Fentanyl Misuse: Effects, Detox and Treatment

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is pharmacologically similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent. Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are involved in the majority of drug overdose deaths in the United States.¹

This article will discuss adverse fentanyl effects and how to find fentanyl addiction treatment.

Adverse Fentanyl Effects

The use of fentanyl is associated with adverse effects that include:¹

• Sedation and drowsiness.
• Confusion.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Nausea.
• Constipation.
• Difficulty breathing.

Depending on how fentanyl is used (i.e., needle routes, snorting, or smoking), there may be additional health risks. Injecting fentanyl, for example, is associated with an increased risk of:^2,3,4

• Viral hepatitis.
• HIV/AIDS.
• Tuberculosis.
• Endovascular bacterial and fungal infections.
• Skin and soft tissue infections.
• Overdose and an increased likelihood of addiction development compared to other forms of use.

Snorting fentanyl, when compared to oral administration, is associated with an increased overdose risk and risk of developing fentanyl addiction.⁴ Intranasal fentanyl use is also associated with allergic respiratory tract inflammation, sinus problems, and nasal septal injury.³

Additional risks are also associated with smoking fentanyl, such as early-onset emphysema, worsened asthma, and other lung issues.³

Other Risks of Fentanyl Use

In addition to the adverse effects mentioned above, fentanyl use is associated with other risks, including:

• Physiological dependence. When you become physiologically dependent on a drug such as fentanyl, your body adapts to having it in your system. When you abruptly stop using it or drastically lower the amount you use, the absence of the drug can result in mild to severe fentanyl withdrawal symptoms.⁵
• Addiction. An extremely potent drug, fentanyl is known to have a high potential for addiction.¹ Fentanyl addiction, diagnosed as opioid use disorder, is when you continue to compulsively use fentanyl despite harmful consequences.⁵
• Overdose. When you use more fentanyl than your body can handle, it results in life-threatening overdose symptoms.^1,6 Due to the potency of fentanyl, even a very small dose can be fatal.⁶ Your breathing can slow down or stop altogether, resulting in hypoxia, which is a condition where there isn’t enough oxygen getting to your brain. This can cause brain damage, coma, and death.¹

While using fentanyl on its own can be lethal, using it with other substances—particularly other opioids, alcohol, or benzodiazepines—can increase a person’s risk of:^7,8,9

• Overdose related respiratory arrest.
• Hypoxic brain injury.
• Death.

A person may unknowingly use fentanyl because it is commonly mixed with other illicit drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, or made to look like prescription pills.⁶

Fentanyl Overdose Symptoms

Fentanyl overdose is a medical emergency that requires immediate action. Signs of an overdose involving fentanyl or other opioids include:¹⁰

• Unconsciousness or unable to wake up.
• Slow or shallow breathing or having difficulty breathing that may include gurgling sounds.
• Pinpoint pupils.
• Lips or fingernails turning blue or purple.

If you suspect an overdose, administer naloxone if you have it available, and then call 911. Your swift actions could save someone’s life.¹⁰

Follow the instructions given by the 911 dispatcher and stay with the person experiencing the overdose until medical personnel arrive.¹⁰

Fentanyl Addiction Treatment in Oxford, MS

If you or someone you care about are experiencing the adverse effects of compulsive fentanyl use or struggling with fentanyl addiction, treatment options are available. In many cases, medications will be the cornerstone of opioid addiction management and may be used to good effect in combination with a variety of behavioral interventions.^1,3

Pharmacotherapies for OUD commonly include opioid agonist medications such as buprenorphine or methadone, which can help people in recovery to avoid withdrawal symptoms and manage cravings.^1,3

The Oxford Treatment Center offers inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Mississippi, including medical detox and residential programs. Our caring medical team employs evidence-based addiction treatment in a supportive atmosphere.

In addition to the various levels of addiction treatment at our expansive inpatient campus in Etta, MS, we also have an outpatient center in nearby Oxford. Our outpatient treatment programs include partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs.