Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, first introduced in the 1960s as an anesthetic. The cause for creating this opioid was noble and for medical purposes only. However, little did the creators know that this would become one of the major addictions in the world and brew an opioid epidemic in the US.
Fentanyl is categorized as a Schedule II drug. It is 100 times more powerful than morphine. This drug is also available under names like Actiq, Ionsys, Duragesic, Abstral, and Fentora.
Being more powerful means it creates a powerful addiction too. No wonder the Missouri drug rehab center sees many addicts of this synthetic prescription drug.
Illegal manufacturing and selling
In spite of strict regulations imposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is illicitly manufactured in secret underground labs across the globe. It is rampantly sold as a counterfeit drug.
Secretive drug mixing
Drug peddlers mix fentanyl with other drugs like heroin. The saddest part is that most heroin users are unaware of the “contamination” (fentanyl presence) in their heroin. This has led to innumerable fentanyl-related drug overdose deaths recently.
According to a rehab expert, the addiction hotline number receives numerous calls in a day reporting serious side effects of a drug overdose.
Fentanyl analogs
As if the drug dealers were not satisfied with fentanyl alone, they started creating fentanyl analogs. These are illicit alterations of fentanyl, often deadlier than the original fentanyl. The analogs possess similar (but not exact) chemical compositions. They imitate the effects of the original fentanyl.
Mexico and China are the chief manufacturing hubs of fentanyl analogs. As per reports, an analog called acetyl fentanyl has been associated with an increasing number of deaths. The DEA has classified this analog as a Schedule I drug.
Fentanyl analogs are stronger than opioids used for medical purposes. This means their addiction is stronger too and they may create greater harm. Moreover, it would also be tougher to go off them.
Fentanyl treatment, alone, requires a comprehensive rehab program. Analog addiction would take a more intensive and longer time for successful recovery.
It is not wrong to say that taking fentanyl or its analog for a long time without seeking treatment is like digging your own grave.
How fentanyl proves to be fatal
Fentanyl “charms” its users through its ability to create a “fantastic high.” The drug binds “beautifully” with the opioid receptors of the brain, stimulating it to produce a flood of dopamine.
Well, the positive verbs and adjectives used here to describe fentanyl effects are deceptive, just like the drug is!
This “high” is only an illusion. In reality, fentanyl destroys your body silently. It slows your breathing and heart rate. So, if you do an overdose, you can die.
Risk of overdose increases when you take fentanyl-laced heroin. This holds especially true when you are unaware of the presence of fentanyl in your heroin.
Don’t you think it’s time to search for “drug rehab near me” and bid adieu to fentanyl? Once you know or experience the destructive effects of this synthetic opioid, it, no longer, feels fantastic, right?