It’s easy to become physically dependent on fentanyl. If you don’t use opioids, your body secretes chemicals that naturally reduce pain and make you feel good. These neurotransmitters bind to the opioid receptors in your central nervous system. They help keep your system in balance.
However, they’re not strong enough to relieve intense pain. Also, you can’t overdose on your body’s own chemicals.
Whether you take fentanyl for pain relief or just to get high, it binds to the same opioid receptors that are normally activated by your body’s own chemicals. In doing so, it blocks pain signals.
Because those receptors are triggered by the drug, your body reduces its production of natural feel-good neurotransmitters. It thinks that you don’t need them anymore.
When you stop taking fentanyl, you experience withdrawal symptoms because your body isn’t used to managing its own chemical levels. This is how you become physically dependent on fentanyl. You can become dependent on the substance even if you take a prescription as directed by a doctor.
Eventually, the fentanyl stops working as well as it once did. You might need more of it just to feel normal. Dependency can quickly lead to addiction. The chances of becoming addicted increase if you abuse or misuse the drug.
The only way to bring your body back into balance is to stop using the substance. However, you might be afraid of doing so because you know that you’ll experience fentanyl withdrawal symptoms. That’s when fentanyl detox is necessary.