Fentanyl a drug of abuse
A friend telephoned me asking what I knew about fentanyl. My reply was first, how do you spell it, and secondly, what is it.
His reply informed me that it is a drug administered in skin patches to patients. It is medically used for patients with chronic pain from cancer and other diseases.
He was concerned because fentanyl is one of the illegal drugs used by residents in the Flathead and elsewhere. It was described as a social problem that ends up becoming a medical problem.
Overdoses of this drug are reported as death causes in Montana and throughout the United States. I was informed of at least one recent death in the Flathead.
Fentanyl depresses the nervous system and respiratory function. It can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, oral exposure or ingestion, or skin contact. It can contaminate food, water, indoor and outdoor air.
Illegal users peel off layers of the fentanyl patches and swallow them to ingest the drug. Size of the fentanyl patches is described as about one and a half times the size of a postage stamp.
Fentanyl transdermal (absorbed through skin) patches (Duragesic) are sold at prices ranging from $10 to $100 per patch. There are fentanyl oral lozenges (Actiq) typically sold from $10 to $25 per unit or $450 per carton of 24 units.
Fentanyl is described as crystals or crystalline powder.
Street names for fentanyl include china girl, china white, dance fever, Apache, flat liner, drop dead, executioner, Perc-O-Pops and lollipops.
A form of fentanyl is found in raspberry flavored lozenges attached to a handle. Illegal users do not mistake them for childhood suckers.
Fentanyl is estimated to be 80 times as potent as morphine and hundreds of times more potent than heroin. It is called a drug of abuse.
Overdose symptoms include trouble breathing, shallow breathing or sedation, tiredness, extreme sleepiness, inability to think, walk or talk normally, feeling faint, dizzy or confused. Contracted or pinpoint pupils, which may later become dilated, are also symptoms.
This information was obtained from an FDA Public Health warning.
I recalled a recent news story from Washington telling of patches stolen from patients by nursing home employees. Now I know why.
Obviously I am not fully familiar with a lot of aspects of fentanyl. My information was gleaned from the Internet. I printed 11 pages and condensed them for this column. There are hundreds more sources.
Our concerns are for parents, friends and relatives who might see symptoms of illegal fentanyl use in acquaintances or family members. Medical assistance should be called immediately.
Suspicions, awareness and knowledge might help save a life.
The Drug Task Force should be contacted with any information.
Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News