Fentanyl Addiction Treatment
Fentanyl has become a household name in recent years, cutting countless lives short through its potent nature and its being present in many street drugs. While used for medical purposes ranging from surgery to terminal illness, it can quickly become an addictive substance.
If you or someone you love is suffering from Fentanyl addiction, it’s important to find an opioid addiction treatment program near you. Evoke Wellness at Miramar has a wide range of treatments, including detox. Contact us today to learn more.
What Is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a type of artificial (synthetic) opioid prescription drug developed to help people suffering from debilitating pain. It is most frequently prescribed for terminally ill patients, burn victims, and other medical conditions that cause extreme pain. The opioid crisis that began in 2007 increased significantly in 2013 when illegal Fentanyl became a popular drug to cut heroin for the sole purpose of creating a more potent product that was cheaper.
Fentanyl Addiction Explained
For people who have become addicted to Fentanyl, their bodies require Fentanyl or drugs cut with Fentanyl to function. Like other opiate drugs, Fentanyl will cause a person to experience physical withdrawal symptoms that are extremely difficult to tolerate. Fentanyl addicts will lose interest in regular activities, neglect responsibilities, borrow or steal money to sustain their habit, lose jobs and disengage from family or friends, and eventually commit crimes and face legal consequences due to their addiction. Unfortunately, because Fentanyl is such a powerful and addictive drug, the signs that someone is addicted to Fentanyl will not be hard to discern.
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The strength of Fentanyl causes accidental overdoses to easily occur, especially for addicts who are buying drugs on the street. Addicts have no idea how much Fentanyl could be mixed with the drugs they buy. The most common Fentanyl drug mixture is powder heroin and Fentanyl. Other opiate drugs like oxycodone capsules are also cut with Fentanyl, as well as cocaine and benzodiazepines. Generally, it can be found in most types of street drugs in recent years.
Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
Since Fentanyl causes a physical addiction, the symptoms that occur when a person cannot continue to ingest Fentanyl are severe and dangerous. The potential of an accidental overdose is exceptionally high with Fentanyl addiction. Still, it is especially hazardous when a person begins to detox from Fentanyl. Once a person starts to feel withdrawal symptoms, neurochemistry starts to recover rapidly. Although this may indicate that the drugs are being expelled from their system, the danger is that their body’s physiological system also resets itself. This means that their tolerance to the drug goes down.
A person’s tolerance to opiate drug strengths and amounts increases quickly with Fentanyl but also decreases quickly. Therefore, when a Fentanyl addict stops their intake of Fentanyl, their body’s ability to process the drug is minimized. Many addicts mistakenly assume they can ingest the same amount of Fentanyl they usually use, and this causes accidental and often fatal overdoses. The Fentanyl detox symptoms that Fentanyl addiction causes include:
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Bone and muscle aches
- Fever and cold sweats or chills
- Sneezing and other flu-like symptoms
- Uncontrollable leg and arm movements (referred to as kicking)
- Severe insomnia
- Emotional instability, anxiety, and depression
- Intense cravings for Fentanyl
- The extreme risk of accidental overdose
- Confusion and hallucinations
Withdrawal symptoms from Fentanyl addiction will peak around 72 hours after the last dose of Fentanyl and then start to subside. However, some withdrawal symptoms may persist for weeks or even months. The risk of relapse during this time is high because the emotional instability, anxiety, and depression caused by Fentanyl withdrawal can be unbearable.
Fentanyl Detox and Treatment
The first step in overcoming Fentanyl addiction is to detox from the drug. This can be done through a medical detox program that will help to manage withdrawal symptoms and make the process as safe and comfortable as possible. After detox, it is essential to seek treatment at a Fentanyl rehab center that can provide the comprehensive care necessary for long-term recovery.
Treatment should focus on the underlying causes of addiction and help the addict to develop healthy coping skills and a solid support system. With the right treatment, it is possible to overcome Fentanyl addiction and go on to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
Some aspects of overcoming addiction include:
- Identifying the reasons why you started using Fentanyl in the first place
- Learning how to cope with stress and triggers without turning to drugs
- Building a support system of family and friends who can help you through tough times
- Attending therapy to work on any underlying mental health issues
- Participating in group counseling to share your experience with others who are going through the same thing
If you or someone you know is struggling with Fentanyl addiction, don’t wait to get help. Detox and treatment can be the first step on the road to recovery.
Our Fentanyl Detox Program
To help Fentanyl addicts get clean from Fentanyl or other opiates cut with Fentanyl, they must be admitted into an opiate detox program specializing in Fentanyl addiction. Fentanyl, like other potent opiates, requires that a person be prescribed safe medications to help them tolerate the physical, emotional, and mental withdrawal symptoms. Our medically supervised detox program provides medications that minimize and reverse Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms. We prescribe Fentanyl detoxification medications, including buprenorphine, methadone, anti-anxiety medications, and other prescription drugs to reduce insomnia and flu-like symptoms.
Evoke Wellness at Miramar fentanyl detox center is overseen by medical doctors specializing in opiate and Fentanyl addiction. Each client is carefully monitored around the clock. Our professional detox staff members include psychiatrists, substance abuse counselors, and mental health therapists who assess the clients regularly. Our clinical team in the detox unit has years of experience helping addicts detox from opiates and continue into recovery. Part of the detoxification program is introducing and encouraging the clients to remain for a Fentanyl addiction treatment program.
The first step towards freedom from Fentanyl addiction is to detox. The next step is to complete a drug treatment program specific to the addiction. Our opiate addiction treatment programs hold outstanding success rates in helping Fentanyl, heroin and other opiate drug addicts get and remain clean for good.
