Fentanyl Detox Centers

Fentanyl is a powerful prescription pain killer whose actions, as an opioid, are similar to those of morphine, but it is roughly 100 times more powerful. If you have fallen victim to fentanyl addiction, you aren’t alone. Many users of the drug find themselves quickly becoming dependent upon it before it takes over their whole life.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl abuse is on the rise, as are:

• Overdose deaths
• Emergency room visits
• Drug seizures

To avoid one of these terrible outcomes, it is time for you to seriously consider drug addiction treatment for your fentanyl habit. The first stage of that treatment will be detoxification. Many people will question whether they can simply detox on their own, and given the nature of opioids, such a thing is quite difficult and dangerous. Your best bet is to enter professional drug detox.

The following discussion will explain detox to you and include some detailed information about what you can expect from your fentanyl detox program. Obviously, the exact experience won’t be the same for everyone, but this should cover the basics and get you ready.

If you still feel like you need questions answered before you can commit to treatment or you are completely ready and want help finding a program near you, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). Our experts can provide you with the information that you need 24-hours-a-day.

What Is Detox?

Detox is, at its core, the process by which you transition from acutely intoxicated by fentanyl to a drug and alcohol free one. However, it isn’t as simple as staying in your bedroom for a week and sweating out the drug or doing a lot of yoga and drinking a lot of water. Unfortunately, popular culture tends to make the process appear much more simple than it really is.

Don’t let fentanyl addiction continue to control your life; get help today!

Never a replacement for formal treatment, detoxification is, instead, considered the first phase of treatment. For users of opioids, like fentanyl, professional detox is a necessity because the withdrawal symptoms of opioids are incredibly unpleasant and cause extreme discomfort. To attempt to guide yourself through detox would be difficult and painful.

Detox staff draw from the addiction sciences and the medical field to combine education, psychological care, and medication to alleviate pain and help you through the progression of your detox.

When you have finished, it is encouraged that you then move on to a formal drug and alcohol addiction treatment program. Detox alone will not be sufficient to maintain your sobriety. You will need to learn more and develop better coping mechanisms.

What Are Fentanyl Withdrawals Like?

All opioid cause roughly the same sorts of withdrawal symptoms. There are some differences in:

• Time of onset
• Severity
• Length of symptoms

Factors that will affect the above include:

• Duration of drug use
• The size of your daily dose
• How long you wait between doses
• Genetic, psychological, and physiological factors

Fentanyl patches, for example, have a half-life of 17 hours, so that means it will take 17 hours for there to be half the initial dose left in your system. Because of this, should you take a standard patch dose, you can expect your withdrawal symptoms to show up roughly one day after your final dose.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, you can expect the following signs and symptoms:

• Increased pulse rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased body temperature
• Insomnia
• Enlarged pupil
• Unusually heightened reflexes
• Perspiring
• Goosebumps
• Increase respiratory rate
• Tearing
• Yawning
• Runny nose
• Muscle spasms
• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bone and muscle discomfort
• Anxiety

How Might Medication Be Used to Treat My Withdrawal?

Typically, fentanyl withdrawal is treated by using methadone in conjunction with adjunctive medication for treating specific symptoms. You are only able to get methadone treatment at specially licensed programs or during hospitalization for another acute medical condition. For this reason, if you are interested in methadone treatment, be sure that the detox program you are considering offers it.

Methadone reverses opioid withdrawal symptoms and if used long enough can actually reverse some of the damage caused by long-term opioid abuse.

You may also be given other drugs to treat symptoms, like:

• Benadryl for insomnia
• Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen for aches and pains
• Dicyclomine for stomach cramping

To learn more about how symptoms are managed in fentanyl detox, contact us at 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). You can learn all about the behavioral therapies that make up treatment as well. If you are ready to enter detox, we can help you with that too.