Author: John Carter
Treatment for Fentanyl Addiction: Everything You Need to Know
Usually, fentanyl detox takes about a week and a half, and patients are treated for their symptoms as they occur. If you have withdrawal symptoms from trying to quit fentanyl, get medical attention right away. A doctor can help you manage withdrawal symptoms without resorting to illegal opioids. If you have symptoms of fentanyl addiction, do not try to detox on your own. Recovery is a lifelong process, and people in recovery from substance use require ongoing support.
Friends and family can become involved in the recovery counseling process as well. It can be very stressful to watch a loved one withdraw from fentanyl. Within hours of last using fentanyl, individuals become very sick and may not appear to be themselves.
Helping Someone Withdrawing or Detoxing From Fentanyl
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its related compounds are currently the main drivers of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. Fentanyl addiction has become a public health crisis in Colorado and throughout the country. Although it is a prescription medication, fentanyl comes with serious risks and should never be taken without a doctor’s order.
Some illicit drug dealers make fake heroin with it, and many people treated for “heroin overdose” have no actual heroin in their system. The drug they thought was heroin was simply fentanyl and cutting agents. Even cocaine — a non-opioid — is being faked with fentanyl, which has led to an increase in fentanyl overdose cases.
They also create a temporary sense of intense well-being or euphoria. That sensation wears off as the drugs leave your system, but the desire to reproduce that feeling may linger. If you then seek out more opioids, you can kick off a cycle of drug use that is very hard to break. Joining a mutual help group can also provide valuable peer support in recovery.7 Twelve-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) provide structure and connection for individuals in recovery.
Side Effects of Fentanyl Use
If you or someone you care about is struggling with fentanyl addiction or withdrawal, it’s crucial to get professional help as soon as possible before it’s too late. At Oro House Recovery Centers, we use evidence-based treatment modalities that have proven to work for all forms of addiction recovery, including fentanyl addiction. This was the largest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year. Going through withdrawal is frightening enough; don’t do it alone. Let us help you find safe, reliable care under the supervision of medical professionals so you can put your fentanyl dependence behind you once and for all.
If The Recovery Village is not the right fit for you or your loved one, we will help refer you to a facility that is. We have inpatient and outpatient facilities nearby and across the country ready to help. Fentanyl detox can typically last for 5 to 7 days or longer depending on each person’s condition. Fentanyl addiction causes unhealthy functional and structural changes to the brain and alters the way the brain works. Fentanyl Addiction usually follows a similar pattern to that of opioid and heroin addiction.
It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. When a person develops a fentanyl addiction, treatment is often necessary to help them stop using the drug. There are numerous treatment options available, including medical detox, inpatient and outpatient care, partial hospitalization and aftercare.
- If left untreated, these symptoms can rapidly dehydrate the body and cause dangerously high levels of sodium to accumulate in the blood (hypernatremia).
- Because fentanyl is many times more powerful than heroin, it only takes a very small amount to cause a deadly overdose.
- Undergoing detox at an accredited facility is the safest and most effective way to rid the body of drugs like fentanyl and transition into treatment and recovery.
- It can be very stressful to watch a loved one withdraw from fentanyl.
They attend appointments for counseling, medication management and other services at a facility but return home afterward. We want to help you find local fentanyl detox centers where you can recover safely from your drug dependence. However, every individual is different, so make sure you have all the necessary information about your needs for treatment, including any accommodations you will require during detox.
Find a Local Fentanyl Detox Center
Aftercare programs provide ongoing support, such as support group meetings and relapse prevention plans. Fentanyl withdrawal occurs when a person becomes dependent on the drug and then can no longer obtain any more. Sometimes this happens when a prescription runs out or when the individual has been abusing the drug and cannot get any more of it. Whatever the reason for your fentanyl dependence, it is important to seek help for this issue. Many people who develop fentanyl dependence do so after a doctor prescribes it for medical reasons. Taking any opioid for more than a couple of weeks can lead to addiction.
Unsuspecting users or dealers have no idea what they are actually buying or selling until it’s too late and a fatal overdose happens. Illicit fentanyl is one of the leading causes of drug overdoses in the United States. Quitting fentanyl is difficult under any circumstances, though, due to the extreme withdrawal symptoms it causes. Doctors use it to treat pain that doesn’t respond to milder pain killers. It’s generally not recommended for long-term use, though, because it is habit-forming and very difficult to stop using.
Rapid detox is the same general idea, although it takes place usually over 2 to 4 days.
Some drug dealers may use fentanyl as an additive in drugs like heroin or cocaine to make them stronger. This adds additional risk, as people may not even realize they are ingesting something as strong as fentanyl. The signs and symptoms of fentanyl use share the same characteristics since it is essentially an opioid, and withdrawal symptoms are just as painful or difficult, if not worse. This makes it crucial for everyone dependent to any type of drug to seek addiction treatment as soon as possible to avoid an accidental overdose that may prove to be fatal. Pharmaceutical fentanyl can be used as a prescription for severe pain, or for people who have a high tolerance to other opioids. Fentanyl is sometimes known by the names Actiq® or Duragesic® and the methods of use can be as a fentanyl patch, lozenges, or an injectable shot.
Anyone who takes fentanyl regularly can become dependent on the drug. Opioids change the way the brain works over time, making it difficult for the brain to cope with pain and other issues once it starts to rely heavily on these drugs. Finally, if the drug suddenly becomes unavailable, the individual experiences severe withdrawal symptoms because the brain and body can no longer cope without the drug. Your doctor might suggest that you use a medication-assisted treatment program to discontinue fentanyl use. This treatment uses a different opioid, usually methadone or buprenorphine, to replace fentanyl. Methadone and buprenorphine address the physical cravings for opioids without causing the euphoric effects of fentanyl.
The opioid and heroin epidemic has escalated since the 1990s, but in recent years, fentanyl has shown to be even more dangerous and deadly. During stage three, milder symptoms occur as withdrawal begins to subside. Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and continued symptoms from stage one are often experienced during this stage. It is important to understand why fentanyl dependence occurs so you can begin to recover from this issue. When used as directed, fentanyl can be part of a legitimate pain management strategy.