Fentanyl Addiction Help in Newcastle upon Tyne

Signs of fentanyl addiction

Fentanyl addiction can develop gradually. Common signs include:

• • Using fentanyl patches in ways other than prescribed (chewing, extracting gel)
• • Using illicit fentanyl (increasingly found in street drugs in the UK)
• • Needing fentanyl to prevent severe withdrawal
• • Criminal activity to obtain fentanyl or money to buy it
• • Extremely pinpoint pupils, frequent nodding off, slow breathing
• • History of opioid use disorder escalating to fentanyl

Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal from fentanyl should always be managed with medical support. Symptoms include:

• • Extremely intense opioid withdrawal due to high potency
• • Severe muscle cramps, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhoea
• • Intense anxiety and agitation
• • Rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure
• • Strong cravings
• • Medical supervision is essential — fentanyl dependency is extremely difficult to manage without medication

Treatment for fentanyl addiction in Newcastle upon Tyne

• ✓ Medically supervised detox — essential for fentanyl dependency
• ✓ High-dose methadone or buprenorphine to manage withdrawal
• ✓ Naloxone (Narcan) — must be carried by anyone using fentanyl. Free from needle exchanges.
• ✓ Residential rehabilitation
• ✓ Long-term MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)
• ✓ NHS specialist drug services