What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a prescription opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it can be misused, abused, and cause overdose deaths when obtained illegally. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid medicine that is up to 100 times stronger than other opioids like morphine, heroin, or oxycodone. Fentanyl is from the class of medicines called narcotic analgesics.

Fentanyl patches are used for long-lasting pain relief, and for fast-acting pain relief, fentanyl nasal sprays, lollipops, injections, sublingual tablets, and sprays are used.

Fentanyl is a prescription medicine that is classified as Schedule 2 under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Fentanyl overdose and abuse

Although fentanyl is a legal prescription drug used for pain control during surgery and for chronic or breakthrough pain, it is also being manufactured illegally, or legal prescriptions are diverted, and fentanyl is misused and abused as it is sold for its euphoric effects.

• Street drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine can also be laced with fentanyl, as well as counterfeit drugs, including hydrocodone tablets or Xanax.
• Users may not realize the street drug they are buying from a dealer contains this potentially lethal compound.
• Fen-ta-nyl test strips can be used to test if drugs have been laced with fentanyl.
• Fentanyl is extremely potent, which means just 2 to 3 milligrams of this drug can lead to death due to respiratory depression (decreased breathing), which can quickly lead to coma and death.
• In 2021 there were 71,238 fen-ta-nyl overdose deaths in the United States.
  

  Fen-ta-nyl side effects

  Common fentanyl side effects

  When used as a prescribed medicine, common fentanyl side effects may include:

  • headache, dizziness, drowsiness, pale skin, feeling weak or tired
  • constipation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or
  • sleep problems (insomnia)
  • swelling in your hands or feet
  • increased sweating or cold feeling
  • for patches itching, redness, or rash where a patch was worn.

  Serious fen-ta-nyl side effects

  Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to fen-ta-nyl: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

  Like other narcotic medicines, fen-ta-nyl can slow your breathing. Death may occur if breathing becomes too weak. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue-colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

  Fentanyl may cause other serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

  • slow heart rate, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;
  • severe drowsiness, feeling like you might pass out;
  • confusion, extreme fear, unusual thoughts or behavior; or
  • low cortisol levels – nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness.

  Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

  Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults and those who are malnourished or debilitated.

  Long-term use of opioid medication may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men or women. It is not known whether opioid effects on fertility are permanent.

  This is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.