My wife used to work crisis in an ER and I heard horror stories about fentanyl. I ended up having a lung collapse and they said they were going to give me fentanyl to sedate me while they tubed me. I was terrified, and they dosed me...and I instantly understood why people get hooked on it. They basically whispered “fentanyl” into the IV and I felt like something was giving my soul a warm hug.
EDIT: Obligatory thanks for the gold, and honestly thank you all for your stories of your experiences with opioids. They’re all genuinely interesting and they really put into perspective how drugs affect different people in different ways. I always heard the horrors of fentanyl in the context of its abuse, not necessarily in how it can help those who need it. Opioids, and particularly the ones featured in this post, are strong stuff that has to be respected and handled with care but shouldn’t be stigmatized.
EDIT EDIT: I’m going to copy u/felinedime ‘s comment up here because it is important:
Note to any active users, or really anyone who uses opiates prescription or otherwise, most states, if not all, have standing orders for intranasal Narcan, meaning that you can get it at a pharmacy without a hard copy prescription. It is easy to use and could save your life or a friend's life. Also, most states have bystander laws that will prevent you or anyone on the scene from prosecution if they call 911 for assistance for an overdose. That person can't be prosecuted for drugs or paraphernalia on the scene. Sometimes, like in my state, LA, you can even get it for free if you contact your local Human Services Authority. I am a nurse on an opiate outreach team and we give free Narcan, needle cleaning kits, and heroin testing kits (tests for fentanyl).
Most of the studies I worked on involving opioid addiction used heavy dilutions of remi fentanyl with rats. One thing that was kind of counterintuitive about it is it’s a heavy central nervous system depressant, but the Dopamine and other happy chemicals flooding the brain gave the rats these huge bursts of energy. Like I previously had worked with amphetamines and cocaine in rats but iv never seen rats jump for joy like they do for remifentanyl
DingoMontgomery on June 24th, 2020 at 00:24 UTC »
My wife used to work crisis in an ER and I heard horror stories about fentanyl. I ended up having a lung collapse and they said they were going to give me fentanyl to sedate me while they tubed me. I was terrified, and they dosed me...and I instantly understood why people get hooked on it. They basically whispered “fentanyl” into the IV and I felt like something was giving my soul a warm hug.
EDIT: Obligatory thanks for the gold, and honestly thank you all for your stories of your experiences with opioids. They’re all genuinely interesting and they really put into perspective how drugs affect different people in different ways. I always heard the horrors of fentanyl in the context of its abuse, not necessarily in how it can help those who need it. Opioids, and particularly the ones featured in this post, are strong stuff that has to be respected and handled with care but shouldn’t be stigmatized.
EDIT EDIT: I’m going to copy u/felinedime ‘s comment up here because it is important:
ritalinchild-54 on June 24th, 2020 at 00:28 UTC »
This should be a poster in every public space. Especially under the 41st and 35 in Austin TX.
grundlebiter on June 24th, 2020 at 00:34 UTC »
Most of the studies I worked on involving opioid addiction used heavy dilutions of remi fentanyl with rats. One thing that was kind of counterintuitive about it is it’s a heavy central nervous system depressant, but the Dopamine and other happy chemicals flooding the brain gave the rats these huge bursts of energy. Like I previously had worked with amphetamines and cocaine in rats but iv never seen rats jump for joy like they do for remifentanyl