It also explains why the headline numbers in Operation Meltdown are only the surface. By the time fentanyl appears as a pill on a U.S. countertop, it is usually too late. They happen before a precursor becomes fentanyl, before a shipment reaches a clandestine lab, and before a counterfeit tablet enters an online distribution stream. Begin your journey to recovery with personalized drug & alcohol rehab—verify your insurance coverage in under a minute. We are not a treatment provider and do not offer medical advice, clinical services, or treatment referrals. When you call, you will only reach the advertiser identified in this ad.
- The bent-over position can make breathing problems worse, as being hunched over doesn’t allow the lungs to expand fully, depriving vital organs of oxygen.
- Be careful about letting other people come in contact with your patch.
- Hale handed over the remaining pills in his wallet to investigators, according to the court document.
How Rehab Programs Address Fentanyl Use and Physical Symptoms
In March 2025, the U.S. government described a case that illustrated how U.S. agencies are targeting upstream chemical suppliers directly, including in India. The Justice Department said an India-based chemical manufacturing company and three high-level employees were charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., related to illegally importing precursor chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl. Fentanyl addiction is treated through detox, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), behavioral therapy, and long-term rehab programs.
6 kilos of fentanyl seized in Durham County drug bust
At South Carolina Addiction Treatment, we work with family members, co-workers and other professionals, as well as directly with the individual in need of support to provide comprehensive care and treatment for addiction. We can offer guidance and insight into the recovery process, and will work to provide you with clarity into the steps that lay ahead. At South Carolina Addiction Treatment Detox & Residential, an affiliate of Carolina Center for Recovery, we aim to provide readers with the most accurate and updated healthcare information possible. Our certified medical reviewers are licensed in the mental health and addiction medicine fields and are dedicated to helping readers and prospective clients make informed decisions about their treatment. We adhere to strict accuracy guidelines and only reference credible sources when providing information on our website.
Why Do Fentanyl Users Nod Off & Bend Over?
But even with this overall decline, drug addiction experts have found that Black people – particularly Black men in Franklin County – are experiencing higher fatal overdose rates compared to non-Hispanic White and Hispanic people. Many people do not realize how fast this can happen, even with small amounts. It also highlights serious fentanyl dangers, including breathing problems and overdose. Seeing this sign means the body is no longer coping and needs Substance abuse help soon.
As I walked through the area during a visit that year, I had to navigate around catatonic users, their bodies and arms twisted in the “fentanyl fold,” a position they might hold for 20 minutes or more. Several years ago, mass fentanyl overdoses in Southeast Georgia prompted warnings from several local law enforcement agencies. Despite these challenges, the researchers emphasized that buprenorphine remains a life-saving treatment for those with opioid use disorder and that many patients do not encounter problems when starting buprenorphine.
US military launches deadly strike on drug-trafficking vessel in the Pacific, leaving 2 dead and 1 survivor
We talk fentanyl fold about harm reduction measures every day—whether it be wearing seatbelts while driving, wearing sunblock, or using gun locks. By the time your child is in high school, you as a parent need to be fully educated about the dangers of fentanyl and what you can do to help reduce the risk of drug overdose. That includes safely disposing of old prescription medicines and learning about overdose prevention. In 2023, San Francisco’s historic Tenderloin, an area just blocks from City Hall, sported homeless encampments with addicts openly inhaling fentanyl through straws.
Serious side effects can occur if your medical doctor or dentist gives you certain other medicines without knowing that you are using fentanyl. Fentanyl may cause some people to become drowsy, dizzy, or lightheaded, or to feel a false sense of well-being. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. These effects usually go away after a few days of treatment, when your body gets used to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if drowsiness that is severe enough to interfere with your activities continues for more than a few days.
- While waiting for paramedics, try to wake the person by calling their name loudly if you know it and rubbing your knuckles firmly on their chest or shaking their shoulders.
- Before having any kind of surgery (including dental surgery) or emergency treatment, tell the medical doctor or dentist in charge that you are using this medicine.
- The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
This bending isn’t intentional; it happens when your nervous system shuts down postural reflexes. People searching phrases like “why do fentanyl users slouch” or “why do they bend over like that” are witnessing this effect. It reflects how fentanyl overwhelms both awareness and muscle tone, resulting in a slouched, folded, or stuck body position. AddictionResource.net is an informational website supported by advertising revenue.
People experienced withdrawal symptoms for much longer than typical or had withdrawal symptoms so intense that they reported feeling allergic to the medication. Fentanyl skin patch is also used to treat severe and persistent pain that requires https://www.juliavance.no/2022/10/10/can-alcoholism-be-cured-arc/ an extended treatment period and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. The takedown comes as the FBI ramps up efforts to stem the flow of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has fueled a nationwide overdose crisis, into the U.S.