What Should You Know About Fentanyl Overdose?

While all opioids have a high potential for misuse, abuse, and addiction, fentanyl is a particularly dangerous version of the drug. Its high potency and the ability to cheaply and quickly make it illegally have made this opioid pop up seemingly everywhere on the illicit drug market, and just a tiny amount can represent a fatal dosage. So, how do people overdose on fentanyl? Often, the overdose is unintentional, and they might not even realize that the drugs they’re taking contain this dangerous substance. Let’s explore the dangers of this drug and how a Los Angeles drug detox program can help.

Table of Contents

Why Is Fentanyl So Dangerous?
How Does a Fentanyl Overdose Happen?
How Is a Fentanyl Overdose Treated?
What our customers are saying
What Increases the Risk of Fentanyl Overdose?
Key Takeaways on How Do People Overdose on Fentanyl
Resources

Why Is Fentanyl So Dangerous?

While fentanyl has its place as a medical treatment to help patients manage severe pain, the way it interacts with the brain also makes it highly addictive. This opioid is entirely synthetic, unlike morphine or other types of this class of drugs, and it’s made in labs. It’s also cheap to produce, and that’s why it’s become a commonly made illicit drug that is widely available illegally.

The reason why fentanyl is particularly dangerous among opioids is its extreme potency. It’s said to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, and just a tiny amount—even just a pencil tip-sized amount of the powder—can represent a potentially fatal dosage. Fentanyl addiction has become more common due to its strength and the fact that it’s widely available on the black market, and many people have fallen prey to this dangerous drug.

How Does a Fentanyl Overdose Happen?

Fentanyl has become the driving factor of America’s rising number of drug overdose deaths in recent years, with 72,776 overdose deaths involving fentanyl or other synthetic opioids other than opioids in 2023. That’s high above any other drug, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription opioids.

So, how do people overdose on fentanyl? As previously stated, a tiny amount, as little as two milligrams, equivalent to a few grains of salt, can be a potentially fatal dose. While some people do intentionally use fentanyl to get the euphoric highs of opioids, many others accidentally overdose on the drug without even realizing they’re taking it. There are a couple of factors at play that have led to a dramatic increase in accidental fentanyl overdoses:

• It’s often hidden in other drugs. Quite often, fentanyl is found in heroin, cocaine, meth, and other illegal drugs, including counterfeit pills for anxiety or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is because fentanyl is cheap and easy to make, and some drug dealers will add it to other things they’re selling as a way of boosting the strength of those other drugs and cutting their own costs.
• Because it’s often used to lace other drugs, it can quickly cause a dangerous drug combination. Taking more than one drug at a time can lead to life-threatening interactions, serious health effects, and death.
• Drug interactions are even more dangerous for people who don’t take fentanyl – their bodies aren’t used to what a powerful opioid like fentanyl can do. They don’t realize what they’re taking when they think they’ve bought something else, like a counterfeit ADHD pill or cocaine.

How Is a Fentanyl Overdose Treated?

Now that you understand how do people overdose on fentanyl, are there any effective treatments that can save the life of someone who is overdosing on this drug? The short answer is yes, but there’s a limited period to act before it’s too late.

Here are a few things you should do if you think a friend or loved one is overdosing on fentanyl:

• Call 911 immediately.
• If available, give the person an overdose reversal medication as soon as possible. Naloxone, often sold as the brand name Narcan, can reverse an opioid overdose. It’s become widely available as a nasal spray, and anyone can administer this life-saving medication.
• Keep the overdose victim awake and closely monitor their breathing until help arrives.

The good news is that even though fentanyl is much more potent than other opioids, the same standard dose of Narcan or another form of naloxone can still reverse the effects in most people who are overdosing on it.

What our customers are saying

What Increases the Risk of Fentanyl Overdose?

While fentanyl is very dangerous, there are examples of people who use it and don’t overdose on it, while others will take a smaller amount and overdose. What causes this? It comes down to personal history and physical differences between people.

Someone who has used opioids for an extended period will likely have a much higher physical tolerance to the drug, meaning they could take fentanyl without the same overdose that someone else would experience. As their tolerance increases, so does their physical dependence on the drug and level of addiction to it. Still, even longtime users of opioids can overdose if they misjudge the amount they’re taking or get a higher dosage than they expect in a laced drug.

Other things can increase the risk of fentanyl overdose, most notably unintentional consumption by people who think they’re taking cocaine, meth, heroin, or a counterfeit pill but are also getting a dose of fentanyl. Chronic health conditions, including HIV, heart disease, or other health problems, can put someone at a higher risk of overdose as well. Another risk factor is drug interactions or combinations, such as mixing fentanyl with something that depresses the respiratory system, like benzodiazepines or alcohol.

Key Takeaways on How Do People Overdose on Fentanyl

• Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that’s said to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
• It is cheap to produce and easy to make, which is why it’s become widely available as an illicit drug that is illegally produced.
• Fentanyl is often added to other illegal drugs, including cocaine, meth, heroin, and counterfeit pills for ADHD or anxiety.
• So, how do people overdose on fentanyl? Many people who overdose on fentanyl didn’t even know that they were taking this drug.
• Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, including fentanyl, if administered as soon as possible.

Fentanyl is a widely available illicit drug that is now the biggest driver of fatal drug overdoses in the United States. Its extreme potency means even a tiny amount can be deadly, and many people don’t even know they’re taking the drug because the substance they’re using was laced with it.

If you or a loved one is struggling with drug abuse and addiction and putting yourself at risk of a fentanyl overdose, it’s time to get help. At Muse Treatment, we can help you understand what to expect during fentanyl detox treatment and drug rehab. Together, we can guide you back to a better, healthier life without the risk of fentanyl overdose around the corner. Call us at 800-426-1818 today to learn more about how we can help.

Resources

• Yale Medicine – Why Is Fentanyl Driving Overdose Deaths?
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Fentanyl
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Overdose Prevention: Fentanyl