Healing From Fentanyl Addiction: Why It Happens & How Treatment in FL Works

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used medically to provide pain relief for patients after surgery or to manage chronic pain, administered in carefully controlled doses under medical supervision.[2] The fentanyl crisis driving today’s epidemic is not pharmaceutical fentanyl; however, it is illicitly manufactured fentanyl that is being distributed through the illegal drug supply.

Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.[3] Because of this extreme potency, very small amounts can produce fatal overdose effects.[4] To compound the problem, fentanyl is increasingly being mixed into many other illegal drugs, including counterfeit prescriptions, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, and, in some cases, marijuana, often without the user’s knowledge. Many fentanyl overdose deaths in the US involve people who were unaware they were taking fentanyl at all.[5]

The DEA classifies fentanyl as a Schedule II Controlled Substance, meaning that while legitimate fentanyl has medical uses, illicit fentanyl has a high addictive potential.[6] Illicit fentanyl is what drives the majority of opioid overdose deaths in the United States. The rise in fentanyl-related overdose deaths has increased the urgency of opioid use disorder treatment efforts in Florida and across the United States.[7]

 

Fentanyl Addiction and Abuse

Fentanyl has a very high potential for addiction due to its rapid and powerful action on the brain’s pleasure and pain centers, producing intense, fast-onset feelings of euphoria, profound relaxation, and pain relief.[8] The brain begins to adjust to fentanyl’s effects very quickly, and often, within weeks, the user will start needing larger doses to get the same effect. Physical dependence develops soon after, and once developed, withdrawal symptoms can be severe enough to push users to continue taking the drug even if they want to quit.[9]

For many people with a fentanyl addiction, fentanyl was not the drug they started with. Many begin with prescription pain medications after surgery or for a chronic injury or illness. As tolerance to prescription medications develops and access to legal prescriptions change, some eventually move to heroin, and then to fentanyl. Others encounter fentanyl through counterfeit Xanax, oxycodone, or other medications contaminated with the drug. Regardless of how fentanyl was obtained, the result is a severe and life-threatening substance use disorder that requires a comprehensive clinical treatment approach.

Many people addicted to fentanyl also suffer from a co-occurring disorder. Commonly associated conditions include chronic pain, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and unresolved trauma.[10] Treating fentanyl addiction requires addressing both the addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorder — this significantly increases the likelihood of lasting recovery.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Fentanyl Use

Recognizing the signs of fentanyl use can be difficult because of the drug’s immediate effects and the fact that many people may not even be aware they are taking it. 

Some of the most common warning signs include:

Physical signs:

• Pinpoint pupils
• Shallow or slow breathing
• Drowsiness or nodding off
• Slurred speech
• Slow heart rate or low blood pressure
• Blue or gray-tinged lips or fingertips
• Fainting

Behavioral signs:

• Distancing from family and friends
• Neglecting responsibilities
• Secretive behavior
• Sudden financial difficulties
• “Doctor shopping,” or attempting to get multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors
• Having small bags of powdered or pressed pills
• Having fentanyl test strips or naloxone 

Withdrawal signs:

• Restlessness
• Muscle aches
• Sweating
• Watering eyes
• Runny nose
• Yawning
• Anxiousness
• Inability to sleep
• Cramping in the abdomen
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Signs of a fentanyl overdose:

• Unresponsiveness
• Severely slowed or stopped breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limpness
• Pale, blue, or cold skin
• Pinpoint pupils
• Loss of consciousness

 

A fentanyl overdose is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately. If naloxone (Narcan) is available, administer it right away — fentanyl is so potent that multiple doses of naloxone may be required.[11] Do not leave the person alone while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

Fentanyl Withdrawal and Detox

Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms are not usually life-threatening, but withdrawal is still very physically and psychologically difficult.

Symptoms can begin within hours after the last use and may peak over the following several days.[12] 

The most common symptoms include:

• Severe muscle pain
• Restlessness
• Intense cravings
• Sweating
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Post-acute withdrawal that could last for weeks or months without appropriate treatment.[13]

We highly recommend going through a medically supervised detoxification process if you are going through fentanyl withdrawal. Having professional support will help you manage your withdrawal symptoms safely through medication (buprenorphine, methadone, or other medications used in MAT) as well as a supportive environment to help with the acute withdrawal process. While Forward Motion Health is not a detox facility, if your situation requires it, we will connect you with professional detoxification providers to ensure that you will have a safe and successful start to your recovery. Once stable, we can also coordinate a smooth transfer into our residential program.

What To Expect From Florida Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Options

Because fentanyl is a substance that can cause very rapid physical dependence, extreme withdrawal symptoms, high risk of relapse, and serious overdose risk, having a comprehensive multi-level treatment program is important. 

At Forward Motion Health, treatment for fentanyl addiction is customized to the unique needs of each individual. If detox is clinically necessary, we’ll coordinate transfer to an accredited facility to ensure withdrawal symptoms are managed safely and effectively. 

If residential treatment is your first step or you are stepping down from detox, Forward Motion Health provides intensive 24-hour clinical care conducted in a structured and supportive environment. MAT is offered within our residential treatment program, if clinically necessary. MAT involves the use of FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine (Suboxone), methadone (through coordinated care), and naltrexone tablets or injection (Vivitrol) to help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms and significantly reduce overdose risk.

We also provide integrated care for depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, and other mental health disorders that often co-occur with opioid addiction.

What to expect in fentanyl addiction treatment depends on the individual, but the consistent thread is that comprehensive care produces dramatically better outcomes than any single intervention alone.