What is Fentanyl? Rainbow Fentanyl Symptoms, Uses, Side Effects, Overdose & Detox Withdrawal Timeline

Fentanyl Overdose Amount

How does fentanyl kill you? Dealers are reported to execute fentanyl poisoning by producing folded dollar bills fentanyl, rainbow fentanyl lego box, fentanyl laced money, and fentanyl in marijuana. In any form, it is a deadly drug found in illicit street drugs. Addicts who buy fentanyl lethal doses illegally or on the street frequently misuse it.

How much fentanyl will kill you? According to test findings, 2 out of every 5 confiscated fake pills have deadly levels, which the DEA classifies as 2 mg of fentanyl structure. However, because lab-produced fentanyl dosing and its analogs come in so many variations and are frequently mixed with other illegal substances, it is exceedingly challenging to pinpoint the exact dosage that would cause death. Death following opioid overdose is preventable if the person receives basic life support and the timely administration of the drug naloxone. Naloxone is an antidote to opioids that will reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if administered in time. Naloxone has virtually no effect on people who have not taken opioids.

In-depth Signs and Symptoms of Fentanyl Overdose

An overdose from fentanyl symptoms looks very distinct from a normal high. When high on opioids, they often look very relaxed, nod off to sleep effortlessly, and slur their speech. But, in an overdose, someone looks more unconscious than just comfortable. Like other opioids, this potent opioid produces predictable overdose signs and effects. So the signs are the same whether someone overdoses on heroin, morphine, or dosage for fentanyl patch, fentanyl overdose dollar bill laced or fentanyl candy pills. Someone who has overdosed on it can have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Breathing that is slow, shallow, erratic, or completely stopped
• Severe lethargy, difficulty waking, or unconsciousness
• Small, “pinpoint” pupils
• Weak pulse, which might feel either slow or fast
• Vomiting
• Choking or gurgling sounds with breathing
• A limp or lifeless look
• A pale look
• Skin that feels cold and clammy
• Blue lips and fingernails

Opioid overdoses are destructive because slowed breathing can reduce oxygen to the brain and other organs. And, without oxygen, the body can’t survive for long. Even with an immediate response, someone can suffer long-term brain damage.

A fentanyl overdose can be difficult to manage, so it’s important to get medical help as soon as possible if you or someone you know might be experiencing an overdose. Treatment is often centered around managing the symptoms, including providing oxygen and intravenous fluids, using reversal medications, or using other medications to diminish the effects of fentanyl. It is also important to seek professional help for counseling and an opioid treatment program to prevent future overdoses.

How Long Does Fentanyl Stay in Your System?

When detoxing from this potent opioid, it’s natural to wonder how long does fentanyl stay in your system completely. Fentanyl can remain in your system for up to 72 hours after a single dose. However, the time it remains in your system varies, depending on the dose, your metabolism, and other factors. How long does fentanyl stay in your system? The drug can be detected in a urine sample for up to five days, in a blood sample for 24 to 48 hours, and in hair follicles for up to 90 days.

The amount of time that opioids stay in your system is determined by several factors, including the specific opioid, the amount of that opioid that was consumed, the individual’s history of opioid use, the individual’s medical history, weight, gender, and others. However, some general guidelines can be used to determine how long an opioid will be detectable in the body.

Employers frequently take the precaution of drug testing potential employees to ensure they will be dependable and productive. Drug testing is also often employed in several other situations, such as those involving competitive athletics, parole, child custody battles, and workmen’s compensation. Contrary to common belief, not all tests examine the same substances or collect pee. Some testing techniques can identify drug usage many months before the test date.

While fentanyl urine tests are commonly used to detect current drug use, they are unreliable. Fentanyl has a half-life of only three to four hours, meaning that a urine test may not detect any use outside of that time frame. Additionally, due to the potency of fentanyl, other drugs may be detected as substitutions for fentanyl, resulting in a false positive result. Confirming any detections by other means is essential to ensure accurate and reliable results.

How long does fentanyl stay in your system? The best way to know whether this drug is still in your system is by taking a drug test. If you’re in active treatment, searching for a job, or reporting to a parole board, you might be required to take regular drug tests. The types of drug tests for opioids include hair, saliva, blood, and urine tests.

Fentanyl Drug Test FAQs

Fentanyl Patches

Fentanyl patches relieve severe pain in people who are expected to need pain medication around the clock for a long time and who cannot be treated with other medications. Fentanyl is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing how the brain and nervous system respond to pain. Unfortunately, the regular use of opioids—even as prescribed by a doctor—can also lead to dependence. And when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to addiction, overdose incidents, and deaths.

Fentanyl Patch Side Effects

Can fentanyl be absorbed through the skin by touching it? Yes. It can be absorbed into the body via inhalation, oral exposure or ingestion, or skin contact.

Fentanyl Patch Overdose Symptoms

While using these narcotic patches, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., at home or the office). Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opioids or opiates to alleviate dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of narcotics in the blood. Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you live in a household with small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs.

You should ensure that you and your family members, caregivers, or those who spend time with you know how to identify an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family how to use the medication. Ask your pharmacist for the instructions or visit the manufacturer’s website to get the instructions.

If symptoms of an overdose happen, a friend or family member should give the first dose of naloxone, call 911 immediately, stay with you, and watch you closely until emergency medical help comes. Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone. If your symptoms return, the person should give you another dose of naloxone. Further doses may be given every 2 to 3 minutes if symptoms return before medical help arrives. Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

Fentanyl Patch Abuse

Misuse of a drug can come in the form of taking it more often than prescribed, taking it in a greater amount than prescribed, taking it for a reason other than prescribed, or taking it without a prescription. For instance, someone prescribed one patch every 72 hours and applies a new one after just 60 hours is misusing it. However, if they have applied a new patch for a legitimate reason, like to manage their pain, this would be characterized as accidental misuse—which seems innocent but is incredibly hazardous.

Opioids are extremely potent, and someone using an opioid patch can suffer from an overdose even when taking a relatively low dose. Tolerance amplifies the risk of an overdose because it can lead to a person self-administering more of the drug by changing their patch more often or wearing more than one, which can overwhelm their system even if they aren’t actively feeling pain relief or other effects from the patch.

As mentioned earlier, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than morphine. Due to its powerful opioid properties, the opioid diversion of this drug for misuse is a problem. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency or is disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe they are purchasing heroin, but it has been adulterated with fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths.

Top 5 Fentanyl Pills FAQs

Fentanyl Overdose Statistics

---

---

Fentanyl Overdose Symptômes

Canada’s street drugs have become tainted with powerful opioids, such as rainbow fentanyl. This is leading to a high rate of overdoses and deaths. Fake pills are being produced using unknown amounts of fentanyl. Many are searching for “fentanyl overdose symptoms,” as the opioid crisis is growing in Canada, driven by both illegal and prescription opioid use. Fentanyl and analogs appear to be fuelling the rise in opioid-related deaths.

• This crisis is devastatingly impacting the health and lives of Canadians, their families, and communities nationwide. In 2016 alone, there were 2861 opioid-related deaths and 16 daily hospitalizations.
• While the opioid crisis has affected every region of the country, western Canada (British Columbia and Alberta) and the northern territories (Yukon and Northwest Territories) have experienced the highest burden.
• Nationally, the most apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among males (74%); individuals between 30 and 39 years of age accounted for the greatest proportion (28%).
• Evidence reveals that this crisis is not restricted to opioids; 82% of apparent opioid-related deaths from January 2016 to June 2017 also involved one or more non-opioid substances.

Emergency Department Care

The ABCDE protocol must be followed when a patient presents to the emergency department with any drug overdose. In some cases, airway control has been obtained by emergency medical personnel at the scene. Still, if there is any sign of respiratory distress or failure to protect the airways in an un-intubated patient with a morphine overdose, one should not hesitate to intubate. Next, immobilization should be a priority if there is any suspicion of occult trauma to the cervical spine. In most emergency rooms, patients who present with an unknown cause of lethargy or loss of consciousness have their blood glucose levels drawn.

The ABCDE approach can be used to assess a critically unwell patient systematically. It involves working through the following steps:

• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
• Disability
• Exposure

Each stage of the ABCDE approach involves clinical assessment, investigations, and interventions. Problems are addressed as identified, and the patient is re-assessed regularly to monitor their response to treatment.

Initial treatment of overdose begins with supportive care. This includes assistance in respiration, CPR if no spontaneous circulation is occurring, and removal of the opioid agent if a patch or infusion is delivering it. If the physician suspects that the individual has overdosed on an opioid and has signs of respiratory and CNS depression, no time should be wasted on laboratory studies; instead, naloxone should be administered as soon as possible.

Naloxone is a competitive antagonist of the opiate receptor. It can be administered by intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, or intranasal routes.

Starting Dose of Naloxone

The starting dose of naloxone is usually between 0.4 to 1 mg in adults and 0.1 mg/kg in children. In suspected chronic opioid abusers, if the patient is somewhat stable, the naloxone is administered slowly at 0.1 to 0,4 mg IV every 1 to 3 minutes to ensure a more controlled reversal of the opioid effects. If naloxone is administered rapidly in these patients, the patient may also start to feel the pain being suppressed by the opioid.

If the respiration is shallow, the patient can be administered 100% FI02 or assisted with bag-valve ventilation until he or she becomes more alert and cooperative. The onset of action of naloxone is immediate, with a peak response observed within 3 to 8 minutes. A repeat dose may be indicated if the patient still shows signs of opioid toxicity.

It is crucial to start with a low dose of naloxone at a dose of 0.05 to 0.1 mg IV and slowly titrate upwards because the risk of withdrawal symptoms (for example, nausea, vomiting, agitation, pain, and aspiration) are real, especially in patients suspected of having ingested opioids in combination with other CNS depressants like alcohol, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

In some patients with opioid overdose and long-term drug addicts, peripheral intravenous access can be difficult and in such cases, the naloxone can be administered intramuscularly or intranasally (2 mg). Even with this route, there is a reversal of opioid toxicity within 5 to 10 minutes. The recently available intranasal formula releases 0.4 mg per single dose spray and may have to be repeatedly given.

While naloxone is very effective if given promptly, its use has long been limited to administration by physicians and paramedics. With the increase in opioid overdoses, there has been a push to allow intranasal medication administration by bystanders. Evidence looking at the efficacy of out-of-hospital naloxone administration is promising. The bioavailability of a concentrated naloxone nasal spray was shown to be about 25%. Fifty percent absorption occurs within 6 to 8 minutes, and maximum blood concentration is achieved at 20 minutes, making this a viable treatment for the community and prehospital use.

Fentanyl Addiction

Is fentanyl addictive? YES. Some drug dealers mix this lethal narcotic with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. This is because it takes very little to produce a fentanyl high, making it a cheaper option. This is especially risky when people taking drugs don’t realize they might contain synthetic opioids as a cheap but dangerous additive. They might be taking stronger opioids than their bodies are used to and can be more likely to overdose.

Generally, opioid pain relievers are safe when taken briefly and as prescribed by a doctor. However, users abuse them due to the euphoria they produce, in addition to pain relief. As a result, substance abuse happens when you take it in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed or without a doctor’s prescription. Substance abuse with this drug can be best medicated in an inpatient program dedicated to opioid addiction treatment.

How long does fentanyl stay in your system? Without awareness, you may become addicted to prescription opioids given to you for a medical condition. Consequently, you will use these drugs intentionally for the high they can provide. The effects on the brain are strong as they can deplete certain chemicals with continued abuse. Classic signs of opioid addiction can be. Eventually, your brain will become dependent on opioids to function normally. Then, you will start needing more opioids just to ward off withdrawal and feel “normal.”

Treatment Options for Fentanyl Addiction

There is a strong link between mental health and substance abuse. Individuals who struggle with mood disorders like depression and anxiety are more susceptible to developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol, often to self-medicate symptoms of their underlying mental health condition. These co-occurring disorders can make each other worse without proper treatment.

To determine the most effective ways to treat opioid addiction, getting an accurate assessment of all the symptoms is crucial. When a mental health professional has evaluated the symptoms, it may be determined that another form of depression is present and needs a particular treatment. Very often, some combination of psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes are effective for coping with functional.

How long does fentanyl stay in your system and overdose? Most patients who have overdosed on opioids and who are reversed with naloxone are admitted for observation for at least 12 to 24 hours. Naloxone has a half-life of one hour, and some long-acting opioids may continue to cause sedation and respiratory depression.

The opiate-overdosed patient is best admitted to a monitored floor. When it comes to a heroin overdose, most patients are admitted because this illicit drug can cause acute lung injury simultaneously. Most patients with acute lung injury usually present early in the course. Patients with heroin overdose who are asymptomatic may not require 24-hour monitoring, but they still need 6 to 12-hour monitoring and discharge as long as the patient’s vital signs remain stable. Others who do require admission need multiple doses or prolonged intravenous infusions of naloxone to reverse the opioid. Admission is prudent if there is any doubt about the patient’s clinical status.

Fentanyl Vaccine Breakthrough

Researchers declare they’ve developed a breakthrough vaccine intercepting fentanyl from entering the brain and eliminating its high effect. The study, published in Pharmaceutics, was led by the University of Houston researchers. The scientists say that the vaccine targets synthetic opioids by blocking their ability to enter the brain. [11]

According to experts, the vaccination had no unfavorable side effects in the lab rats. Clinical studies on people will shortly begin, according to the researchers. Some specialists are holding off on labeling the vaccination a breakthrough just yet, though. The efficacy and safety of this narcotic vaccine in people must be determined, and booster doses may be required. As a result, vaccinated individuals may not have lifetime protection from an overdose. Narcotic vaccination is a promising development in the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder overall. However, it still has to be thoroughly studied by people and considered for its adoption in the US’s current social and political environment.

How long does fentanyl stay in your system? The higher the drug dose, the longer the drug will stay in your system. The half-life of this drug will also depend on how it was ingested. For example, the half-life of the Fentanyl Citrate Injection is 219 minutes.

Medically-Assisted Detox

Medical detox is often considered the first stage of opioid use disorder treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated withdrawal process but doesn’t address thought and behavior patterns contributing to opioid use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care during residential rehab helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide the necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Patients in withdrawal should be accommodated away from patients who have already completed withdrawal. Healthcare workers should be available 24 hours a day during the opioid withdrawal timeline. Workers should include:

• A doctor who sees patients on admission and is on call to attend to the patient in case of complications;
• Nurses are responsible for monitoring patients in withdrawal, dispensing medications as directed by the doctor, and providing the patient with information about withdrawal.

The withdrawal management area should be quiet and calm. Patients should be allowed to sleep or rest in bed, or to do moderate activities such as walking. Offer patients opportunities to engage in meditation or other calming practices. Patients in withdrawal should not be forced to do physical exercise. There is no evidence that physical exercise is helpful for withdrawal management. Physical exercise may prolong withdrawal and make opioid withdrawal symptoms worse.

Patients in withdrawal may be feeling anxious or scared. Offer accurate, realistic information about drugs and withdrawal symptoms to help alleviate anxiety and fears. Do not try to engage the patient in counseling or other psychological therapy at this stage. A person in withdrawal may be vulnerable and confused; this is not an appropriate time to commence counseling.

During withdrawal, some patients may become disruptive and difficult to manage. There may be many reasons for this sort of behavior. The patient may be scared of being in the closed setting or may not understand why they are in the closed setting. The patient may be disoriented and confused about where they are.

Psychotherapy

Treating opioid addiction and withdrawal requires interprofessional teamwork by psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. The patient is initially stabilized in the emergency department before being transferred to inpatient detox. In an inpatient detoxification unit, nurses, therapists, and psychiatrists work together to manage symptoms before a patient is discharged to psychotherapy programs and follow up with a psychiatrist. Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment, including the following:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – An effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression. Cognitive behavior therapy has been evaluated as particularly effective for treating drug addiction and co-occurring disorders.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – A comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Person-Centered Therapy – A strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution-Focused Therapy – An approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Under federal law 42.CFR 8.12, patients receiving treatment in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) must be able to receive counseling, along with medical, vocational, educational, and other assessment and treatment services. Regardless of what setting medication is provided, it is more effective when counseling and other services are available to provide patients with a whole-person approach and to support their recovery.

Counseling can be done alone or in a group setting and will be utilized before, during, and after treatment. When going through counseling, problems are discussed, and you are taught different tools that aid in helping you to process and to handle your life situations better. Whether alone or in a group, counseling provides comfort and a safe place to be heard and understood. Coupled with an aftercare program, counseling will help you recover successfully.

Although these dual diagnosis problems often occur together, this does not mean one caused the other, even if one appeared first. It can be hard to figure out which came first. Researchers think that there are three possibilities as to why they occur together:

• Common risk factors may contribute to both mental disorders and substance use disorders. These factors include genetics, stress, and trauma.
• Mental disorders can contribute to drug use and substance use disorders. For instance, people with mental disorders may use drugs or alcohol to try to feel better temporarily. This is known as self-medication. Also, mental disorders may change the brain, making you more likely to become addicted.
• Substance use and addiction can contribute to the development of a mental disorder. Substance use may change the brain in ways that make you more likely to develop a mental disorder.

Naloxone for Fentanyl Overdose

Naloxone is the generic name of a drug (Narcan) that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It works by attaching itself to the same receptors occupied by the harmful opioids and taking their place. By disrupting the link between the harmful opioid and the receptor, Naloxone can immediately reverse the adverse effects of an overdose. This can be life-saving, namely by restoring the ability to breathe.

It is available as an injectable liquid and as a nasal spray. Does narcan work on fentanyl? YES. The most common brand names include Narcan and Evizo. This medication is only effective if administered when an overdose occurs and cannot be used pre-emptively to prevent an opioid overdose. 

When To Use Narcan?

Primarily, Narcan is administered in emergency situations consisting of opiate or opioid drug overdose. Intranasal spray is the most common form of Naloxone used in emergency overdose situations outside of medical facility settings. Narcan is also administered intramuscularly (into the muscle), subcutaneously (under the skin), or by intravenous injection.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), the candidates for naloxone are those who:

• Take high doses of opioids for long-term management of chronic pain
• Receive rotating opioid medication regimens
• Have been discharged from emergency medical care following opioid poisoning or intoxication
• Take certain extended-release or long-acting opioid medication
• Those who have had a period of abstinence include those recently released from incarceration

Narcan is for people who use drugs and other individuals in a position to initiate an early response to evidence of opioid overdose. Eligible Individuals Would Include:

• People who use or are prescribed opioids may have unintended exposure to opioids through other substance use
• Family members, significant others, companions of people who use or are prescribed opioids
• People re-entering the community from correctional settings and their family members
• Early responders to calls for emergency medical assistance (EMTs and paramedics)
• Clinicians and others who provide services to individuals with substance use disorders
• In office-based, clinic, or residential settings
• Corrections staff
• Law enforcement officers
• The team of state and community-based public and private organizations serving
• Populations at high risk for opioid overdose

Buprenorphine 

Buprenorphine can activate opioid receptors and relieve cravings without eliciting any surge of euphoria. Thus, being an opioid can fulfill the receptors’ physical need to be stimulated but does so without generating feelings of joy (the leading cause of addiction-forming behavior). 

What makes it even more helpful is the limits to the effect this partial opioid can exert on these receptors. This ensures that It can achieve no high, effectively eliminating the likelihood of being abused, and also limits the effects of other opioids that are taken.

This medication functions similarly to methadone, another opioid antagonist commonly used to treat opioid dependence. However, methadone has recently fallen out of favor as a treatment for opioid addiction due to its potential for habit-forming. As such, it has largely been replaced with buprenorphine in opioid addiction treatment settings.

Suboxone

Suboxone is a brand-name drug composed of Naloxone and buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence, not just manage the symptoms. The buprenorphine component can lessen persisting opioid cravings – the primary side effect of opioid detox or withdrawal. The presence of Naloxone allows Suboxone to take treatment a step further. Instead of reversing the symptoms of an overdose, Naloxone acts as a deterrent to further opioid abuse. It does so by causing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms should Suboxone be used via injection (a typical administration method for drug abusers) instead of being taken orally as directed. This prevents Suboxone users from trading one addiction for another.

When individuals have taken opioids regularly over a sustained period of time (either illicitly or for pain management), physiologic dependence develops, and abrupt cessation of opioids produces a characteristic withdrawal syndrome. Signs and symptoms may include autonomic hyperactivity (sweating, chills, lacrimation, tremor, pupillary dilatation, and piloerection), gastrointestinal distress (nausea, intestinal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting), yawning, rhinorrhea, sneezing, body aches, anxiety, and dysphoria.

Though rarely life-threatening, opioid withdrawal is extremely unpleasant and is a main driver of continued opioid use among those who have developed physiological dependence and/or opioid use disorder. Opioid withdrawal can be treated with a slow taper of opioid dosage – preferably with an agent with a long half-life, such as methadone or buprenorphine – to avoid abrupt variations in systemic exposure to opioids. Opioid withdrawal can also be treated with non-opioid medications such as adrenergic alpha-2 receptor antagonists (e.g. clonidine, lofexidine, guanfacine, tizanidine), which reduce autonomic symptoms, and other symptomatic treatments — e.g. benzodiazepines for anxiety, non-opioid analgesics for pain, or anti-emetics for gastrointestinal distress.

Fentanyl Test Kit

How long does fentanyl stay in your system, and what about the test strips? Fentanyl test strips are tiny strips of paper that were initially created to detect fentanyl in urine. But you can also use them to see whether a drug includes fentanyl in just a few minutes. How to test for fentanyl? Fentanyl test strips CVS help protect people who use street drugs from overdosing and death fentanyl causes. Learn more about how they work and where to find them. Each strip costs about a dollar. But you might get free strips from your local health department, a needle exchange program, or another community-based organization.

Narcotic test strips aren’t legal everywhere because some states consider them drug paraphernalia (items you need to do drugs). But many health and public policy experts defend their use and other harm-reduction approaches.

In 2021, the CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) declared that federal grant recipients, such as nonprofit drug treatment and harm-reduction centers, can use grant money to buy these test strips.

Fentanyl Half Life

According to the FDA, fentanyl preserves cardiac stability when medically used and blunts stress-related hormonal changes at higher doses. How long does fentanyl stay in your system, and its half-life? The pharmacokinetics of the narcotic drug can be described as a three-compartment model, with a distribution time of 1.7 minutes, a redistribution of 13 minutes, and a terminal elimination half-life of 219 minutes.

A new medication currently being used to address the gastrointestinal (GI) side effects without offsetting its primary analgesic aims acts selectively on the GI mu-opioid receptors and can help in relieving constipation while still providing pain relief, a dilemma previously treated off-label in some hospitals by discontinuing a vial of naloxone in ice water and taking the mix enterally. The transdermal patch is for the long-term management of pain.

Fentanyl comes in an injectable form of 50 mcg/mL. Dosing is as follows by indication:

• Preoperative Analgesia
  • 50 to 100 mcg IV/IM for a single dose 30 to 60 minutes before surgery; consider lower dosing in patients 65 and older.
• Anesthesia Adjunct
  • 2 to 50 mcg/kg/dose IV for a single dose
    • 2 to 20 mcg for low dosing; 20 to 50 mcg for higher dosing. Low dosing is favored in patients 65 and older.
• Regional Anesthesia Adjunct
  • 50 to 100 mcg IV/IM for a single; consider lower dosing in patients 65 and older.
• General Anesthesia
  • 20 to 50 mcg/kg/dose IV for a single dose; consider lower dosing in patients 65 and older.
  • For high-risk patients undergoing complicated surgical procedures, use oxygen and a muscle relaxant; doses up to 150 mcg/kg/dose may be necessary.
• Post-Operative Pain Control
  • 50 to 100 mcg IV/IM every 1 to 2 hours as needed; alternately 0.5 to 1.5 mcg/kg/hour IV as needed. Consider lower dosing in patients 65 and older.
  • PCA (patient-controlled analgesia): 10 to 20 mcg IV every 6 to 20 minutes as needed; start at the lowest effective dose for the shortest effective duration – refer to institutional protocols.
• Moderate to Severe Acute Pain (Off-Label)
  • 1 to 2 mcg/kg/dose intranasally each hour as needed; the maximum dose is 100 mcg. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest effective duration.

Fentanyl is a widely used narcotic in the hospital environment. Unfortunately, with current concerns about opioid overdose and toxicity, all interprofessional healthcare team members who prescribe, administer, or dispense this drug should be familiar with its adverse effects and how to reverse them. This includes all clinicians (including mid-level practitioners), nurses, and pharmacists.

When prescribing narcotics, the dose and duration should be the lowest and shortest sufficient, and the patient is continuously evaluated for compliance and/or diversion in treatment settings. Healthcare workers should be aware of new prescribing laws governing opioids, and unlike in the past, observed prescribing of narcotics can lead to legal troubles, including loss of prescription privilege. With interprofessional coordination of activities and open communication, opioid therapy can be successful and adverse events avoided or managed if they arise.

Carfentanil vs Fentanyl

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid-related substance not approved for use in humans.

According to the DEA, carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin. Carfentanil is a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act and is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals.  The fatal dose range for carfentanil in humans is unknown.  However, as noted, carfentanil is roughly 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which can be deadly in the 2-milligram range, depending on the route of administration and other factors.

Carfentanil and other synthetic opioid-related compounds seriously threaten public safety, first responder, medical, treatment, and laboratory personnel.  These substances can come in several forms, including powder, blotter paper, tablets, and spray – they can be absorbed through the skin or accidental inhalation by airborne powder. If encountered, responding personnel should do the following based on the specific situation:

Exercise extreme caution.  – Only properly trained and outfitted law enforcement professionals should handle any substance suspected to contain the synthetic opioid-related compound.  If encountered, contact the appropriate officials within your agency.

Be aware of any sign of exposure.  – Symptoms include: respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, and clammy skin.  The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes of exposure.

Seek IMMEDIATE medical attention.  Carfentanil and other synthetic opioid-related substances can work quickly, so it is important to call EMS immediately in suspected exposure.  If inhaled, move the victim to fresh air.  If ingested and the victim is conscious, wash out the victim’s eyes and mouth with cool water.

Be ready to administer naloxone in the event of exposure.  – Naloxone is an antidote for opioid overdose.  Immediately administering naloxone can reverse an overdose of carfentanil, or other opioids, although multiple doses of naloxone may be required.  Continue administering a dose of naloxone every 2-3 minutes until the individual is breathing on his/her own for at least 15 minutes or until EMS arrives.

Remember that carfentanil can resemble powdered cocaine or heroin.  – If you suspect the presence of carfentanil or any synthetic opioid, do not take samples or otherwise disturb the substance, as this could lead to accidental exposure.  Rather, secure the substance and follow approved transportation procedures.

Carfentanil drug is one of the newest drugs to take hold in the United States. In recent years, sedative and tranquilizing drugs are accounted for numerous overdose-related deaths because of their high potency both in power and severe effects. Carfentanil was first synthesized in 1974 by a team of chemists. It has since been classified as a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act. One of the significant risks associated with the drug is that it can come in many forms, including an ingredient paired with another drug. For example, Carfentanil and other synthetic opioids have been found mixed with heroin. This mixture increases the potency of each dosage and makes heroin misuse much more deadly.

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently no controlled laboratory studies involving the abuse potential of Carfentanil in any species, including humans. However, it is classified as a Schedule II drug by the DEA, which means it is a dangerous substance with a high potential for abuse.

Carfentanil addiction is rare. Most drug users don’t purposely abuse Carfentanil alone because it is compelling and deadly. Instead, most drug abusers accidentally ingest the drug while using other recreational substances purchased online from a drug dealer or a friend.

It is difficult for medical experts and organizations to track carfentanil abuse in the U.S. because the drug is so easily hidden in other substances. As a result, many of the resulting overdoses may not even be attributed to Carfentanil, despite its presence.

Fentanyl vs Morphine

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. Morphine is a non-synthetic narcotic (opioid) made from opium, prescribed as Kadian®, MS-Contin®, Oramorph SR®, MSIR®, RMS®, Roxanol®. Very effective for pain relief but high potential for abuse.

FDA-approved usage of morphine sulfate includes mild to severe pain that may be acute or chronic. Most commonly used in pain management, morphine relieves patients tormented with pain. Clinical situations that benefit greatly from medicating with morphine include management of palliative/end-of-life care, active cancer treatment, and vaso-occlusive pain during a sickle cell crisis. Morphine also has off-label uses for painful conditions.

Like any opioid drug, morphine can be lethal when not used appropriately. It causes symptoms related to depression in the central nervous system. Severe respiratory depression is the most feared complication of morphine in cases of overdose. Immediate injection of naloxone is required to reverse the effects of morphine.

Regular use of heroin can lead to tolerance. This means users need more and more drugs to have the same effect. At higher doses over time, the body becomes dependent on heroin. If dependent users stop heroin, they have heroin withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea and vomiting, and cold flashes with goosebumps.

Heroin is an opioid that binds to receptors in the brain to release the chemical dopamine. But, this release is only temporary, leaving some people wanting more of the “good” feeling. Data from 2011 also showed that an estimated 4 to 6 percent who misuse prescription opioids—a broad group of pain-relieving drugs—switch to heroin. About 80 percent of people who used heroin first misused prescription opioids. [10] Moreover, these prescription opioid pain medicines may include OxyContin® and Vicodin®.

The misuse of prescription opioids sometimes begins with legal drugs like painkillers prescribed after surgery or some other injury. If you become addicted to these prescribed medications and cannot obtain them, you may pursue illegal drugs like opioids to achieve the same pleasurable feeling. Therefore, anyone who takes opioids can be at risk for developing an opioid use disorder or a heroin addiction.

Fentanyl vs Dilaudid

A brand-name drug called Dilaudid contains the morphine-derived semi-synthetic opioid hydromorphone. Dilaudid is used to alleviate symptoms of moderate to severe pain. Dilaudid is often only used for brief therapeutic purposes due to its significant tendency for addiction. Dilaudid is still approximately a tenth as powerful as synthetic opioids, despite being around ten times more potent than morphine. Hydromorphone extended-release tablets relieve severe pain in people who are expected to need pain medication around the clock for a long time and who cannot be treated with other medications.

Hydromorphone extended-release tablets should only be used to treat tolerant people (used to the effects of the medication) to opioid medications because they have taken this type of medication for at least one week and should not be used to treat mild or moderate pain, short-term pain, pain after an operation or medical or dental procedure, or pain that can be controlled by medication that is taken as needed. Hydromorphone is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing how the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

Dilaudid can take up to a half-hour to begin working before it lasts several hours. While a synthetic opioid works faster, sometimes within a minute. However, fentanyl has a relatively short effect and will typically start to wear off within 90 minutes. For this reason, Dilaudid is more often used for long-term pain management, while synthetic opioids are used for immediate effect.

Fentanyl Laced Weed

Several media reports now claim that drug dealers lace cannabis with synthetic opioids. But very little evidence supports this claim. Instead, stories of people overdosing on opioids while using cannabis might be because a person uses opioids while they use cannabis.

Recently, opioid-laced drugs have been uncovered to be circulated in America’s illegal drug trade. Marijuana usage and legalization are both rising in popularity at the same time. While in some of the documented cases, there is a prevalence of synthetic opioid-laced weeds that have been challenging to confirm. That is why it’s best to stick to regulated, legal dispensaries (in states where they’re available). If you’re considering using cannabis products and want further warranties of their safety. There have been intermittent reports of synthetic opioids turning up in marijuana in the U.S.

Synthetic opioids have indeed been confirmed in street drugs, including crack cocaine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) notes that opioids’ effects are “intense” and “short-term” and that synthetic opioid is frequently added to heroin as well as other substances.

Fentanyl Detox

The biggest complication of synthetic opioid withdrawal is returning to drug use. Most deaths from fentanyl occur in people who have just detoxed. The first few days are the most dangerous because those who have just gone through opioid withdrawal can overdose on a much smaller dose than they used. During opioid withdrawal, your tolerance to the drug is reduced. Furthermore, if you stop or cut back on these drugs after heavy use for a few weeks or more, you will have several fentanyl withdrawal symptoms, including:

How long does fentanyl stay in your system? It can leave your system from 11 to 22 hours. It can appear in urine tests for one to three days after use. Blood testing can detect IV doses for up to 20 hours, oral fentanyl for up to 3 days, and transdermal or patch for up to 3.5 days. Hair testing can detect the use for up to 90 days.

Fentanyl Withdrawal Timeline

How long does fentanyl stay in your system, and its withdrawal effects? Opioid drug withdrawal mostly adheres to a general timeline.  In general, the withdrawal symptoms typically peak within 48-72 hours and subside within a period of 5 to 10 days. The onset, duration, and intensity of withdrawal symptoms will be experienced differently by each person.

Early Stage

Generally, mild withdrawal symptoms can be felt as soon as 12 hours after the last dose. However, because this narcotic is slow-acting due to its time-release properties, some people don’t feel any withdrawal symptoms until possibly 20 to 30 hours after the last dose. The early stage usually lasts about two to three days with typical symptoms including:

• Body aches
• Flu-like symptoms (runny nose, sweating, fever, or chills)
• Trouble sleeping

Peak Stage

The peak stage will likely produce the most severe and uncomfortable opioid withdrawal symptoms. This usually appears between days 3 and 5, with common symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Body aches that extend to the bones
• Continued flu-like symptoms
• Nausea
• Mood swings
• Insomnia

How long does fentanyl stay in your system? Many journals have been released trying to understand the duration of fentanyl in bodily fluids such as urine and saliva. As of the moment, a drug test or drug testing is the surest way to identify “how long does fentanyl stay in your system?.” The duration of how long does fentanyl stay in your system or the time that any drug stays in the body has to do with its elimination half-life. This measures how long the drug takes from its maximum concentration within the blood to half of its maximum concentration.

According to DSM-5, the following disorders must be ruled out first when treating a patient with opioid withdrawal.

Opioid-Induced Mental Disorders

Commonly co-occurring in opioid drug users and can be characterized by symptoms that occur in primary mental disorders. Such symptoms include depressed mood, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and opioid-induced depressive disorder. Opioid withdrawal differs from other opioid-induced disorders because symptoms in other disorders predominate clinical presentation and warrant further diagnostic investigation.

Other Substance Intoxication

Alcohol intoxication, hypnotic, or anxiolytic intoxication can cause a similar clinical presentation of opioid intoxication and must also be ruled out.

Other Withdrawal Disorders

Sedative-hypnotic withdrawal symptoms may resemble opioid withdrawal characteristics, but opioid withdrawal is also characterized by lacrimation, rhinorrhea, and pupillary dilation. Hallucinogen and stimulant intoxication can also cause pupillary dilation, but other symptoms of opioid withdrawal-like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, lacrimation, and rhinorrhea, are usually absent.

Fentanyl Rehab

If you are researching now, “How long does fentanyl stay in your system?” instead of asking your doctor, you may think of detoxing at home. Opioid detox at home can be difficult and sometimes unproductive. Unassisted withdrawal may not be life-threatening, but there is a major possibility that it will lead to relapse. When opioid substances such as begin to leave the human blood system, they begin to develop severe cravings for the substance.

Strong cravings and unpleasant flu-like symptoms can make it easy for someone going through withdrawal at home to give up and relapse before their recovery gets in its way. Without the medical and social support, a detox center offers, it is tempting to abandon withdrawal and start using again. Medications and therapy are accessible at a medical detox center to help reduce the discomfort and the risk of relapse compared to detoxing at home.

We Level Up is a trusted treatment center for opioid addiction. Patients in our residential therapy programs at the We Level Up addiction treatment center will live comfortably within the facility during this crucial and fragile time. This supportive environment is designed to give patients 24-hour care for sobriety, removing temptations for relapse and applying an air of recovery into every component of the treatment timeline, including opioid addiction treatment. At We Level Up, we find that clients living in a supportive community, especially during their early recovery process, can truly focus on what matters most: their recovery.

Some of the many modalities applied and practiced within our residential treatment facility are:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• DBT Therapy
• 12-Step Groups
• Group Therapy
• Alumni Support
• Medically-Assisted Detox

If you’re worried, “How long does fentanyl stay in your system?” Medical opioid detox helps smooth withdrawal, reduces side effects, prevents serious complications, and lessens opioid cravings. Professional treatment offers a decent start toward recovery and helps maintain long-term sobriety. Opioid detox has to be followed with counseling, education and awareness, family and individual therapy, and support groups that can aid an individual in their attempt to stop using drugs and continue sobriety.

Above all, we’re passionate about providing the best care and treatment options for clients and their families. Our treatment team is dedicated to giving each and every client the best chance for recovery. Finding a trusted addiction and mental health rehabilitation center is critical to finding the best treatment options.

A great way to weed through to uncover the best recovery programs should include seeking accredited organizations like We Level Up. If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction, you may contact us. Our counselors are always ready to answer any possible questions, such as “How long does fentanyl stay in your system? Your call is private and confidential.

Top 10 Fentanyl Drug FAQs

What Does Fentanyl Taste Like?

Rainbow fentanyl may be found in pills, powder, and heroin. You can’t smell or taste rainbow fentanyl. It is a synthetic opioid that has no taste. Fentanyl is odorless and is usually administered as a patch, injection, or lozenge to treat pain. It is a powerful opioid pain medication, producing effects much greater than other commonly prescribed drugs like morphine and oxycodone. Because of its potency, it should only be taken under medical supervision to reduce the risk of overdose. Long-term use of opioids can lead to tolerance and dependence, which may require medical treatment to prevent adverse side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Fentanyl and Alcohol

Some substances, like alcohol, have both stimulant and depressant effects. Alcohol may have initial effects that mimic those of stimulants. However, it mainly slows the body down, making it a depressant. Alcohol slows the heart rate and breathing and dulls reflexes and response time through interactions with the central nervous system (CNS). In other words, it depresses multiple systems in the body that rely on communication with the CNS to function correctly. As a result, alcohol can cause slurred speech, disturbed perceptions, distorted judgment, lessening inhibitions, and an inability to react quickly.

Alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless, harmful or toxic to your body. Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased “over-the-counter”—that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol. As alcohol exacerbates the effects of opioids, taking fentanyl and drinking alcohol heightens your risk of severe mental and bodily damage and can cause you to overdose unintentionally. Taking them together can cause irregular heart rate, respiratory arrest, coma, and even death.

Effects of Fentanyl Abuse

Rainbow fentanyl affects chemicals in the brain and can cause significant impairment to the mental health of those who abuse it. In addition to these effects on mental health, addiction to this drug has a unique effect on memory and cognition that has not been seen in other opioid abuse and addiction patients. Addiction to opioids may also increase the likelihood of a person engaging in risky behaviors over time. These behaviors may result in physical harm from fights, sexual trauma, or diseases associated with exposure to bodily fluids. In addition to the overall effects of opioid abuse on the body, some unwanted effects are attributed to the method used to ingest opioids, like injecting, snorting, and smoking.

Fentanyl Abuse Signs

Rainbow fentanyl abuse signs and symptoms may be similar to abuse and addiction symptoms to other opioid-related drugs. However, if a person has a prescription for this narcotic and they become addicted, they may frequently “lose” their prescription as a way to get more drugs. Doctor shopping may also be an issue with prescription opioid addiction. People addicted to prescription drugs may even steal family and friends’ prescriptions to get high. There are physical, emotional, and behavioral signs and symptoms of addiction that people need to consider.

The abuse of and dependence on prescription painkillers has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and worldwide. According to federal U.S. data, an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Statistics, 78 Americans die daily from opioid-related overdose, including prescription medications and illicit opioids.

Addiction Recovery Story of Alcoholism, Opiates Drugs Abuse Video

Joey’s Addiction Recovery Testimonial.

Joey talks candidly on video about his Opiates drugs abuse treatment success and his personal road to recovery.

“My name’s Joey. I have almost two years clean and sober from opiates, alcohol, recreational drugs; you name it.

Something that hit me hard was the death of my firstborn son, Joe, who was twenty-six years old and died of fentanyl. You know, it’s something that I have to carry every day, and you know, when I heard that news, it was right before last Christmas.

The first thing I wanted to do was pick up a bottle, but you know, just through the rooms of NA, AA, you know, having people in the program to lean on and support me. I was able not to pick up that drink or drug and stay clean and sober.

With that, you know, I’m proud of the fact that I went to treatment, and you know, it turned my life around. And I know that you can, you know, live happily and freely without the use of drugs and alcohol.

You know, you will totally live a different life.”

Does Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Work?

Nine months after being discharged, 85% and 95% of those who successfully finish drug rehab report abstaining from all substances. After finishing drug and alcohol rehab, around 80% of patients say their quality of life and health have improved.