What Is Fentanyl Used For?

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful drug that can be used for recreation or by medical professionals in the hospital.

Join Avenues Recovery, leading addiction rehabilitation specialists, as we dive into this popular drug and explore what fentanyl is used for and why.

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is an exceptionally powerful synthetic opioid painkiller used before, during, and after surgery, and in patients suffering from painful chronic illnesses such as cancer. It is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine in its capacity as an analgesic. Fentanyl has been classified by the DEA drug schedule as a Schedule II drug – possessing a high abuse and addiction potential but still offering a legitimate medical use - and is available in its licit form by prescription only.

Who Invented Fentanyl?

Fentanyl was first synthesized in 1959 when Dr. Paul Janssen of the Janssen Company (based in Beerse, Belgium) first synthesized fentanyl. Paul Janssen’s fentanyl was originally created to be used as an intravenous analgesic to be used strictly for clinical purposes. Dr. Janssen had long been fascinated by palliatives, and was determined to create a powerful, effective, fast-acting analgesic which would offer relief to those experiencing acute pain.

The two most widely used anestheticsanaesthetics in the mid-1900s were morphine and meperidine – both relatively weak and slow-acting drugs. After years of research and experimentation, in 1957, the Janssen Company introduced phenoperidine to the world as a potent, rapid-acting yet short-lived analgesic. Dr. Janssen and his team continued to investigate and toy with their creation until, in 1960, fentanyl was born – a novel compound which was 10 times more potent than phenoperidine and 100 times more potent than morphine, and far quicker in onset. Its acceptance and medical use grew slowly but surely until it became the most popular and widespread analgesic worldwide, a position it holds until today.

Why Do People Use Fentanyl?

For many, fentanyl provides real and lasting relief from debilitating pain, greatly improving their quality of life, which is why people are using fentanyl so often. Since its conception, fentanyl has earned a distinguished place in the world of pain management. It is used to effectively treat severe pain caused by invasive surgery, great physical trauma, or chronic illnesses such as cancer. It operates by binding directly to opioid receptors throughout the central nervous system and interrupting the transmission of pain signals between the body and brain.

Fentanyl is available in a wide variety of forms – including but not limited to intravenous drips, injections, tablets, sublingual strips, transmucosal lozenges, and transdermal patches. Each is best used in specific situations as each provides a different amount and length of pain relief. For example, hospitals use fentanyl via injection/ intravenous drip for pain relief before, during, and after surgery, while it is best used as a transdermal patch when intended to provide long-term palliative care in chronically ill patients.

Is Fentanyl Used for Anesthesia?

Fentanyl is used in surgery in tandem with other anesthetics to hasten and increase sedation and then given independently to alleviate pain post-op.

Interestingly, the use of fentanyl in hospitals has recently been explored as a method of intravenous conscious sedation, a surgical approach now commonly used in simpler outpatient procedures. When administered together with propofol (another numbing agent), it has been proven to manage pain effectively and safely in conscious patients undergoing brief skin and soft tissue surgeries.

A study was conducted in which 20 patients aged 25–65 requiring conscious sedation received a standard dosage of fentanyl and propofol. The average onset (of sedation) time was 52.5 seconds, the average procedure length was 40 minutes and 37 seconds, and the average interim until recovery was 3 minutes and 43 seconds. It was concluded that the reason why people use fentanyl in conjunction with propofol is because it is a safe, fast, and effective method of achieving intravenous conscious sedation.

Benefits and Risks of Fentanyl in Hospitals

Fentanyl is indisputably one of the most efficacious and practical analgesics that exist today. It has saved millions of individuals from hours of misery and pain, and enabled physicians to successfully perform numerous lifesaving procedures while ensuring the patient’s comfort and safety. It is largely safe, rapid-acting, effective, and available in many practical forms.

That said, there are several pitfalls and dangers that accompany this wonder drug. In a worrying turn, patients who have been prescribed regulated doses of fentanyl by responsible physicians have been reported to develop dependence and even addiction to the opioid. Although administered for legitimate reasons, in a controlled environment, when taken for too long it can desensitize patients and saddle them with a crippling dependency. Many patients who had zero history of substance dependence or abuse began abusing narcotics (specifically fentanyl) after receiving fentanyl in a hospital setting for legitimate pain relief purposes.

Why Do Drug Dealers Use Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is the favorite child of almost every drug creator, dealer, and user for three reasons:

It is easy and cheap to produce

It has no identifying scent or taste

It is exceptionally potent even in tiny amounts

Therefore, it is readily found on the street in its pure form and can be found laced into virtually every common drug. As with any powerful opioid, fentanyl has been widely exploited by the world of substance abusers and drug dealers and has wreaked an unprecedented trail of pain and destruction across society. Thousands of licit fentanyl prescriptions are diverted for recreational use each year, and hundreds of home-grown fentanyl labs have sprung up as well. Deaths from fentanyl overdose have spiked terrifyingly in recent years, a silent epidemic that continues to claim countless precious lives.