Fentanyl

The need-to-know information for Fentanyl 

Fentanyl

 

Pearls and Fun Nuggets

1. Fentanyl is no joke 😳  In 2016, fentanyl and analogues were the most common cause of overdose deaths in the United States at more than 20,000, about half of all opioid-related deaths.  Most of these overdose deaths were due to illegally made fentanyl.

2. Fentanyl even comes in transdermal patches ◻Fentanyl patches for cancer pain are on the WHO List of Essential Medicines, which lists the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system.

3. Fentanyl is very potent 💉  It’s around 100 times stronger than morphine!  Although some analogues such as carfentanil are around 10,000 times stronger.

4. It’s best to tape the lozenge to the patients finger☝ The stick is taped to a finger and the lozenge put in the cheek of the person. When enough fentanyl has been absorbed, the (sedated) person generally let the lollipop fall from the mouth, indicating sufficient analgesia and somewhat reducing the likelihood of overdose and associated risks.

 

Patient Perspectives

 “I’ve had chronic daily cluster headaches for about 35 years. Actiq is the only med that I’ve tried to offer near-complete relief. I’ve been using them for almost five years and they still work as well as the first time. For me, a true “miracle drug”.”

 

“I have been a pain management patient for 4 years now. I am very sensitive to many medications and there are not many pain medications that I can take because I have such adverse side effects from them. The Actiq lozenge works very well for my breakthrough pain. It works very fast to releive my pain and the good thing is that I have control of my medication intake. Sometimes it is not nessesary to use the whole dose so, I never have to take any more medication than I need. “

 

“Mostly good but my pain would be worse at night when trying to sleep. I would take a dose and due to the 20 minute time to dissolve properly, I sometimes fell asleep with it still in my mouth which over time has done massive damage to my teeth nearby the cheeks in every quadrant of the mouth. The dental work required is in the ten thousand dollar range which I can’t hope to afford. As a mid aged man who is divorced, this causes problems with the ladies and I don’t blame them.”

References

  •  “Overdose Death Rates”. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 15 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  • “Nearly half of opioid-related overdose deaths involve fentanyl”. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2018-05-01. Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  •  Hedegaard, H; Bastian, BA; Trinidad, JP; Spencer, M; Warner, M (December 2018). “Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2011-2016”. National Vital Statistics Reports : From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System. 67 (9): 1–14. 
  •  Hedegaard, H; Bastian, BA; Trinidad, JP; Spencer, M; Warner, M (December 2018). “Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2011-2016”. National Vital Statistics Reports : From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System. 67 (9): 1–14. 
  •  “Commission on Narcotic Drugs takes decisive step to help prevent deadly fentanyl overdoses”. Commission on Narcotic Drugs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 16 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017. 
  • Fentanyl Reviews and Ratings
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