The Dangers of Fentanyl Withdrawal: Why Medical Supervision is Essential
The drug epidemic has long been a problem in America, especially amongst lower socioeconomic classes in major cities. However, there’s one dangerous drug that has exploded onto the stage, wreaking havoc on the public when used improperly. That drug is fentanyl.
The dangers of fentanyl cannot be understated. While it’s a legal drug prescribed by doctors to help with pain relief and post-surgery recovery efforts, it’s more commonly used today either intentionally or unintentionally as a recreational drug. It’s highly addictive, incredibly deadly and destructive when consumed without medical supervision, and in many cases, people don’t even know they’re using it. Because it’s cheap and produces a powerful, euphoric high, many drug dealers are mixing it into cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, or creating fake pills to cut down on costs and improve their profit margins. This has caused an enormous boom in overdose deaths, which spiked from 235 in 2010 to 34,429 in 2021—an alarming 50-fold increase.
With that, we recommend that everyone with a fentanyl addiction get help as soon as they possibly can.
While abusing this drug is dangerous, the fentanyl withdrawal symptoms are also straining and exhaustive. It’s important to make sure you know how it affects the body, the stress it puts on individuals, and what it can do to one’s long-term wellbeing. Fellowship Hall has a full-time, on-site, board certified MD of psychiatry to oversee withdrawal management. We utilize comfort medications to help minimize the excruciating symptoms and ensure that people have a safe and comfortable place to start their recovery.
Let’s go through the different symptoms of fentanyl withdrawal, how they affect the body, and how staying at a medically supervised facility makes the process of getting sober much safer.
Knowing How To Spot The Different Signs Of Fentanyl Use
Before knowing whether an individual needs treatment, you need to be able to spot the signs of someone dependent on Fentanyl. Fentanyl has key characteristics and users may show all or some of them as they become increasingly reliant on what the drug does. Here are some of the major symptoms to look out for when working with fentanyl users.
Understanding Signs Of Fentanyl Use
Anxiety:
Fentanyl users will often exhibit exaggerated or extreme cases of anxiety and paranoia. This can include shaking or tremors, nervousness, a rapid heart rate, insomnia, or panic. Often, they’ll look for the drug as an escape from these symptoms, continuing a vicious, repeating cycle.
Apathy and general boredom with the day-to-day:
After becoming dependent on the drug, many recurring users become unimpressed by the regularities of everyday life. As a result, they frequently find their way back to using the drug, feeding that never-ending cycle.
Excessive expulsion of bodily fluids:
With repeated subjugation to fentanyl on a regular basis, the body gradually breaks down. This means the user will exhibit excess vomiting and diarrhea as their body is being poisoned by the drug.
Languishing behaviors and a lack of energy:
The body often slows down after it becomes accustomed to having fentanyl and other narcotics in its system. This leads to extreme fatigue, dizziness, inconsistent consciousness and alertness, and general apathy to physical activity. Eventually, these symptoms lead to mental and physical degradation.
Swollen body parts:
A big sign of fentanyl use is the increased swelling and enlargement of the hands, arms, feet, and legs. This comes from increased blood flow caused by fentanyl, which speeds up the body’s heart rate.
Why It’s Important To Treat Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms In A Medically Managed Setting
Taking care of an individual addicted to fentanyl in a recovery facility like Fellowship Hall isn’t only more comfortable, it’s also important to their safety and wellbeing. Fentanyl makes a tremendous impact on the body, so when you treat the addiction, the body must adjust to this new routine. This puts extreme strain on the individual and rewires how the body works. Being able to undergo these changes in a medically supervised environment makes the situation more feasible and provides a sense of community and support, helping reduce the chances of relapsing.
There are some dangers to be aware of that occur during the withdrawal from fentanyl. Let’s go through them.
Withdrawal Symptoms of Fentanyl:
Nervousness:
Uncontrollable shaking, anxiety, irritability, and increased, excessive sweating are all symptoms found consistent with fentanyl withdrawal. This is extremely agonizing for the patient and can lead to dehydration and reduced mental stability.
Sickness and nausea:
Feelings found in regular fentanyl users persist into the withdrawal phase. Patients will often experience vomiting, diarrhea, goosebumps, congestion, stomach cramps, and muscle and bone pain. Treatment facilities give people comfort medications to help alleviate this pain and monitor their health levels.
Insomnia and trouble sleeping:
It is common for people going through the process of withdrawing from fentanyl to have difficulty sleeping. This often lasts for a few days at the beginning of treatment, but sometimes patients have to undergo even longer programs because of extended symptoms that are more detrimental. Sleep deprivation causes tremendous mental stress, so being in a medically managed withdrawal program helps individuals navigate their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Long-term symptoms and lingering effects:
The bodily changes that occur during fentanyl withdrawal take a large toll on the patient’s physiological makeup. Severe addictions rearrange how the body functions, so taking the drug away forces it to completely readjust back to its old operating procedure. This process can take a heavy toll on the patient, causing symptoms like stark mood swings, dysphoria, anxiety, and insomnia to last for a few months. It is important for a patient to have access to medical supervision and care during these prolonged periods, as all symptoms can wreak extraordinary amounts of damage on an individual’s psyche.
Can You Die From Fentanyl Withdrawal?
While it’s commonly believed that opioid withdrawal is not fatal, the overwhelming physical and psychological distress can make individuals feel as though they are in danger, even though the condition itself typically isn’t life-threatening. However, in rare cases, complications from symptoms like vomiting and persistent diarrhea can lead to dehydration and hypernatremia, potentially causing heart failure if left untreated. Medically managed withdrawal programs provide comfort, support, and safety for individuals going through the process with medical supervision and monitoring by registered nurses.
Fentanyl Withdrawal Timeline: How Long Does Fentanyl Withdrawal Last?
Typically, acute fentanyl withdrawal symptoms lasts about a week, with the worst symptoms coming between day one and three. However, the long-term, post-acute symptoms we mentioned above can last anywhere from weeks to months.
Medically managed withdrawal programs are key to making sure the patient is safe, supported, and can access expert care throughout the treatment process.
How Fellowship Hall Get Patients The Help They Need
Fentanyl is a drug that has become dangerous by being abused in our society. There were 73,838 opioid overdose deaths reported in 2022 alone—of those, fentanyl was the primary culprit.
Fellowship Hall is here to support you no matter where you are in your recovery journey. We have a suite of medical professionals and the best resources available to help you with the withdrawal process and get to the next phase of your life comfortably and safely. Our patients participate in therapeutic programming to help with a seamless transition into long-term treatment once the withdrawal period is complete.
Fellowship Hall Medically Managed Withdrawal Capabilities And Staff Resources
Our full-time, on-site staff are intimately familiar with the withdrawal process and help make every patient’s stay as comfortable as possible. We have a board-certified psychiatry and addiction medicine MD to oversee withdrawal management and care. Our registered nurses, medical professionals, and masters-level counselors understand recovery, helping patients get the exact kind of care they need.
Fentanyl withdrawal and recovery is especially challenging these days, as many patients ingest the drug while simultaneously taking something else, like cocaine, heroin, or Xylazine (which is a tranquilizer used by veterinarians). With its popularity, we’re seeing the combination of fentanyl and Xylazine (known as “Tranq”) last longer than the typical withdrawal period—even up to their entire 30-day stay.
For Tranq, post-acute withdrawal symptoms (those lasting weeks and months after the original withdrawal period), are significantly stronger and more difficult to treat. This makes it even more important to undergo the withdrawal process at a medically supervised facility like Fellowship Hall. Extended withdrawal symptoms are taxing on the body and mental state and can cause great discomfort to the individual. Our staff can help alleviate the pain and provide medical and emotional support to get individuals on a clear path to recovery.
Contact Fellowship Hall today if you or someone else needs to withdraw from fentanyl or any other substance. There is hope and you can always find a better life once you have the help you need. We’re standing by to help you get there and realize it.
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