If you or someone you care about is struggling with fentanyl addiction, you already know the devastating consequences this powerful opioid has on users and their families.

Fentanyl addiction has become a health crisis in recent years. At the moment, hundreds die of fentanyl overdose in Canada each year.

The good news is, you can stop using fentanyl with addiction treatment. In this article, you will learn more about fentanyl, its effects, and the best ways to stop using fentanyl.

What Is Fentanyl, and Why Has It Become So Prevalent?

Fentanyl hydrochloride is an opioid painkiller that was originally developed as a medicine for people with a high tolerance to other opiates, such as cancer patients, but today it is also prescribed to patients with no history of opioid use.

The effect of fentanyl is similar to that of morphine, only much stronger. Fentanyl comes in different applications, from patches to pills and lozenges.

Some facts about fentanyl:

• Prescription-grade fentanyl is up to 100 times more toxic than morphine. An amount the size of a grain of sand can kill a healthy adult.
• Fentanyl came into widespread use in the mid-’90s with the introduction of the transdermal patch.
• Most of the fentanyl that comes into the country illegally is ordered online and disguised so as to be undetectable by border guards.

Whether a person is seeking legitimate pain management or struggling with dependence, using fentanyl can quickly turn into a serious addiction that requires ever-increasing amounts to achieve the same high.

The purity of illegal fentanyl is essentially unknown; just a tiny variation in dosage can cause a fatal overdose. Even experienced opiate users can easily overdose from fentanyl, particularly when it’s not possible to know exactly how much they are taking.

Read more on… How to Stop Using Fentanyl with Addiction Treatment

Author: Toronto Rehab