach the previous sensations.
OPRs like Fentanyl can escalate from abuse to full-blown addiction rapidly. Thanks to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for diagnosing substance use disorder, healthcare professionals can pinpoint problematic behavior like building a tolerance or suffering withdrawal symptoms.
