When word got out in Camden, New Jersey, about a wild new twist on the local heroin supply, users flocked to get a taste of the action. What they went looking for was a high that claimed to be as good – or better – than that fateful first time that got them hooked. What they found, however, was a cocktail so lethal that many users were found dead before they could even finish shooting up.

Have you guys heard about this?

Drug Abuse Problem Spreads like Wildfire

Fentanyl is an opioid pain killer used in the medical field as an anesthesia in the operating room, or for intense chronic pain (such as from radiation treatment) that doesn’t respond to morphine. Mixed with heroin, which is also derived from opium, Fentanyl creates the potential for immediate respiratory failure.

Public service announcements were aired on local television, but only served as an advertisement to addicts who rushed to their dealers right away. The problem became so severe that emergency rooms were swamped, and paramedics ran low on naloxone, the drug used to counteract an overdose and restore a victim’s breathing. Uniformed police officers were posted on known drug corners as a deterrent to send buyers away. Substance abuse centers put out a special call to help addicts steer clear of the dangerous new designer drug invading the neighborhood.

Denial Is a Dope Fiend’s Best Friend

There’s an inherent aspect of denial that is so committed to a drug users’ lifestyle, even death isn’t blamed on the drug. No one wants to admit that the drug that makes you feel perfect and untouchable can euthanize you in an instant. “The perspective (on the deaths) was more like, ‘He didn’t know what he’s been doing’ or ‘He’s been getting high too long,’” recalls Norwood Allen, alcohol and drug director for Camden County’s Division of Community Health Services.

What’s worse, many users who were witness to an overdose failed to call 911 or report the death out of fear of being arrested for their involvement, which didn’t help law enforcement or officials at the Center for Disease Control who were working to track down the suppliers and manufacturers. A sticky situation, for sure.

So, any of you out in Jersey? Have you heard about this? What’s really happening? Anywhere else in the country where Fentanyl-laced heroin is causing problems?

When you think about prescription drug abusers, the images that most often come to mind are teenagers stealing drugs out of medicine cabinets and hard-core addicts who are aren’t willing to risk going back to jail for possession of heroin. Obviously, these are two stereotypical extremes on opposite ends of the spectrum. What about the vast majority of people who are neither young nor convicted felons and who don’t steal their meds from anyone?

Prescriptions for Pain Relief Readily Available

Prior to the 1980s, the concept of chronic pain relief was only considered for patients who were terminally ill. The ‘90s, however, brought about a new revolution in pain management for patients with debilitating but not terminal illnesses. Pain specialists began recommending the same opioid treatments that worked so well for their dying patients and suddenly, people around the county realized that they actually felt well enough to get out and enjoy life again.

Unfortunately, few people realized just how much patients came to depend on the medicine to get through their daily lives. Addiction to prescription meds wasn’t a widespread topic until the late 1990s when the DEA started cracking down on physicians as though they were trafficking in illegal drugs.

Ways to Curb Prescription Drug Addiction

Doctors today are more alert for signs of drug abuse and addiction, although most are still reluctant to confront a patient or intervene. Many require an in-person office visit before refilling a prescription for narcotics, and some won’t even refill them at all. While no one would argue that a life of pain is worth living, the fact remains that powerful pain killers like OxyContin carry extreme risks with long-term use.

The best way to stop an addiction is to cut it off at the pass. Try taking only half the recommend dosage to see if it has the desired effect. Take it only when you really need it instead of every four to six hours as recommended. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about alternating with anti-inflammatory drugs throughout the day. Most importantly, though, don’t quit taking them cold turkey. Wean yourself off by taking fewer pills at further intervals over the course of a week. Your body has an easier time adjusting to their absence if done slowly.

What To Do if You’re Already Addicted to Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug addiction isn’t a bad person’s problem. You don’t get addicted because you deserve it or God is punishing you. It’s a chemical reaction to a substance that inflicts changes to the workings of the brain. If you’re finding that you just can’t seem to cut down and you become increasingly agitated right before it’s time to take another pill, you have a serious case of dependence. The quicker you act, the easier it is to overcome. Call your doctor for a referral to a drug treatment facility, or call our 24 hour help line and we’ll walk you through the process involved in rehab.

When did you realize that you or someone close to you had a problem with prescription drugs?

A couple weeks ago I had an accident that ended with me sustaining some fairly serious injuries, and since then I’ve been on prescription painkillers. Needless to say, this is not good. Physical pain definitely isn’t fun but it’s the painkillers that are really messing with me. 

I’m not happy. When I’m on them and I feel any sedative effects, I feel guilty. When I’m not on them and I’m in pain, obviously, that’s not a happy time, either. Either way, I’m not getting a whole lot done.

Chronic Pain Versus the Risk of Relapse?

It feels like I have to choose, figure out which is the lesser of two evils and commit. Many on this blog have expressed the same problem. Especially when the pain is chronic or related to a chronic disease, it can be torturous to deal with. How do you make a choice like that?

Now I’m not one who believes that if you take a prescribed pain pill for pain after, say, a root canal or surgery that you’ve relapsed. To me, prescribed painkillers can potentially lead to relapse but are not, in themselves, an automatic relapse. Does that make sense? If you continue to take them after the pain subsides or attempt to increase their potency by combining them with other drugs or taking them inappropriately, then that’s a relapse. But if you take them as prescribed for a short period while paying attention to your reactions and the potential for relapse later, then it’s not a problem. And yet, I feel guilty.

How do you handle pain when you’re also dealing with opiate addiction?