Signs of Fentanyl Use

Fentanyl is an opiod drug, used to treat pain or as an anesthesia in clinic and hospital settings. Prescription brands of this drug include Sublimaze, Actiq and Duragesic, and are similar to morphine, but with more intense affects. Like many other prescription medications, fentanyl has the potential to be abused, so it is important to be aware of the signs of fentanyl use.

Physical Ailments

• Some of the physical signs of fentanyl use mirror that of other medication effects and drug abuse. They include: nausea, pain at the site of injection, headache, excessive sweating, trouble breathing, fainting, and swelling around certain parts of the body. The way to distinguish these signs from regular health issues is to pay attention to how and when they crop up.

  For example, most signs of legitimate health problems are gradual, occurring over time, with one or two signs manifesting at once. However, signs of fentanyl--and other drugs--- will crop up fairly quickly; therefore, if these are new physical signs, and you are sure it is not a health issue, then drug abuse may be to blame.

Mental Signs

• The mental signs are actually what give the most clues to potential drug use. Fentanyl users experience acute anxiety, trouble sleeping, confusion, hallucinations, extreme depression, anorexia (as their body builds dependence on the drug and wants nothing else), and insomnia. Their personality may change drastically, altering personal relationships.

  Users may become withdrawn and cease doing some of the hobbies and activities they once enjoyed. Fentanyl users will avoid friends and family members and generally shun suggestions of drug abuse. Moreover, these mental issues will crop up fairly quickly after use of the drug becomes regular, which is your sign that the issue could be fentanyl abuse.

Additional Signs

• A person using fentanyl regularly will have some very definite physical changes that might not be apparent to anyone else. For example, users may experience constipation, irregular heartbeat, urination changes, hypertension, bronchitis and dryness in the mouth. Even if the person is not experiencing addiction yet, the body builds up a dependence on the drug quickly, leading to addiction fairly soon after beginning regular use of the drug.