The Fentanyl Crisis and What You Need to Know

What is Fentanyl? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a schedule II prescription drug, and it is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, for side effects surrounding aggressive cancer treatments or to manage pain after major surgery. It can be administered as an injection, a transdermal patch or as a lozenge. Under the medical supervision of a professional, there is little risk for addiction. However, that is not to be overlooked, as any exposure to Fentanyl at all will run the risk of addiction. Since Fentanyl is an opioid, it works similar to heroin, morphine and other similar drugs. Fentanyl is known as a synthetic opioid, meaning that it was man-made and is not found naturally like morphine or codeine. It binds to the body’s opioid receptors which control pain and emotions. It drives up dopamine levels and produces a state of relaxation. This is why Fentanyl can be helpful for people experiencing extreme pain, however, it is extremely dangerous when not being used under medical supervision. The Fentanyl Crisis Due to its potency, Fentanyl has become a popular street drug. While it was created as a medical tool, it has quickly found its way to the streets. People who have legitimate prescriptions, such as elderly and disabled people, understand the street value of the drug and turn to selling it for extra money. Unfortunately,...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Addiction Addiction Recovery Addiction to Pharmaceuticals Detox Resources for Alcohol and Drugs/Opiates Drug Rehab Information Drug Treatment Heroin Medical Substance Abuse Synthetic drug abuse drug abuse epidemic fentanyl opioid Source Type: blogs