As the opioid epidemic continues, one of the most dangerous drugs implemented in many overdose deaths is fentanyl. Because fentanyl is a prescription drug, sometimes people don’t realize how strong—and dangerous—it can be. Plus, mixing fentanyl with other drugs or alcohol can cause serious interactions or side effects. Learn more below about fentanyl and why it’s best not to combine it with other drugs, medications, or alcohol.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a very powerful pain reliever—an effective dose that is smaller than a grain of sand. Because of its strength, it’s not intended to treat mild pain. It is a prescription drug, but it also has many street names. Fentanyl was first synthesized in 1960 and used as an intravenous anesthetic. In the 1990s, a fentanyl skin patch was developed to help manage severe pain, such as cancer pain.
Other than the skin patch, fentanyl is also available in several other forms. These include lozenges, tablets, sublingual tablets (placed under the tongue), film, and spray. Because it can be habit-forming and misuse can result in serious harm or death, directions for use should be followed carefully.
Fentanyl Side Effects are Uncomfortable and May Include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Mood changes
- Abdominal pain
- Difficulty urinating
- Irregular heartbeat
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite
- Weight loss
- Slow/shallow breathing
- Fainting
- Seizures
- Lowered blood pressure
- Overdose and death
Get medical help immediately if you experience side effects such as slowed breathing, fainting, seizure, difficulty waking up or severe drowsiness, hallucinations, fast heartbeat, severe vomiting, or diarrhea.
Dangerous—and even deadly—drug interactions may occur when taking fentanyl. Be sure to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medications, especially other pain relievers, MAO inhibitors, plus certain antibiotics and antifungals, certain seizure medications, and other prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Fentanyl is fast-acting and 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, so it causes a powerful high or sense of euphoria. Because of this, it has become highly abused. Drug overdose deaths due to fentanyl steadily increased between 2011 to 2016. A 2019 National Vital Statistics report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that between 2013 and 2016, fentanyl overdose deaths doubled each year.
Fentanyl and Other Drugs
Fentanyl is cheap to produce, and as a result, it is created illegally in drug labs in Mexico, South America, and China and then smuggled into the United States and elsewhere. This illicit fentanyl may then be sold as a stand-alone product or sold as other counterfeit drugs (such as oxycodone).
Drug traffickers also will often add fentanyl to heroin and other drugs to create an even stronger drug. There have been many instances in which people buy heroin that has been laced with fentanyl, thinking that they are buying a more potent form of heroin. They don’t realize that fentanyl has been added, and this dangerous combination has resulted in many overdose deaths.
Not only are illicit drugs combined with fentanyl dangerous, but combining fentanyl with other drugs, including other opioids, can also be unpredictable and risky. Adverse interactions may occur if you take an MAOI antidepressant medication while also taking fentanyl.
Taking fentanyl with benzodiazepines such as Valium or Xanax can cause potentially lethal interactions because they are also sedatives that slow down breathing. It could be very easy to overdose by combining these drugs. Many other medications or drugs can also cause harmful interactions or side effects if combined with fentanyl.
Tell your doctor or surgeon if you are taking any other medications, especially other opioids, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Otherwise, dangerous or deadly interactions could occur.
Mixing and Fentanyl and Alcohol: Is There a Safe Amount?
Not only can it be dangerous to mix fentanyl and other drugs but drinking alcohol while taking fentanyl could be disastrous.
Fentanyl alone is potent. For perspective, first responders wear hazmat suits to avoid accidentally inhaling the drug.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and acts as a sedative. Fentanyl also acts as a sedative. Because of this, combining fentanyl and alcohol can be quite dangerous, increasing your chances for serious side effects or death. This potentially lethal combination could slow your breathing and heart rate to the point of coma or even death.
In fact, a 2010 CDC report showed that alcohol was involved in more than 18 percent of ER admissions due to opioid abuse, and more than 22 percent of deaths related to opioid also involved alcohol.
Plus, drinking alcohol inhibits judgment, so it could be too easy to take more fentanyl or other drugs and overdose or make other risky decisions.
The bottom line is that it’s never a good idea to mix alcohol and fentanyl.
Fentanyl Overdose
If you or someone else experiences signs and symptoms of a fentanyl overdose, call 911 or get emergency medical help immediately. If possible, administer naloxone (brand name Narcan) as soon as possible in the event of an overdose. Naloxone is an antidote that reverses the effects of fentanyl and other opiates. The best chance someone has of surviving a fentanyl overdose is by getting emergency medical treatment, which will most likely also include an injection of naloxone.
Signs and Symptoms of Fentanyl Overdose May Include:
- Confusion
- Dilated pupils
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Slowed pulse
- Chest pain
- Slowed or shallow breathing
- Passing out/loss of consciousness
- Lips, nails, and skin turning blue
- Seizure
- Coma
- Death
Fentanyl and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Despite its legality, alcohol is still considered one of the more dangerous substances out there. Before fentanyl, heroin was always the taboo drug people would warn others about. However, today, fentanyl is hardly considered a drug – it’s poisonous. The number of people losing their lives to fentanyl and alcohol is hard to believe. Although fentanyl is illegal, the illicit version is becoming as accessible as alcohol because it’s flooding over the border. These are challenging times, but if you’re ready to overcome this part of your life, help is available.
Those who use a fentanyl patch and alcohol run the same risk of harming themselves as with the illicit version. Some might even wonder if you can put fentanyl in a drink. The answer is you can, and it can harm you. For that reason, fentanyl interactions can be serious, but seeking addiction treatment can prevent anything bad from happening. The sooner you seek help, the higher the odds are of surviving and avoiding a potentially fatal overdose.
Although fentanyl withdrawal isn’t as dangerous as alcohol, it can be severe. It’s among the most uncomfortable of all drug withdrawals, and having someone on your side to get through it will help a lot. On the other hand, alcohol, which is extremely dangerous, requires that you seek professional addiction treatment to overcome using it. You could encounter seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and other problems that can be fatal. If you’re ready to change your life, you must seek help to avoid the unknown.
Detox
The first step in the continuum of care is medical detox. Those addicted to fentanyl and alcohol will need to endure this first step to remain sober in the long term. During this stage, you’ll meet with addiction specialists to better understand your history, how much of the substances you’re using, and other information that helps you move forward. Clinicians will craft a plan and put the ball in motion. From there, you’ll enter detox and spend around three to seven days as the drugs exit your system. You’ll receive 24-hour care and be given medication that helps manage your symptoms.
In some cases, you may need to stay longer than the time mentioned above. Withdrawal can be extremely severe and unpredictable. For that reason, having the guidance of medical professionals will help you more than you know. Going through this alone is too much to bear. Once complete, you’ll move to the next level of care. Polysubstance abuse typically indicates you’ll go into an inpatient/residential treatment center.
Inpatient/Residential
Overcoming fentanyl and alcohol addiction is no simple feat. While detox is enough to remove the substances from your system, it won’t be enough to overcome addiction, which is a permanent disease requiring lifelong management. When you enter an inpatient/residential treatment center, you’ll live on-site with your peers for up to 90 days. During this time, you’ll go through a combination of individual, group, and other therapies that dig to the core of why you began abusing drugs like fentanyl and alcohol. You’ll understand what led you here and develop tools to help you cope once you leave our facility. It’s an invaluable process that will give you your life back.
Aftercare
After spending time in a treatment center, you’ll be filled with confidence and ready to move on to regular life. However, that confidence will be tested. Once you encounter triggers and other temptations you’re removed from in treatment, you might fold. You must attend 12-step programs and spend time with other alumni to help each other remain sober. Recovery is like exercising – if you give it up, you’ll fall out of shape. If you maintain it, you can stay in great shape and hold onto sobriety.
Conclusion
Fentanyl alone is a powerful narcotic. Combining fentanyl with other drugs or mixing it with alcohol can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. If you are prescribed fentanyl, be sure to follow the dosing directions carefully and do not take it with any other drugs, medications, or supplements without speaking to your health care professional first. Don’t drink alcohol while taking fentanyl. If you have an addiction to fentanyl, find a reputable addiction treatment program to guide you safely through medical detox.
