The Dangers of Fentanyl Abuse. Fentanyl Abuse. Abuse of High- Potency Fentanyl Skin Patches Linked to Hundreds of Deaths. By Hugh C. Mc. Bride. A synthetic drug with a significantly greater potency than morphine has been linked to hundreds of overdoses and deaths among individuals who were using it improperly. Fentanyl, an opioid, has two primary legal uses: as an anesthetic in operating rooms and intensive care units, and as a means of easing severe pain, usually in cancer patients. When used for pain management, the drug is administered either in lozenge form or through a transdermal (skin) patch that allows for steady extended release of the medication into the bloodstream. Though not necessarily as well known as other commonly abused opioids (such as heroin, codeine, and oxycodone), fentanyl’s strength makes it an attractive substance for drug abusers. A study in the March 1. Journal of the American Medical Association noted that fentanyl’s potency can be 5. Information provided by the Ohio Resource Network for Safe & Drug Free Schools & Communities links fentanyl’s illicit appeal with its ability to provide “a day’s worth of narcotics in a single dose.” One of the many problems with that mindset is that a fentanyl patch, which is designed to slowly release the drug over a period of up to three days, may contain a dose much larger than even a hardened addict can withstand.“Because the patch is a sustained release form of the drug, if one withdraws the 7. Bruce Goldberger, Ph. D., the lead researcher of a 2. University of Florida study into fentanyl abuse, told the News- Medical online news service. Fentanyl Addiction, Abuse and Treatment Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid prescribed to patients who have already built a tolerance to other pain medications. Understanding Fentanyl A synthetic pharmaceutical drug, fentanyl is an opioid pain reliever. HOSPICE left the 'death kit' which includes a couple Fentanyl Patches. A full patch will definitely knock you out. Fentanyl Pain Patch Abuse Can Be Deadly 115 Deaths Reported in Florida Share Pin Email Alcibiades/Wikimedia Commons Substance Abuse Commonly Abused Drugs Prescription Medication. Turrisi on fentanyl transdermal patch abuse: Once the patch is removed the medication has a half life of 17 hours. That means it is mostly gone by three. The fentanyl patch is one of a small number of drugs that may be especially harmful, and in some cases fatal. The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Article Summary Print Fentanyl Detox Options Counseling and Behavior Modification to Break the Desire for Drugs Fentanyl is a potent opioid narcotic that is used to treat very severe chronic pain. It is often abused because of the. Clear Addiction: New opiate patch could lead to abuse 16x9onglobal Subscribe Subscribed Unsubscribe 63,131 63K Loading. Oral abuse of fentanyl patches (Duragesic): seven case reports. Woodall KL(1), Martin TL, McLellan BA. The postmortem blood fentanyl concentrations detected for each of the decedents demonstrate the potentially fatal blood concentrations that can arise. Individuals who abuse fentanyl patches usually employ one of the following methods to rapidly ingest high amounts of the drug: Applying multiple patches to the body at one time. Eating or sucking on a patch. Extracting the drug from a patch, mixing it with an alcohol solution, and injecting it with a hypodermic needle. Because the drug is not completely eliminated from the patch even after a three- day period of use, discarded patches remain a sought- after commodity by some abusers, and can pose a risk to young children who may come into contact with them. To prevent both intentional and accidental misuse, health professionals urge approved fentanyl users to be sure to properly dispose of their used patches. As Dr. Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, wrote in an advisory message posted on the NIDA website, “Fentanyl’s superior potency makes it a good medication for pain and a good target for abuse. And while it may not be as familiar as other prescription opiates or street drugs like heroin, it is causing a wave of overdoses and deaths.”In July 2. U. S. Food and Drug Administration responded to reports of hundreds of fentanyl- related deaths by issuing a public health advisory regarding the use of fentanyl skin patches. Noting that it continued to receive reports of fatal and near- fatal responses to improper use of the patches, the FDA released a Dec. The fentanyl patch contains . It is only intended for treating persistent, moderate to severe pain in patients who are opioid- tolerant, meaning those patients who take a regular, daily, around- the- clock narcotic pain medicine. According to a fact sheet provided by the University of Florida, the drug was responsible for 3. In Aiken County, S. C., the Aiken Standard reported that between January 2. May 2. 00. 8, 1. 1 county residents died as a direct result of “either injecting, scraping, chewing or even overloading on fentanyl pain patches.” The paper quoted Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton as noting that scraping a patch and injecting it with a solvent “amounts to taking 4. But individuals who willingly abuse the drug are not the only ones who have suffered fentanyl- related consequences. In May 2. 00. 8, a foster mother in New York City was arrested after giving a fatal dose of fentanyl to a child in her care. According to The New York Times, Joanne Alvarez put a fentanyl patch on the neck of her 6- year- old foster daughter after the girl complained of a headache, then sent the child to bed. The next day, a relative discovered that the girl was not breathing. The child was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.“The mother gave the child Motrin and also put one of these . For this reason, health professionals and other experts are not calling for fentanyl to be banned, but rather are advocating increased awareness to enhance the public’s understanding of the proper application, use, and disposal of the drug. As Pat Clarke of the FDA said in a podcast posted on the agency’s website, “Healthcare professionals who prescribe the fentanyl transdermal system, or fentanyl patch, should be fully aware of all the prescribing information and should instruct patients on the proper use of the fentanyl patch.”Start your recovery today by searching for treatment centers below. Or call 8. 77- 6. The Fentanyl Patch - - Detox Dangers, Warnings, Leaks & Deaths. Find out about: Important News About Fentanyl Detox. Anyone who has become dependent on the fentanyl patch, or fentanyl in any form, whether using it legitimately for pain, or for other reasons, needs to know these important facts about fentanyl detox: A safe fentanyl detox requires specialized medical detox knowledge and skills. Fentanyl detox can sometimes require special, advanced medical detox protocols, to avoid the weeks or months of painful, step- down withdrawal similar to the advanced protocols used for high dose methadone detox. These special, advanced fentanyl detox protocols are not widely available. But they are the standard of care at Novus Medical Detox Center. If the Fentanyl Patch, or fentanyl in any form, has become a problem. And you want to get your life back without dependence on this drug. CALL Novus Medical Detox Center NOW. Detox Advisors are here to take your call 7 days a week.“Before you go into any program, either for dependence or addiction treatment, look very carefully at them and then at Novus, ask pointed questions of both. I believe you’ll choose Novus and never regret it! I know I don’t.”The Fentanyl Patch. What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid first developed in 1. Many doctors have been persuaded that it is better to prescribe the fentanyl patch than other opioids like: Oxy. Contin. Vicodin. Percocet. Methadone. Oxycodone. Hydrocodone. The patch was developed by Alza Corporation, and approved by the FDA in 1. Duragesic Patch for use by people with persistent, moderate- to- severe pain who have been taking other opioids. It is marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical Products, LP. Because they contain such a high amount of fentanyl, they are also subject to unknowing abuse. National Institute of Drug Abuse. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, in its prescription form, fentanyl is known as Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze. Street names for the drug include Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, friend, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8, TNT, as well as Tango and Cash. The NIDA warns: When prescribed by a physician, fentanyl is often administered via injection, transdermal patch, or in lozenge form. However, the type of fentanyl associated with recent overdoses was produced in clandestine laboratories and mixed with (or substituted for) heroin in a powder form. Mixing fentanyl with street- sold heroin or cocaine markedly amplifies their potency and potential dangers. Effects include: euphoria, drowsiness/respiratory depression and arrest (death), nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, unconsciousness, coma, tolerance, and addiction. Warnings About Prescribing the Fentanyl Patch. Because the fentanyl patch can be 1. FDA when the patch was approved is that the patch is only for someone who is currently taking an equivalent dosage of other opioids and has become “opioid tolerant”. Otherwise, the opioid released by the patch, just like too much heroin, methadone or Oxy. Contin, can cause an overdose leading to respiratory failure and, if not immediately addressed, death. Because it transfers the opioid through the skin directly into the bloodstream over a 7. The Duragesic patch is measured in micrograms — not milligrams. For example, a person switching from 1. Oxy. Contin to the Duragesic patch should use no more than a 5. Many doctors may prescribe lower amounts of the patch because too high a dose can lead to respiratory depression and death in even a person who is accustomed to taking opioids for pain. People who are not opioid tolerant can die. Opioid tolerant means that a person is used to taking narcotics like Oxy. Contin. Many of us are aware that there are young people who had no prior exposure to Oxy. Contin who took one pill and overdosed—some never were revived. Unfortunately, some doctors ignored the FDA warnings and prescribed the patch for patients who had just come out of surgery but were not used to taking opioids. Many of these patients experienced severe respiratory depression and some died. Other doctors ignored the warning and prescribed the patches to address pain in children who had not previously used opioids, and they suffered severe respiratory depression and some of them also died. An August 2. 7, 2. Los Angeles Times by Ricardo Alonso- Zaldivar told the story of Army Master Sgt. Kinamon entered a military hospital in Ohio for routine respiratory surgery to help him sleep better. The operation, in October 2. He went home with nothing more than a raw throat and the patch on his skin. That night, Kinamon, 4. This was three months after the FDA’s first warning that fentanyl patches should be used with great caution, and not for postoperative pain relief. Leaking fentanyl patches lead to overdose. However, not all of the deaths attributed to the patch were from careless doctors or improper use by patients. Some of the patches produced by Janssen “leaked”. In 2. 00. 4, Janssen was forced to recall 2. Duragesic patches that were defective. If a patch is leaking, then instead of being delivered over 7. Janssen and Alza were sued by the family of 2. Adam Hendelson following his death on December 1. Hendelson suffered chronic hip pain as a result of an automobile accident, and wore a Duragesic patch. Attorneys for the family were able to show that the death was caused by a leak in the patch that led to an opioid overdose, and the family was awarded $5. In December of 2. Chicago jury awarded $1. Heat and the fentanyl patch can lead to overdose. Heat on the patch will increase the amount of the opioid released into the body, possibly creating an overdose that can lead to death. People using the patch when they had fevers overdosed and some died. People wore the patch in saunas or applied heating pads to the area or sunbathed while wearing the patch and overdosed and some died. Other deaths attributed to fentanyl. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office investigated 3. FDA issued its first warning. Florida authorities reported 1. In 2. 00. 7, the Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices performed an Adverse Events Reporting System Review of the FDA’s most dangerous drugs. The study discovered fentanyl to be the second most dangerous drug available on the market with the second highest number of suspect drug deaths. During the study, fentanyl was involved in no fewer than 3,5. Major side effects of fentanyl. More than 1. 0% of the patients taking fentanyl report one or more of these side effects: Diarrhea. Nausea. Constipation. Dry mouth. Confusion. Weakness and fatigue. Abdominal pain. Headache. Anxiety and depression. Hallucinations. Shortness of breath. Withdrawal From the Fentanyl Patch. Because the patches contain very dangerous narcotics, it requires skill and knowledge to safely withdraw people from the fentanyl patch. Depending on the amount of the drugs in the patch, the withdrawal can be similar to withdrawal from other opioids, like Oxy. Contin as described in our article “Opiate and Opioid Withdrawal”, but can also require a protocol similar to the ones used in high dose methadone withdrawal. If you or someone you care about is using fentanyl and you think there could be a problem. We can help you arrange a safer, more comfortable medically- supervised fentanyl detox if it’s needed. FDA actions relating to fentanyl. In July of 2. 00. FDA issued an alert warning doctors and patients about the problems being experienced by people using the patch. They explained that over 1. However, people continued to die and doctors continued prescribing the patch inappropriately. Accordingly, on December 2. FDA issued a new Drug Safety Public Health Advisory, which is quoted in part here: In July 2. FDA issued a Public Health Advisory and Information for Healthcare Professionals that emphasized the appropriate and safe use of the fentanyl transdermal system (fentanyl patch), marketed as Duragesic and generics. Despite these efforts FDA has continued to receive reports of death and life- threatening adverse events related to fentanyl overdose that have occurred when the fentanyl patch was used to treat pain in opioid- na. Patients must avoid exposing the patch to excessive heat as this promotes the release of fentanyl from the patch and increases the absorption of fentanyl through the skin which can result in fatal overdose. The directions for prescribing and using the fentanyl patch must be followed exactly to prevent death or other serious side effects from fentanyl overdose. These directions are provided in the current prescribing information and Instructions for Applying a Fentanyl Transdermal Patch and the new Medication Guide for patients. At a news conference given on the day the new alert was released, Dr. Bob Rappaport, director of the FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Rheumatology Products, acknowledged that people were still dying from the improper use of the patch. As part of its second alert, the FDA ordered manufacturers of fentanyl patches to create medication guides for patients that describe in detail the dangers of fentanyl overdoses and simple directions about proper use. Because the deaths keep climbing, the FDA released another public health advisory in July of 2. Fentanyl Transdermal Patch. In part the warning said: Despite issuing an advisory in July 2. FDA continues to receive reports of death and life- threatening side effects in patients who use the fentanyl patch. The reports indicate that doctors have inappropriately prescribed the fentanyl patch to patients for acute pain following surgery, for headaches, occasional or mild pain, and other indications for which a fentanyl patch should not be prescribed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2017
Categories |