Fentanyl Rehab Center

WHAT IS FENTANYL?

Fentanyl is regarded as the most powerful opiate available for medical use, with a strength that is 50 to 100 times that of morphine.

In fact, the drug is so powerful, a few ingested grains of fentanyl can be enough to cause an overdose in many people.

Defined as a Schedule II prescription drug, Fentanyl is mostly used in surgery, where a long-lasting painkiller is not needed. However, it has been prescribed for those who have severe chronic pain, as well as breakthrough pain.

Fentanyl powder image

Breakthrough pain is explained as pain that has risen beyond the power of one’s current prescription painkiller. In cases in which a patient’s painkiller barrier is broken through, fentanyl is often the pain management choice for many doctors.

Non-pharmaceutical fentanyl is sold as a powder, spiked on blotter paper, mixed with or substituted for heroin, or as tablets that mimic other, less potent opioids. Fentanyl can also be abused by sucking on a person’s fentanyl patch, smoked or brewed in the same way a teabag is brewed.

Street names for fentanyl or fentanyl-laced heroin include Apache, China Girl, China White, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfella, Jackpot, Murder 8, TNT, and Tango and Cash.

HOW CAN FENTANYL REHAB HELP?

While going through your recovery, a solid support group and a high quality rehabilitation center can be a great help.

Not only is the rehab experience available to help end your fentanyl use, it will also make you aware of trigger scenarios that can relapse you back to your prior using. Once you know your trigger scenarios, you’ll be able to lean on your support group to help keep you on the path to recovery.

Yes, using fentanyl is a tough habit to give up. But, with dedication and hard work, you can achieve your goal of ditching the fentanyl and start enjoying a drug-free lifestyle. All you have to do is take that first step.

Most alcohol and drug treatment facilities fall under two categories: inpatient and outpatient.

FEANTANYL INPATIENT REHAB

Inpatient rehab occurs when a patient’s addiction is too severe for them to detox and rehab by themselves. With inpatient care, qualified healthcare professionals provide 24-hr monitoring for people suffering long-term, acute addiction.

In the case of fentanyl, the drug is so powerful and addicting, that withdrawing from it can be life threatening. It is especially dangerous if you withdraw from it on your own.

No, it is definitely recommended that with fentanyl, your detox and recovery be done within a qualified rehabilitation center where certified doctors and nurses are on call around the clock.

INPATIENT VISITATIONS

Inpatient visitations are very important for people who are recovering from substance abuse. Visiting loved ones and friends who are in rehab reassures the patient that there are people out in the world who still care about them.

That said, there will be times in the rehab process when visitation will be restricted. More likely than not, visitations will not be allowed in the very initial stages of one’s recovery, such as during fentanyl detox because this is such a critical step toward a person’s rehabilitation.

Make careful note of how your loved one is doing in rehabilitation. If they are positive and upbeat, now might be a good time to stop by. Conversely, if your loved one is having a rough time during their rehab, you might want to postpone your visit until things get better for them.

Always check with the healthcare professional helping your loved one through their fentanyl recovery before showing up for a visit.

FENTANYL OUTPATIENT REHAB

Because of fentanyl’s power and ability to addict a person, it is not recommended that one’s detox and recovery do not take place on an outpatient basis. 

THE PROCESS FOR FENTANYL REHAB

Addiction can destroy your mental and emotional wellbeing, but it can also cause physical damage to your body, including fluctuations in weight, illness, and increased likelihood of injury.

Along with fighting addiction, rehabilitation can include getting back into good physical health. This mean participating in low-impact, physical activities like yoga or stretching.

Our programs also address the mental toll addiction can take on a patient.

Our rehab specialists help you learn to stay strong in your sobriety during holidays, birthdays, and other stressful situations. We help you understand which triggers cause you to seek fentanyl so you can avoid them.

Our treatment professionals get to the root causes of substance use and help you identify usage patterns.

With as common as fentanyl addiction has become in our society, we know how to tailor a recovery plan for all types of individuals.

THE LENGTH OF FENTANYL TREATMENT

Treatment for fentanyl is more than just detox. This means after detoxification, you still need to build up your physical, mental, and emotional strength to withstand the next craving.

Improving your overall health can sometimes require extended counseling sessions.

With each person’s case and emotional triggers being different, the treatment length for each patient will vary greatly. One person may require treatment for a month or more, but the next person may only require a few days. Every patient is different.

FOR WHOM DOES FENTANYL WORK BEST?

Fentanyl is most effective on those who are newly recovered from surgery. It is also beneficial to individuals who suffer from chronic long-standing pain such as cancer. Fentanyl also works well with patients who require a stronger opioid than morphine or OxyContin.

HOW IS FENTANYL ADMINISTERED

Fentanyl is a time-released painkiller. It comes in the form of a lollipop or as a patch. In some cases, fentanyl is administered atop a small film that is designed to be placed under one’s tongue, where it dissolves with water. In other cases, such as hospital surgeries, fentanyl is usually injected.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF FENTANYL?

Because fentanyl is such a powerful painkiller, it is often difficult to decipher a nonlethal dose of the drug from one that can kill a person. This is why unsupervised use of fentanyl outside of a doctor’s office becomes risky to the user.

To that end, when use morphs into abuse, addiction tends to play a heavy hand with fentanyl. The drug, in short, is highly addictive because of its power. And once a fentanyl abuser finds out no other painkiller comes close to fentanyl, that person is truly addicted.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FENTANYL USE?

Because fentanyl is an opiate, it behaves like many other opiates, just with a stronger, albeit more dangerous kick.

The painkiller acts upon specific receptors in the brain and spinal cord to decrease the feeling of pain and a patient’s emotional response to that pain.

To that end, the user experiences levels of euphoria, drowsiness, lethargy and mellowness. But these sensations are very temporary, and last only a few occasions when a person first begins their fentanyl habit. Afterward, tolerance quickly sets in until higher doses of the painkiller are soon needed.

Experts suggest that with fentanyl addiction, one week’s intended high may not satisfy the intended high for the following week. Because of this, increasingly powerful doses of fentanyl are needed to at least maintain a certain level of high.

Other signs and symptoms of fentanyl use, either medically or illicitly, include:

  • Dizziness and lightheadedness
  • Dry mouth
  • Retention of urine
  • Suppression of breathing
  • Severe constipation
  • Itching or hives
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Headache
  • Difficulty seeing
  • Depression
  • Hallucinations
  • Bad dreams
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Sweating
  • Shaking
  • Swollen extremities

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN USING FENTANYL

Fentanyl can impair balance and coordination. One should not drive or operate equipment while taking fentanyl. If severe side effects occur while using fentanyl, stop taking the medicine and call your doctor.

Other drugs and alcohol should also be avoided while taking fentanyl.

Fentanyl can have a bad reaction to other drugs, so make sure your doctor is aware of all medicines you are taking.

Pregnant women or women who breast feed should be especially careful with fentanyl as the drug could be passed on to the fetus and/or child.

Once you are finished with your dosage of fentanyl, if in patch form, dispose of it per your doctor’s instructions.

Avoid certain sources of heat while on the painkiller, such as heating pads, electric blankets, hot tubs or saunas. Both body heat as well as external heat can increase the amount of fentanyl released from the patch, which causes more risk of serious side effects, or potential overdose.

PATIENT PRIVACY

We take pride in keeping your Patient Health Information (PHI) safe and secure.

Between the stress of withdrawal symptoms and confronting deep seeded issues in counseling, you don’t need the added anxiety of worrying about the security of your confidential information.

That’s why we make sure your visits, PHI, and all other relevant health care information remains private.

HOW ARE PAYMENTS HANDLED

We’ll also keep your payment information private while you’re in our rehabilitation center. We keep no credit cards on file, nor insurance records.

We bill by the month.

If your stay with us is longer, we discreetly bill on a bi-weekly basis.

GOING AWAY FOR TREATMENT

We have treatment facilities all over the country, so you’re sure to find one that’s convenient for your needs.

Convenience doesn’t always mean close to home. Sometimes going away to get treatment can be more effective because it can leave you free of distractions. In completely new surroundings you can focus on yourself without any distractions.

In many cases, removing yourself from everything that’s familiar can set you up for success in your new sober life.

POST-REHABILITATION SUPPORT

Without a group of people to function as a support structure, the fentanyl rehabilitation process will be much more difficult. These relationships are usually made while one is in rehab. Many recovery centers, in fact, encourage former patients to stay in touch with each other in addition to joining a network in which ideas and experiences can be shared.

This support group can also come in handy when staying sober becomes difficult.

The knowledge that you are not alone in living a sober life away from fentanyl will go a long way to keep you on the path of sobriety.

If you or a loved one have an addiction to fentanyl, contact BLVD Treatment Centers. At BLVD Treatment Centers we custom tailor our recovery programs within the safe and nurturing confines of our rehab treatment centers. Located throughout California, in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and in Portland, OR, our mission is to assess the severity of your addiction to help you achieve true recovery within 30 days.