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Posted on 06/21/2015 6:04:03 PM PDT by windcliff
Edited on 06/21/2015 6:22:05 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl, a prescription opioid up to 50 times more powerful than heroin, tripled in New Jersey in 2014, new data show, adding a destructive new wrinkle to the state's heroin and opioid crisis.
State data show that 143 overdose deaths were attributed to fentanyl in 2014, up from 49 in 2013. It's a growing worry for law enforcement officials who know a single use of the drug, often unknowingly used to lace heroin, can lead to death.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
After a major surgery, I was on Versed, Fentanyl, and Morphine and I can say I did not feel a thing.
The drugs just seem to get stronger and stronger.
Fentanyl is nasty, nasty stuff.
I’m pretty sure that was in the gas pumped in during the Moscow Theatre Crisis, if you remember that, which resulted in the deaths of 130 innocents. The survivors were treated with Naloxone, which is a pretty good indicator that an opioid was used.
Why anyone would use this recreationally is utterly beyond me.
“After a major surgery, I was on Versed, Fentanyl, and Morphine and I can say I did not feel a thing.”
I was in an alternate universe. Considering my injuries I was amazed that I had NO pain.
Fentanyl is supposed to be 100X stronger than Morphine.
Why would dealers cut an opioid with another opioid? Why not use something like quinine? Unless the quality of the Heroin is so low it needs the Fentanyl for its kick which means the dealers are killing people and are not exactly pharmacists.
I would suspect addicts really don’t have much of an ability in choice in the matter. I would also suspect they have little knowledge in the drug as well... and they might well be innocent in the lacing of their
“medicine”
My wife has been on fentanyl duragesic patches for almost 20 years. The only thing that helps her with the pain from Syringomyelia (fluid-filled cyst within her spinal cord). Without it she would be a total basket case. Of course she is monitored carefully by her doctor.
I’m not an expert, however, years ago heroin equaled near instant addiction. I doubt that has changed.
And doctors keep handing them out.
It is a very powerful narcotic but very short acting. It is used in general anesthesia and for severe pain. People abuse it like any other opioid. I have seen people eat the transdermal patches or brew them in hot water like tea. It is not available in pill form, the only other way to get it outside of a hospital is in the form of a small lollipop that is held against the cheek until absorbed. This makes it very useful for wilderness trips where one might have to treat major trauma with limited space to carry supplies
Like any other drug, it is a blessing or curse depending how used. I’m surprised it is used to cut street drugs - its very expensive. It is not available in a gas form so I doubt it was used in Moscow.
Wow that’s impressive and scary at the same time.
morphine = long-acting, the active molecule in opium
fentanyl = short-acting, more potent synthetic morphine
Heroin was the first opioid derivative. It is supposedly less addictive than morphine. It is faster-acting and more potent than morphine.
Why are they so addictive? In many/most people, they induce an intense euphoria.
Sublingual administration, works almost as fast as injection, much faster than oral.
Part of the addiction mechanism is how it works on the nerve cell receptors. There are drugs other than morphine types (any MD’s or pharmacists please correct me) such as Toradol that effectively act on the opiate receptors but does not zone the person out and is not as addictive. This I know from some broken collarbones (personal experience), and I do not like how some painkillers zone me out.
Even if a person tries to tough out the pain, the pain also causes elevated blood pressure.
Toradol use still needs to be monitored, since it has some nasty side effects on the GI tract. It’s not good for any long term use. http://www.drugs.com/sfx/toradol-side-effects.html
Think how many times dealers can cut it to reduce it to street grade.
I had a Toradol injection to break a cycle of very painful cluster headaches. I read somewhere only two states consider it to be an addictive opiate.
If it's needed, there's no substitute.
But it's NOT a recreational drug. One slip up in dosage and you stop breathing.
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