Typically used to treat patients with severe pain, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Synthetic opioids are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl can be prescribed for use as a shot, patch, or lozenge, but illegally, the drug is sold as a powder, dropped into blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills. Side effects can include extreme happiness, drowsiness, nausea, and problems breathing. Overdoses can be treated with multiple doses of naloxone. Those who have become addicted to fentanyl can experience severe withdrawal symptoms, including muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, cold flashes, and uncontrollable leg movements. Addiction can be treated with methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone.
