Nursing Teaching on Side Effects of Fentanyl Use

 Nurse educated the patient and caregiver on the side effects of using Fentanyl as follows:

  1. Constipation: Fentanyl slows down the bowel movements heavily and leads to constipation. Constipation is one of the most common and unpleasant side effects with Fentanyl use.
  2. Drowsiness and dizziness: Fentanyl produces an intense feeling of drowsiness and dizziness, as a side effect to modifying the pain perception of brain. Patients can also experience hallucinations and mood changes due to Fentanyl use.
  3. Anaphylaxis: A rare, but serious anaphylactic response can occur for Fentanyl. Patients can present with extreme itching and rash, swelling of the face and throat, dizziness, bronchoconstriction, and difficulty breathing. This is an emergency and medical attention should be sought immediately, without any delay.
  4. Respiratory depression: Fentanyl affects the respiratory center in the brain through action on the opioid receptors in the brain. This induces slowing down of respirations and the breathing pattern can become irregular. This can result in reduced gas exchange with elevated carbon dioxide and reduced oxygen levels in the body. Overdose of Fentanyl can also cause respiratory arrest.
  5. Feeling of high and addiction: Fentanyl, in the process of altering the perception of pain in the brain, promotes more dopamine in the brain. Increased dopamine in the brain produces a feeling of high, by interacting with the brain’s reward circuit. This feeling of high, experienced by the individuals on Fentanyl use, becomes highly desirable and thus adds the potential for addiction to Fentanyl. This makes Fentanyl one of the most commonly abused drugs.
  6. Tolerance and addiction: Individual using Fentanyl at a recommended dose for prolonged time can develop tolerance to the drug and experience blunting of the therapeutic response to Fentanyl at that dose. Diminishing therapeutic response prompts an individual to increase the dose of medication intake, to derive the desired effect. This sets the cycle for addiction and abuse.
  7. Withdrawal syndrome: Reducing your dosage gradually over a period is the preferred way to quit Fentanyl. Sudden withdrawal from Fentanyl may induce intense unpleasant sensations, such as, nausea, vomiting, intense muscle aches, sleep disturbances, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.
  8. Skin rash: Fentanyl intake can result in mild skin rash and dermatitis.