ReVIDA Recovery Blog Post Explains: How Long Does Fentanyl Stay in Your System

ReVIDA® Recovery Greeneville, an addiction treatment center in Greeneville, TN, has released a blog post titled, “How Long Does Fentanyl Stay in Your System?” Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid developed in the lab for use in clinical pain management after surgery. Unfortunately, drug dealers realized the potential of fentanyl as a cost-effective way of providing the effect of opioid drugs desired by their customers. This is because fentanyl is several times more potent than other opioids, such as heroin or cocaine. And many opioid users prefer fentanyl because of the strong feelings of euphoria that it provides. Thus, drug dealers often lace other drugs with fentanyl to increase the euphoria, but this is dangerous for the users who were not aware they are taking fentanyl. The primary problem with fentanyl is that is so potent it is easy for people to overdose on it.

Angelee Murray from ReVIDA® Recovery says, “At ReVIDA® Recovery, we see fentanyl as a national crisis. Deaths stemming from fentanyl are increasing every year. Most of the time, people aren’t even aware they’re taking it. They’ll get fentanyl in a batch of cocaine or heroin, and because they haven’t built a tolerance for it, they’ll overdose. Our goal is to increase awareness involving this opioid so that you’ll know what to look out for. Recognizing what fentanyl does to your body and how long it stays in your system is essential in keeping yourself safe.”

Fentanyl affects that part of the brain that regulates pain and emotions. Thus, those who take fentanyl will usually experience feelings of extreme happiness, euphoria, and pain relief. However, those who take fentanyl for recreational purposes will soon notice its negative effects. The usual short-term effects of fentanyl use are feelings of euphoria or uncontrolled, extreme happiness; nausea; fatigue; confusion; loss of consciousness; and trouble breathing.

When taken for a long period, those who use fentanyl will notice that they have built a tolerance to it. This means that a larger amount of fentanyl will be needed to get the same pain relief and feelings of euphoria. This is the primary reason why many people overdose on fentanyl: they try to get the same results by increasing their dosage. Meanwhile, long-term use of fentanyl can come with several effects, such as chronic stomach issues like constipation and bowel obstruction; sleep apnea; mood disorders like depression and anxiety; reproductive problems; weakened immune system; heart attack or heart failure; suicidal thoughts; and more. Some of the signs of overdose are seizures; blue lips; foaming mouth; gurgling or breath sounds; confusion or odd behavior; and loss of consciousness.

Meanwhile, the length of time that fentanyl stays in the system depends on several factors. These include how fentanyl was administered, whether oral, transdermal, or intravenous; age of the user; liver health; how much food was ingested before taking fentanyl; the dosage; duration of use; and the use of other substances. In general, even if someone no longer feels the effects of fentanyl a few days after taking it, it can remain in the body for up to seven days. It can be detected in blood, urine, and hair follicle tests. Hair follicle tests can detect fentanyl use for up to three months after the last dose.

Established in 2018, ReVIDA® Recovery is a comprehensive behavioral healthcare service provider that includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in the treatment they offer for opioid use disorder. Their mission is to enable patients to recover from their addiction and reclaim their lives. The ReVIDA® team is committed to providing guidance to the recovering patient to get back on track. They always make it their priority to help with the goals, health, and support for the people who are trying to recover from an addiction.

Those who are interested in learning more about the addiction treatment services provided by ReVIDA® Recovery Greeneville, such as treatment for fentanyl addiction, can visit their website or contact them at 423-556-3992.