In this podcast and its related project, I am collaborating with leading experts on this devastating public health and national security crisis to find policies that can save lives in the United States and around the world. If they are still unresponsive or normal breathing has not been restored, the overdosed person may require another, or even multiple, doses of Narcan. After their son’s death, they found text messages between Jack and a drug dealer. Jack had bought what he thought was Xanax, OxyCodone, and a gram of cocaine.

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Fentanyl is an opioid pain reliever for use in medical treatment. Although healthcare professionals consider fentanyl safe and effective when a person uses it in a monitored medical setting, the drug carries a high potential for misuse, also known as abuse. It is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids. Drugs mixed with fentanyl are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs contain it. An overdose happens when a drug produces serious adverse effects and life-threatening symptoms.

• Naloxone comes as a nasal spray (called NARCAN®) or injection.
• Narcan (Generic name Naloxone) can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
• As a prescription, fentanyl is available under the brand name Actiq, which is a throat lozenge, or Duragesic, a patch placed on the skin.
• It can also be found in pills from nonmedical sources, pressed into counterfeit pills to look like prescription painkillers or benzodiazepines, such as Xanax® Klonopin®, and Valium®.

Mental effects

The antidote naloxone (Narcan) can reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose if given in time. And I think for tribal communities, it’s very important to combine these medications with access to cultural services, with peer support, with the provision of a full bevy of care, including nutrition. And also, housing—supportive housing is a critical need for tribal communities. One of the real issues how long does iv fentanyl stay in your system that we have had in tribes is that tribal public housing agencies, they’re not administered by HUD, but they’re they use HUD funding. And because of that, the HUD bans on drug use and drug convictions apply in many tribal communities. And this seriously impacts the ability of tribal members who are trying to recover from opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders from getting housing.

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Death can follow quickly if the overdosed person isn’t treated. In 2022, the US Drug Enforcement Agency seized brightly colored fentanyl pills and powder (“rainbow fentanyl”), demonstrating that fentanyl can come in various colors and formulations. A person taking prescribed fentanyl can experience dependence, meaning they have withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking the drug.

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One line is a positive result and means there is fentanyl in your drug supply. It’s hard to predict the amount of fentanyl that could kill someone. As little as 2 milligrams may be lethal depending on how big your body is, what your tolerance for opioids is, and your past usage of fentanyl. Fentanyl can also be “diverted.” That’s when the drug is prescribed by a doctor but isn’t used as directed or is sold or given to someone else.

Fentanyl Harm Reduction

Withdrawal symptoms typically start within 12 hours after your last dose of the drug. The first 3 days are the hardest, with the most severe symptoms. Once you’ve been taking fentanyl for a while, your body gets used to it and stopping can be very hard. It can be hard to function without the drug in your system. Most people need help from a health professional or program to successfully quit.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that the DEA says is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It is still legally prescribed and manufactured in the United States. It is used to treat chronic severe pain or severe pain after surgery. And to give you some numbers behind what I’m saying—what is high, what is not high?

Handling an Overdose

In addition to its potency, fentanyl is comparatively easier and cheaper to make than other drugs. The fact that fentanyl does not require access to opium poppy plants, but rather requires the synthesis of chemicals that can be purchased online, makes it easier to manufacture (CCSOT, 2022; Sullum, 2023). Get videos with expert opinions from the AMA on the most important health care topics affecting physicians, residents, medical students and patients—delivered to your inbox. There are so many places and so many ways that we are working hard to address not only this specific epidemic, but the ongoing challenge of substance use disorder and the social determinants of health that contribute to substance use disorder. Physicians are very well capable of educating themselves to get to a comfort level and can prescribe the medications and provide the treatment needed by patients with OUD. A 26-year-old man with a history of fentanyl abuse was found unresponsive in a gas station bathroom.

Powdered fentanyl can also be pressed into pills that look like prescription pills such as Percocet or Xanax. This overdose rate has continued to rise in part because fentanyl is often mixed into or sold as other drugs. Because fentanyl is so strong, it takes only a small dose of the drug to cause death. While it’s safe for your doctor to give you fentanyl in a medical setting, some people abuse it, which can lead to an overdose. Those trends over the past decade have also been reflected in the DPHHS data for Missoula County.