Pharm 101: Fentanyl Top 200 Drugs

Deaths related to fentanyl began to rise around 2019, according to the California Department of Health. In the last detailed study in 2022, the CDPH estimated nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in California. There are two types of fentanyl – pharmaceutical fentanyl and illegally made fentanyl. Nationwide, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention numbers show 84,181 opioid overdose deaths in fentanyl fold 2022 to 81,083 and 81,083 in 2023.

• A fentanyl user for the past two years, Jeff Barlow tried to explain why users tend to double over in such extreme angles.
• As long as it is safe to do so contact emergency services or if you have “Narcan” or other opiate overdose preventatives be ready to administer if the person loses consciousness or stops breathing.
• That’s why even “non-lethal” folds require follow-up care and neurological evaluation.
• You are likely to start feeling these within 24 hours of stopping the medication.
• Simply put “Fentanyl Fold” is caused by the extreme potency the drug affects the body’s central nervous system, exerting a depressant effect.

Fentanyl overdose and abuse

While waiting for paramedics, try to wake the person by calling their name loudly if you know it and rubbing https://ecosoberhouse.com/ your knuckles firmly on their chest or shaking their shoulders. If they don’t respond, check if they’re breathing by looking at their chest to see if it’s moving up and down. If you can’t tell if they’re breathing or their breathing is very slow and shallow, this confirms they’re having an overdose. The fold itself is a symptom, but what’s happening underneath—slowed breathing, reduced oxygen to the brain, and potential seizures—can cause lasting neurological damage. Repeated hypoxic episodes may lead to memory loss, impaired coordination, mood disorders, or reduced cognitive ability. That’s why even “non-lethal” folds require follow-up care and neurological evaluation.

Why Fentanyl Users Bend Over (The Fentanyl Fold)

Fentanyl patches pose a danger to kids who can stick them on their skin or mouths. This can cause death by slowing their breathing and lowering oxygen levels in their blood. Your doctor might prescribe fentanyl if you have severe pain due to cancer, nerve damage, serious injury, or major surgery. Fentanyl abuse isn’t the only opioid that can cause the awkward body reaction, Ciccarone said. The “fentanyl fold” effect can reportedly kick in within two or three minutes after taking the drug, Ciccarone said.

Other uses for this medicine

When used, fentanyl quickly binds to opioid receptors in the brain, producing intense feelings of euphoria and pain relief. This effect can lead to both physical and psychological dependence, even with short-term use. Treatment success often depends on immediate access to medical care, evidence-based addiction treatment and ongoing support systems that recognize the long-term nature of recovery.

A fentanyl user for the past two years, Jeff Barlow tried to explain why users tend to double over in such extreme angles. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland. Be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor on a regular basis so that you do not run out of medication. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication. Dr. Kathryn Taylor is a physician and addiction specialist who works with those experiencing homelessness as part of a street medicine team in San Francisco.

• People who experience trauma or abuse in the home may start using drugs as a coping mechanism.
• Additional doses of naloxone are therefore sometimes necessary.
• On social media platforms, videos and memes of people in the fentanyl fold sometimes go viral.
• Fentanyl moving through the street market comes in a powder form and can be injected, smoked, or snorted.
• At times, fentanyl may also be indicated to treat chronic pain patients who have developed tolerance to opiates.

Fentanyl bending over, or “Nodding Off” often also includes “wobbling” or “teetering” which can often appear as a rocking motion. This rocking can range from mild to quite severe as individuals struggle to regain balance as their bodies succumb to the extreme sedative effects of Fentanyl on the central nervous system. As long as it is safe to do so contact emergency services or if you have “Narcan” or other opiate overdose preventatives be ready to administer if the person loses consciousness or stops breathing.

• It is also increasingly found mixed into street drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration DEA, 2024).
• This synthetic opioid works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, which regulate pain and emotions.
• When used, fentanyl quickly binds to opioid receptors in the brain, producing intense feelings of euphoria and pain relief.

Fentanyl overdose symptoms

Crucially, the slowed cognitive processing prevents the brain from sending the necessary signals to the body to counteract gravity and remain upright. This combination of muscle weakness, rigidity, and impaired cognitive command results in individuals remaining stuck in an unnatural and perilous “fent leaning” position for extended periods. Motor Function refers to Drug rehabilitation our ability to control our bodies movement, like walking, reaching and grabbing an item, and simply standing upright. Most of the time we see individuals “Folding” or “Bending” forward (as if they are hunched over), but sometimes people may start to “Lean” backwards. This is why some other forms of abused opiates that are normally mixed into drinks, are sometimes referred to as “Lean”. This involuntary bending or folding forward, and sometimes backwards is the physical evidence of the potent sedative effects that Fentanyl will cause.