Fentanyl is a powerful drug that was designed to be used as a pain-relieving medicine called an analgesic. But it has come to play a major role in drug overdoses and substance use disorders across the United States. Yes, but building tolerance increases the risk of overdose. Users need more of the drug to achieve the same high, pushing them dangerously close to a fatal dose.
Fentanyl overdose
If they’re open to treatment, services like QuickMD can provide discreet, fast access to care. Xylazine was first identified in the early 2000s in Puerto Rico, where it was mixed with heroin. By 2010, it had appeared in Philadelphia, and by 2019, nearly a third of overdose deaths in the city involved xylazine.
Overdose Prevention
The Stop Overdose website educates drug users on fentanyl, naloxone, polysubstance use, and dealing with stigma. Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it. It is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been mixed with fentanyl unless you test your drugs with fentanyl test strips. Learn more about prescription drugs misuse and addiction, including types, signs, statistics, prevention strategies, and effective treatment options. There can also be delays in administering naloxone if the person is overdosing alone or if it takes time for help to arrive.
You can speak with a provider today about medications that reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making recovery more achievable. A major initiative has been expanding access to naloxone, the overdose-reversing medication. Federal and state programs distribute free naloxone and make it available through pharmacies, often without requiring a prescription. One of the most dangerous aspects is that people often don’t know a substance contains fentanyl. They think they’re taking a pain pill or heroin, but they’re actually consuming something far stronger.
Overdose Deaths Contribute to Decline in Life Expectancy
ARMR’s experimental vaccine is designed to neutralize fentanyl in the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. Keeping fentanyl out of the brain would prevent the respiratory failure that comes with overdose, which causes death, as well as the euphoric high people get while taking fentanyl. Unlike Narcan — drug name Naloxone — which reverses the effects of overdoses, ARMR is developing a vaccine that he describes conceptually as similar to a suit of armor. Like any other vaccine, receiving it first will, in theory, protect an individual from danger if they encounter fentanyl. Even small accidental exposures, such as touching fentanyl powder without gloves, can be harmful to police officers or emergency medical staff.
What are the warning signs of addiction to opioids?
Naloxone helps reverse the respiratory depression of fentanyl. Naloxone can help prevent fentanyl-related deaths when it is given within a short period of time after an overdose. The nasal spray form of naloxone does not require a prescription and can be obtained from pharmacies. Naloxone acts quickly to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but opioids last much longer than naloxone. Additional doses of naloxone are therefore sometimes necessary. People who receive naloxone still require an emergency medical evaluation, as overdose symptoms can return.
Fentanyl patches, fentanyl lozenges, and fentanyl tablets are intended for specific medical uses, such as managing severe pain. Misuse often occurs when individuals use higher doses than prescribed or alter the delivery method. Fentanyl attaches to special spots how long does fentanyl stay in your system in your brain called opioid receptors, which control pain and breathing.
- Given its potency, overdoses involving fentanyl happen quickly and often silently.
- If you or a loved one is struggling with fentanyl addiction, don’t wait for a crisis to take action.
- These deaths are yet another symptom of the broader epidemic of opioid addiction.
This quick reward system significantly contributes to Fentanyl addiction. Fentanyl is so powerful that in pure form the amount in roughly two sugar packets can provide a year’s supply for a user. When drug suppliers mix fentanyl into drugs or press it into illicit pills, a few grains too many can be enough to trigger a fatal overdose. It is unclear why fentanyl is showing up in such a large array of drugs. ARMR’s Phase 1/2 trial, which is slated to begin in early 2026, will enroll around 40 healthy adults at the Centre for Human Drug Research in the Netherlands.
A couple purchased some marijuana and smoked it on their couch. The woman woke up on the floor several hours later and found her partner unresponsive. She called EMS, and they were brought to an emergency room.
About Medical News Today
But it also includes other education and harm reduction services. People who have loved ones who are actively using and those who are using themselves need to know how to stay safe. There is very concrete education that can reduce the risk of overdose and we need to ensure it is getting to those at the greatest risk. Fentanyl provides relief not just from physical pain but also from emotional distress, such as anxiety or depression. For many users, this temporary escape becomes psychologically addictive, making it hard to stop.
Medications
Accurate, complete profiles best connect you with the right people for your services. Maintain your profile by updating your photos, video links, treatment services, and contact Sobriety details to ensure optimal visibility. Our team will follow up with you after receiving your edits. Withdrawal symptoms typically start within 12 hours after your last dose of the drug.