Fentanyl
Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic that is used as a surgical anesthetic in 70% of all surgeries in the U.S. It is similar to morphine but is approximately 50-100 times more powerful. It binds to the opioid receptors in the brain in the areas that control pain and emotions. It is water-soluble and is composed of 40 carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, with a chemical formula of C22H28N2O.
Many hospitals prefer to use fentanyl due to its fast action and potency. It’s prescribed to patients of all ages, young and old, and has few undesirable side effects, as well as few instances of addiction when used properly under strict medical supervision.
From a workplace perspective, experts believe that the misuse and abuse of fentanyl among employees in safety and security-sensitive positions is a growing concern. As a pain reliever, it can be prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain, especially chronic pain. With prescriptions rising and with prescription drug abuse already a major concern for employers, one would think this drug would have long been a standard part of workplace drug testing. In reality, it is only requested under special situations and is, therefore, an extra cost for employers.
Screening Cut-Off and Detection Time
In drug screening, the cut-off level is the minimum amount of drug residue that must be found in the sample for the specimen to be labeled positive. It is important to remember that a negative sample does not necessarily mean that it is drug-free, only that it contains a drug at a concentration that is below the established cut-off levels.
Screening Cut-Off Level Confirmatory Test Detection Period
200 ng/ml 200 ng/ml up to 3 days from last dose DEA Drug Class
The Drug Enforcement Administration implements the Controlled Substance Act and sees the prosecution of violators. The CSA is the U.S. drug policy that regulates the use, possession, distribution, manufacture, and importation of certain narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, anabolic steroids, and other chemicals. The CSA defines 5 schedules of drug classification (I–V) based on their abuse potential, safety, and medical applications.
Fentanyl falls under Schedule II – drugs and other substances that have a high potential for abuse; are currently accepted in the United States for use in medical treatment with severe restrictions; and those, the abuse of which may lead to severe physical and/or psychological dependence.
Drug Type
Fentanyl is an opioid (painkillers). Opioids are prescription-only drugs typically given to patients to relieve severe pain from recent surgery. Under normal use, opioids break down and attach to opioid receptors in the brain. The effect is that the person’s perception of pain is reduced. Misuse and abuse of opioids affect the brain in such a way that the person experiences relaxation and euphoria.
Forms and Routes of Administration
Doctor-prescribed fentanyl often comes in any of the following forms:
Transdermal patches
- Injections
- Buccal lozenges/soluble film
- Nasal spray/inhaler
- Sublingual spray
- Tablets or lollipops
Pharmaceutical fentanyl also ends up in the streets or the hands of unauthorized users. For example, the gel from transdermal patches may be swallowed or injected. The kind of fentanyl (or its analogs) that underground manufacturers make for trafficking in the streets comes in any of the following forms:
Powder (usually cut into heroin) – for snorting, smoking, swallowing, or rubbing onto gums
Laced on blotter paper – for absorption through the mucous membrane in the mouth
Tablets – for swallowing
Ways Fentanyl is Trafficked
Brand Names
- Subsys (sublingual spray)
- Sublimaze® (injection)
- Onsolis (buccal soluble film)
- Lazanda (nasal spray)
- Ionsys (transdermal device)
- Fentora™ (buccal tablet)
- Duragesic® (transdermal patch)
- Actiq® (lozenge or lollipop)
- Abstral (sublingual tablet)
Medical Uses
Anesthesia during surgery
- For the relief of pain before, during, and after surgery
- For the relief and management of severe ongoing pain from cancer and other terminal illnesses
- For the relief of chronic pain from other medical conditions for people who are physically tolerant of other opioids
- Recreational Uses of Fentanyl
- To achieve heroin-like euphoria
- To experience a long-lasting high
- To cut pure heroin
- To increase the potency of low-quality heroin
- Recreational Uses of Fentanyl
Street Names
- TNT
- Tango and Cash
- Poison
- Perc-a-Pop
- Murder 8
- King Ivory
- Jackpot
- He-Man
- Great Bear
- Goodfellas
- Friend
- Dance Fever
- China White
- China Town
- China Girl
- Apache
Side Effects
When opioids bind to the brain’s opioid receptors, dopamine levels in the brain’s reward areas rise. This is what causes intense relaxation and euphoria. There are opioid receptors in the areas of the brain that control our breathing rate as well, and if high doses of potent opioids like fentanyl find their way to these receptors, breathing can stop completely, leading to death.
Because of fentanyl’s direct effect on the brain, it may also lead to psychological problems that include but are not limited to:
Depression
- Crying spells
- Suicidal thoughts
- Behavioral changes affecting sleep and appetite
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
Short Term Effects
The short term effects include relief from pain, relaxation, and euphoria, but the side effects are far more numerous:
- Altered heart rate
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Constricted pupils
- Hallucinations
- Itchy skin
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Slowed breathing rate (high doses can cause breathing to stop altogether)
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Weakness
Long-Term Effects
Sustained fentanyl use and abuse can have long-term psycho-social effects including:
- Tolerance
- Addiction
- Higher risk of overdose and death
- Poor judgment in personal and professional situations/relationships
- Damage to body tissues and organs from oxygen deprivation
- Trigger or worsen pre-existing mental health conditions
- Worsen depression
The DEA believes that medical fentanyl gets diverted for illegal uses through medical workers who steal the drug from hospitals, falsify medical records, and even go as far as to pull fentanyl patches off a patient. Illegal fentanyl in the streets today is meant to enhance low-quality heroin and is mostly made in Mexican laboratories.
Fentanyl Dependence
Due to the high potency of fentanyl, tolerance to the drug sets in faster, necessitating higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect. This risk of dependence is high for anyone, regardless of whether it’s used is for a legitimate medical condition or recreational only. A sure sign of dependence is when a person begins to experience the following withdrawal symptoms after attempting to stop using:
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Fever and chills
- Intense drug cravings
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Panic attacks
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Tremors
History
Seized Fentanyl Product Statistics
Dr. Paul Janssen of Janssen Pharmaceutica was the first to develop FYL under a patent held by his company in 1959. Being the strong analgesic that it was, the medical field quickly adopted it for use as an anesthetic and post-surgical pain reliever.
By the 1960s, Sublimaze® was introduced as an intravenous anesthetic. Its popularity paved the way for the development of FEN analogs that included Lofentanil, Alfentanil, Remifentanil, and Sufentanil.
The mid-1970s saw the first illicit use of pharmaceutical fentanyl and its analogs by members of the medical community – nurses, doctors, anesthesiologists, and other medical health workers. They would draw fentanyl out from vials and replace it with a saline solution. Late into the decade, it made its way into the streets with China White and became a popular street drug on the west coast by the 1980s. It was also around the same time that fentanyl was introduced to the club scene in New York.
In the mid-1990s, the fentanyl patch (Duragesic) was developed. It can be worn on the skin and was used for managing chronic pain in cancer patients. It provides long-term pain relief, usually 2-3 days, and remains to be the most widely-used form of fentanyl delivery. Soon, oral preparations containing fentanyl citrate with fillers were developed, including the buccal tablet Fentora and the Actiq lollipop. The Actiq lollipop was introduced for young cancer patients, but this form also became popular with club parties and all-nighters.
In 2013, illegally manufactured fentanyl rates went up. It is believed that criminal organizations were behind the increase in global supplies of fentanyl precursor chemicals, resulting in an increase of trafficked products onto the streets. To illustrate this, the number of seized fentanyl products in 2014 was 5,343. By 2015, this number rose to 15,882 – an almost 300% increase.
2016 saw a 326% increase in opioid overdose deaths from the previous decade and a 1000% increase from 1990. Fentanyl abuse has become such a problem in Canada that British Columbia declared a state of emergency.
Can I Purchase a Single Use Drug Test for Fentanyl?
12 Panel Now offers Drug Tests in Bulk, or for single use. If you are concerned about how someone will fare on a Drug Test, or simply wish to test yourself, it’s a fairly easy process taking only a few minutes. Our Single Use 13 Panel Urine Drug Test tests for 13 commonly abused drugs, including Fentanyl.
After the donor seals the urine in the leak-proof container, it is then handed off to the evaluator. What makes the process streamlined is that the strips used to indicate the test results are sealed within the container. For hygiene reasons, this is ideal. When it is time to view the test results, the evaluator simply peels away the outside label revealing the drug test strips with each result.
The test results within the Drug Test will show results within a few minutes. Results should be evaluated within 5-8 minutes. Results should not be evaluated after 1o minutes.
The 12 Panel Drug Testing Kits are designed to detect 12 of the most abused and commonly used drugs. However, depending on your needs, you can purchase other kits that test for different drugs. For instance, the 13 Panel Drug Testing Cup includes all the same drugs tested within a 12 Panel Drug Test with the drug Fentanyl (FYL) drug. There are also variants of the typical 12 Panel Drug Test that include drugs like phencyclidine, or PCP.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our product or wish to place an order, feel free to call us at (888) 936-6627
Does Fentanyl Show up in a Drug Test?
Yes, fentanyl shows up on a drug test. It will normally be detected on a one-panel fentanyl test strip, 13 Panel drug test cup, 14 Panel drug screen cup and the new 16 Panel drug screen cup.
What Is a FEN Drug Test Strip?
A fentanyl drug test strip detects the substance that’s 50-100 more potent than morphine.
A recent study states that fentanyl drug test strips are effective means to fight opioid overdose. This is why hospitals, health centers, rehabs, clinics, academic institutions, and even homes use these efficient yet straightforward devices.
How does this strip work?
Suppose there are insufficient drug molecules in the specimen. In that case, the antibody-colored particle conjugate will bind to the drug conjugates, forming a colored band at the membrane’s test region. This shows a negative result.
On the other hand, a positive result doesn’t show a colored band at the test region.
Why Test for FEN?
FENl is a potent synthetic opioid behind a growing number of deadly overdoses. If used within the bounds of medicine, this potent drug can relieve pain and aid in surgical procedures 50-100 times better than morphine.
Other facts about fentanyl
- China White or China Girl ( the street names of fentanyl) is also made illegally in labs.
- Dealers typically add it to heroin to give it more volume and enhance its performance. That’s when it becomes deadly. People think they’re getting real heroin, so they tend to take more, leading to an overdose.
- Why? It’s because fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin. Just a quarter of a milligram can be fatal.
Does FYL Show up as Morphine on a Drug Test?
No, fentanyl won’t show up as morphine on a drug test.
According to NCBI, “fentanyl and buprenorphine are sufficiently distinct in structure compared to morphine. These drugs show essentially no reactivity is commonly marketed morphine-specific opiate immunoassays.
Detection of these opioid drugs, therefore, requires separate tests that are specific for these compounds or methods capable of their detection and specific identification.
Will FEN Show up on a Probation Drug Test?
More probation offices are utilizing drug tests that will detect a wide range of drugs including Fentanyl. Depending on who’s administering the test, they may use fentanyl drug test strips or perhaps the 13 Panel Drug test cup.
Are There Accurate Home Fentanyl Opiates Drug Test?
Yes, there are. 12 Panel Now’s a home drug test for fentanyl is one of them. It’s 99% accurate, CLIA-waived, and FDA-approved, so you’ll have the peace of mind in knowing that you’re only using a device that’s safe, precise, and economical too.
Drug Test Detection Times
Fentanyl Can Be Detected in:
- Blood: Up to 2 days
- Urine: Up to 3 days
- Hair: Up to 3 months
Will Fentanyl Show up on a 10-Panel Drug Test?
No, a 10 Panel drug test cup won’t detect fentanyl. You’ll have to use 13 Panel or 14 Panel drug test cups or dip cards for this purpose. A dedicated fentanyl drug test strip is also a good option. For best results, use a fentanyl drug test kit.
Does Fentanyl Show up on a 5 Panel Drug Test?
A 5 Panel drug test only tests for the following substances:
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine Metabolites
- Marijuana Metabolites (THC)
- Opiates
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
If you want to test for fentanyl, you’ll have to use 13 Panel or 14 Panel drug test cups or dip cards for this purpose. A dedicated fentanyl drug test strip is also a good option. For best results, use a fentanyl drug test kit.