The 9 most important effects of fentanyl use

Many of the new drugs consumed recreationally in modern societies arise from research carried out to create useful drugs in the treatment of pathologies; These unforeseen forms of use can become popular until they generate a problem both for health and something that gives rise to a context of risk, especially for young people who frequent these spaces of leisure.

An example of this type of substance is in fentanyl, a synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but much more powerful (50 to 100 times) whose effects are mainly analgesic.

Although this drug is used as a powerful drug in the health and medical fields due to its palliative effects on pain that People, in many countries, are increasingly the consumers who use this drug indiscriminately and in recreational contexts: festivals, rave, or simple disco nights.

In order to learn more about this addictive substance, we will now give a review of the main effects of fentanyl consumption in the human organism.

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What are the main effects of fentanyl use?

Currently, fentanyl is causing a veritable epidemic in the United States during the years, becoming the substance causing tens of thousands of deaths in a single year in said country.

The main characteristic of this drug is its high mortality in a low quantity consumed, and in the last 5 years, this toxic substance has come to be positioned first in the list of opioids that cause deaths by overdose in the USA. As with virtually all drugs, it can lead to a wide variety of effects (because interacts with our nervous system, which is very complex and full of unique characteristics of each individual); Now, generally its most common and typical effects are the following.

1. analgesic effect

As indicated, the main effects of fentanyl consumption in human consumption are analgesics, that is, it reduce or alleviate all kinds of physical pain that the person may have.

As with other opioids such as heroin or morphine, once it enters the body, fentanyl binds to opioid receptors found in areas of the brain associated with pain processing and emotions.

This phenomenon is what causes people to stop feeling pain, both physical and emotional or sentimental, which in the long run and after repeated use of this drug ends up generating a dependency on the substance.

• You may be interested in: "The 13 types of pain: classification and characteristics"

2. Abstinence syndrome

People who are dependent on fentanyl end up developing a withdrawal syndrome when they stop using this drug, consisting of an irrepressible desire to continue consuming fentanyl.

On top of that, fentanyl withdrawal syndrome is the natural reaction of the organism that it has when the person stops using the drug and is characterized by a series of physical and psychological symptoms related to states of discomfort, anguish or suffering.

Some of the main symptoms experienced in fentanyl withdrawal syndrome are pain of all kinds in muscles and bones, insomnia and sleeping difficulties, diarrhoea, vomiting, uncontrollable movements of the legs and shaking chills.

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3. breathing difficulties

Due to the analgesic effect of fentanyl, another of its most common effects is breathing difficulties, so in the most severe cases, this drug can completely stop a person's breathing.

This happens due to the ability of this drug to depress the central nervous system and affecting seriously to breathing, slowing down each and every one of the components of the system respiratory.

4. Sedation

The sedation of the person who consumes fentanyl is also a classic effect of the drug and can equally harm the health and physical integrity of the person who consumes it.

This sedative effect is used in professional clinical settings, especially in operations and painful postoperative processes, however, when a person consumes fentanyl without any supervision, they may feel, in addition to a sedative effect, great drowsiness or lethargy

5. loss of consciousness

Loss of consciousness is one of the after effects or that occur as a consequence of sedation, since it is very It is common for the person who consumes fentanyl to do so without any kind of knowledge and without knowing what the dose is recommended.

In cases in which the person loses consciousness, very harmful effects can be produced in the body that can lead to real health problems.

6. High risk of overdose

As indicated, the effect of fentanyl on the body is so strong that consuming as little as 2 milligrams of the drug can lead to an overdose.

Fentanyl overdose can directly affect a person's breathing until it stops completely, which that can cause a state of hypoxia, characterized by the drastic reduction of oxygen that reaches the brain of the person.

In these cases, it is common for the person to enter a coma, suffer permanent brain damage, or even die.

7. Euphoria

As with many other drugs, fentanyl causes an alteration in the person's emotions or consciousness and alters their relationship with the environment and their perception of the world around them.

This effect can cause a great transient euphoria in the consumer, as well as a feeling of excessive ecstasy that can lead to reckless or dangerous behavior.

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8. Confusion

Confusion caused by high fentanyl use is characterized by a state of disorientation, anguish and suffering in the person, who can often forget where he is or who he is.

Confusion is also related to excessive relaxation and loss of the ability to reason correctly.

9. Tolerance

Tolerance is a classic physiological effect of most drugs consisting of the fact that after continued use, the substance loses its effect and consequently it is necessary to increase the dose to feel the same effects.

This is particularly dangerous in the case of fentanyl, since, as we have indicated, its use and abuse can cause death even in small doses.

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