Local Rehab Educates on Most Dangerous Opioids

Duffield, VA – In their latest blog post, ReVIDA® Recovery takes a look at the most dangerous opioids on the market today. Well-versed in opioid use disorders, ReVIDA® Recovery works throughout Virginia and Tennessee to provide treatment and medication to help reclaim lives.

“Opioids have been around for years, and many do have beneficial pharmaceutical uses. However, due to the way they interact with the brain, they are notorious for leading to dependence. Pharmaceutically prescribed opioids have gone through an extensive process to become approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After approval, this means the medication is now regulated, and doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals have guidelines they must follow when prescribing the medication. Opioid dependency can still occur even when following a doctor’s orders, which is why it is necessary to voice any concerns you may have about taking the medication.

On the other hand, illicit opioids have no FDA requirements or regulations, and there is no guarantee of what is in the substance. While a dealer may say the substance is just heroin, there can be many other substances mixed into it. Some may not be as harmful, such as baby powder or flour, while others such as fentanyl are far more dangerous,” the article declares.

Heroin is one of the most commonly known synthetic opioids. While it is not as potent as other illicit opioids, it has been laced with more powerful opioids, making it more dangerous. Fentanyl on the other hand is much more dangerous than heroin as it is 50 times stronger. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl has the potential to be fatal. In recent years, many overdoses from fentanyl have occurred due to people not knowing it was present.

Carfentanil has been emerging in the illicit substance world and has been linked to many overdoses. It is a fentanyl analog and has pharmaceutical use in veterinary medicine as a tranquilizer for large animals such as elephants. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, making it much stronger and much more dangerous. When responding to an overdose that involves carfentanil, naloxone should be administered immediately, and due to its potency, it will most likely take multiple doses for the person to respond.

“Nitazine is an emerging synthetic opioid that has been making headway since 2019. Some nitazine analogs are 2 to 40 times more potent than fentanyl, earning them the nickname “Frankenstein opioid.” Similar to heroin or fentanyl, nitazine causes a rush of euphoria, followed by lethargy and falling in and out of consciousness. Whether taken on its own or mixed with other opioids, nitazine poses just as much of an overdose risk as other synthetic opioids,” the article reads on.

Xylazine is not an opioid itself, but it has been making news recently for being mixed with other opioids. It is used as a sedative in livestock animals such as cattle and horses. In humans, it causes sedation and also causes the heart to beat too fast and then too slow. Not only does this increase the risk of a fatal overdose when paired with opioids, it also makes it more difficult to reverse the effects. Xylazine itself is not an opioid, and therefore will not respond to naloxone.

ReVIDA® Recovery is a treatment facility that offers flexible, outpatient programming as well as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Their MAT program has helped many find success in their recovery and be able to take back their lives from opioid use disorder. With same-day appointments available, they are making access to treatment easier for communities throughout Appalachia.

To learn more about ReVIDA® Recovery, call 276-730-1963 or visit their website.