NCBuy Home

 
Fentanyl
Fentanyl narcotics reference

Fentanyl

 

Information: Overview

First synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s, fentanyl, with an analgesic potency of about 80 times that of morphine, was introduced into medical practice in the 1960s as an intravenous anesthetic under the trade name of Sublimaze®. Thereafter; two other fentanyl analogues were introduced; alfentanil (Alfenta®), an ultra-short (5-10 minutes) acting analgesic, and sufentanil (Sufenta®), an exceptionally potent analgesic (5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl) for use in heart surgery. Today, fentanyls are extensively used for anesthesia and analgesia. Duragesic®, for example, is a fentanyl transdermal patch used in chronic pain management, and Actiq® is a solid formulation of fentanyl citrate on a stick that dissolves slowly in the mouth for transmucosal absorption. Actiq® is intended for opiate-tolerant individuals and is effective in treating breakthrough pain in cancer patients. Carfentanil (Wildnil®) is an analogue of fentanyl with an analgesic potency 10,000 times that of morphine and is used in veterinary practice to immobilize certain large animals.

Illicit use of pharmaceutical fentanyls first appeared in the mid-1970s in the medical community and continues to be a problem in the United States. To date, over 12 different analogues of fentanyl have been produced clandestinely and identified in the U.S. drug traffic. The biological effects of the fentanyls are indistinguishable from those of heroin, with the exception that the fentanyls may be hundreds of times more potent. Fentanyls are most commonly used by intravenous administration, but like heroin, they may also be smoked or snorted.

Drugs Menu
Nutrition Center
Drug Resources
    • Abuse in States
    • Controlled & Illegal
    • Prescription Drugs
    • Street Terminology

Insurance Quotes
Dental Coverage
Health - Students

Additional Features
Health Freebies
Doctor Jokes

Special Offers
Health Magazines
Food Magazines
 
Drugs Center »  

NCBuy Magazine Shop
Subscription trials to Health magazines and related pubs:

Men's Health
Men's Health

Additional Trials:
 
Magazine Shop »  


NCBuy Home  |  About NCBuy  |  Affiliate Programs  |  Contacts  |  Privacy  |  Site Map  |  Link 2 Us

Copyright © 2008 NetCent Communications, All rights reserved. Terms under which this service is provided.
Fentanyl Information Data Source: US Department of Justice, DEA