Quick info
Fentanyl is an analgesic used to treat very severe and chronic pain and belongs to the group of opioid analgesics. Opioids are chemically synthesized substances that have the same mechanism of action as natural opiates (morphine and codeine). Fentanyl has an effect up to 100 times stronger than morphine and is one of the strongest painkillers available.
Fentanyl has a strong analgesic and sedative effect and is effective in the smallest doses. However, its euphoric effect is less pronounced than that of other opioids. It is used in emergency medicine for surgical procedures and anesthesia, and for breakthrough pain in cancer patients. For chronic pain, fentanyl patches are used, which release the active ingredient slowly. Due to its opioid properties, fentanyl rapidly leads to dependence when taken over a long period of time and should not be discontinued abruptly and only under medical supervision.
Light: 10 - 25 µg
Medium: 25 - 50 µg
Strong: 50 - 75 µg
Fentanyl is extremely potent and therefore very difficult to dose. Therefore, overdoses can easily occur. For first-time use, doses should be low, as the risk of respiratory arrest is increased.
Appearances
As infusion solution (emergency medicine), lozenges, nasal spray, patches and in powder form.
Onset of effect
Injected: after a few seconds
Swallowed and snorted: after approx. 15 - 30 minutes
Patch: after approx. 2 - 4 hours
Duration of action
Swallowed and snorted: approx. 1 - 4 hours
Patch: the active ingredient is delivered during 48 - 72 hours
Risks
The side effects are strongly dose-dependent. As the dose increases, the side effects also become more pronounced. At the beginning there is often drowsiness, dizziness, dizziness, pupil constriction, slowed heartbeat, drop in blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.
Excessive sweating, rashes, itching, central dullness, confusion, visual disturbances, cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory reflex depression and urinary retention may also occur.
Overdose
Overdoses with fentanyl are life-threatening because the substance, like all opioids, slows down breathing, even to the point of respiratory arrest and coma.
Long-term risks/consequences
Regular, abusive use of fentanyl can lead to dependence with severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, sleep disorders and depression. Withdrawal, as with all opioids, should not be abrupt and should only take place under medical supervision.
Opioids are highly effective medications that should only be used for a limited time and, at best, with a doctor's supervision.
Start with a low dose and wait for the effect and tolerance before adding more.
After a period of abstinence, use a much lower dose! The usual dose before the abstinence phase can otherwise quickly have life-threatening consequences.
If you inject opioids, dose even more carefully, as the range between desired effect (rush) and dangerous overdose is even more difficult to assess. Avoid injecting opioids; the risk of overdose is particularly high. Always use new (clean and sterile) injection material! Never exchange syringes, filters, water, disinfection swabs to avoid transmission of hepatitis and HIV.
Do not rely on dosage information from colleagues who regularly use opioids. Due to habituation or dependence, their doses are significantly higher and can be fatal for new users.
Take longer breaks (at least several days) between consumption.
Refrain from citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) before or during consumption. The combination can lead to an increase in the effect of the opiate and/or respiratory depression.
The simultaneous consumption of depressant substances such as alcohol, ketamine, GHB/GBL, nitrous oxide, benzodiazepines and/or other opioids is dangerous as there is an increased risk of vomiting and unconsciousness. The risk of suffocation is high!
The combination with methoxetamine (MXE, Metha-Keta) increases the opioid effect.
Mixing opioids with DXM is generally not recommended - there is an increased risk of central nervous system disorders as well as heart and respiratory problems. In addition, DXM lowers the individual opioid tolerance, which is why the risk of overdose increases considerably.
Mixed use of opioids with stimulants (such as cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine) puts extreme strain on the body and the cardiovascular system. The effects can mask each other, so that they are subjectively felt to be weaker. If the effect of the stimulants wears off before the opioids, there is a risk of delayed overdose and even respiratory depression.
LSD analogues are substances that are chemically very similar to LSD and can have comparable effects. Some of them have been known for a long time (e.g. ALD52, ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, PRO-LAD etc.) and have been studied pharmacologically as well as psychopharmacologically, at least in part. Others are newer "creations" (e.g. the derivatives 1P-LSD,1B-LSD, 1cP-LSD, 1V-LSDetc.), for which only few or no data are available. Certain LSD analogues can (still) be legally produced, traded and consumed in some countries, which is the main reason for their distribution.
Most LSD analogues are naturally different from LSD in their effect and/or potency (e.g. ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, LSZ etc.). In contrast, the so-called 1-acylated LSD compounds (e.g. 1P-LSD, 1V-LSD, 1B-LSD, ALD-52, etc.) are presumed, on the basis of pharmacological studies, to convert into LSD in the body (they function as so-called prodrugs) and thus have a comparable psychoactive effect to LSD.
In the case of prodrugs of LSD and LSD analogues, it has not been conclusively clarified whether, in addition to their psychoactive effect, they can produce other pharmacological effects. How potent these prodrugs are compared to the resulting substance (e.g., 1P-LSD to LSD), and to what extent a delay in onset of action occurs in each case, may be substance-dependent and cannot be generalized. Therefore, it is important to approach the dose/effect carefully to avoid overdoses.
If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or alcohol, call an ambulance on 144. Tell the emergency responders everything you know.
It could save lives.