Are you concerned someone close to you has a Fentanyl addiction and requires treatment, or are you unsure of what to look for when it comes to becoming addicted to Fentanyl?
Before looking at the signs of a Fentanyl addiction, it can be beneficial first to learn more about the drug and how it is used before addressing addiction to Fentanyl.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid. It is prescribed to treat severe and chronic pain when other drugs aren’t relieving pain in patients. Fentanyl is also 50-100 times stronger than morphine, meaning it has a high potential to be abused.
Fentanyl can come in a patch, lozenge, tablet, and spray form. All formats are highly addictive and just as strong as each other regardless of how it is consumed.
What Are The Effects of Taking Fentanyl?
Physicians can prescribe Fentanyl for chronic pain or severe pain relating to an accident, injury, illness, or chronic condition for cancer pain.
Primarily used as pain relief, people taking Fentanyl can often experience side effects from the drug, including:
- Constipation
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Mood changes
- Tingling in hands, lips, and feet
- Fainting labored breathing
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Mood changes
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Addiction and more
While not all users will experience all of the side effects or become addicted, the longer you take Fentanyl, the greater the risk of addiction and increased tolerance requiring higher dosages to manage pain. With increased tolerance to Fentanyl and an increased dosage, the side effects increase, and the dangers of continued use become greater.
How To Tell Someone Is Addicted To Fentanyl
As an opioid, Fentanyl works by binding to the brain’s opioid receptors, which pound in the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions, causing extreme happiness; reduced pain levels can potentially have any side effects listed above.
The euphoria experienced with the reduction or elimination of pain increases the chances of becoming addicted, leaving users chasing that initial high and pain relief, as does the return of the pain once the effect wears off. Opioids aren’t long-lasting, and you need regular medication for increased pain relief benefits.
However, over time, users will require more significant amounts of Fentanyl to have the desired effect. This reliance on the drug and its impact is what can lead to addiction. It is a vicious circle that can trap individuals and make them feel like they have no way out other than to keep taking Fentanyl no matter how much they want to stop.
Individuals relying on Fentanyl will be showing various mental, physical, and lifestyle changes due to the effect on their lives and physical and psychological health.
Signs an individual is addicted to Fentanyl can include;
- Increase in the amount of Fentanyl taken or the time it is taken for.
- Taking it for longer than initially intended
- The individual spends a lot of time thinking about or obtaining Fentanyl
- Spending most or all of their money on receiving Fentanyl
- Urges or cravings for Fentanyl
- Reduced capacity to carry out obligations such as work, school, caring for children, etc.
- The individual continues to use Fentanyl despite being aware of the issues it is causing.
- Withdrawal from regular activities and participation in personal and work commitments.
- The use of Fentanyl continues despite the health complications it is causing.
- They have developed a tolerance to the drug and require more to get the same initial feeling.
Other behavioral signs can include people stealing or selling items to make money to purchase Fentanyl illegally or other drugs to induce the same feeling, such as heroin, disappearing for long periods as they are sleeping excessively, or having lost their job due to their dependence on opioids.
Treating an Addiction to Fentanyl
Overcoming an addiction to Fentanyl can be challenging but not impossible. There are many traditional and unique treatment methods available at addiction centers to help those struggling with a reliance on Fentanyl overcome their dependence on the drug.
An expert treatment program that can offer intensive outpatient treatment along with options for partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment can help overcome substance abuse using both traditional and modern ways and can prove particularly effective in discovering the root cause of addiction and offering a better chance of recovery success.
For those experiencing opioid addiction, intensive inpatient treatment can often be the best option for overcoming substance abuse, as hospitalization can offer more accessible access to support and medical intervention when recovering from an addiction to Fentanyl. Ongoing support can help you get sober and remain free from opioid abuse.