If fentanyl is so dangerous, why is it used in hospitals?

[Anonymous]

I was given fentanyl in the hospital for pain management. The first question I asked, as my vision tunneled, was "people take this for FUN?" It took another two shots to control the pain. That was all I could have. It isn't dangerous when properly controlled.

[Anonymous]

Doctor here.

Fentanyl on the street kills people bc it makes you unconscious and suppresses your breathing.

When we use fentanyl in the hospital, it is in the context of intubation and a ventilator. A you don’t die. You remain unconscious while the ICU or surgical team does things you couldn’t tolerate while awake even with painkillers, such as positive pressure ventilation and operating on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was about to have a minor medical procedure and discovered that they were going to use Fentanyl to "put me under." By coincidence, the newspaper that morning had a front page article (above the fold) about overdoses in the DMV. When I raised this issue with the anesthesiologist, I got a nasty earful about how I was not to question the doctor's expertise. Thanks, Doc.

You should reconsider your response. While the anesthesiologist could have been more patient, it’s pretty obvious that a trained professional using a controlled medication in the manner it was designed is substantially different from a random person buying it from a drug dealing using it at home and overdosing and dying. These are not remotely comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was designed to keep cancer patients comfortable and pain free at the end of life. Used appropriately it can still perform that function.

No, this is not the answer. Morphine drips are what you're thinking of

never heard of fentanyl patches????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was about to have a minor medical procedure and discovered that they were going to use Fentanyl to "put me under." By coincidence, the newspaper that morning had a front page article (above the fold) about overdoses in the DMV. When I raised this issue with the anesthesiologist, I got a nasty earful about how I was not to question the doctor's expertise. Thanks, Doc.

Because your questioning was asinine--did you think they were going to overdose you on a drug they bought off the corner?

+1 do you think those people overdosed as part of a hospital procedure??

Third LEADING cause of DEATH:
Overdose of prescription medications!!!!
Never trust the establishment who is owned by pharma.

The high poisoning numbers are not coming from hospitals.

+1. Don’t buy oxy on the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many other meds that can relieve pain and aren’t as dangerous.

Oncology nurse here. To manage cancer-induced pain, fentanyl is the only thing that works many times. Used properly, for appropriate indications, it's a wonder drug. In the wrong hands, lacing it into other medications has horrible outcomes.
Just like many other things have appropriate uses and some highly inappropriate uses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was designed to keep cancer patients comfortable and pain free at the end of life. Used appropriately it can still perform that function.

No, this is not the answer. Morphine drips are what you're thinking of

Yes, it absolutely IS the answer. People out of the hospital aren't managing "morphine drips" for their cancer pain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was about to have a minor medical procedure and discovered that they were going to use Fentanyl to "put me under." By coincidence, the newspaper that morning had a front page article (above the fold) about overdoses in the DMV. When I raised this issue with the anesthesiologist, I got a nasty earful about how I was not to question the doctor's expertise. Thanks, Doc.

Fentanyl isn't used to "put you under"

[Anonymous]

Kids with fractures in excruciating pain. Put on a patch. Thank goodness for this drug given in a hospital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many other meds that can relieve pain and aren’t as dangerous.

Oncology nurse here. To manage cancer-induced pain, fentanyl is the only thing that works many times. Used properly, for appropriate indications, it's a wonder drug. In the wrong hands, lacing it into other medications has horrible outcomes.
Just like many other things have appropriate uses and some highly inappropriate uses

Sorry, that just sounds complicated. Things are either good or bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was about to have a minor medical procedure and discovered that they were going to use Fentanyl to "put me under." By coincidence, the newspaper that morning had a front page article (above the fold) about overdoses in the DMV. When I raised this issue with the anesthesiologist, I got a nasty earful about how I was not to question the doctor's expertise. Thanks, Doc.

Fentanyl isn't used to "put you under"

but you are wrong. It's a great component of anesthesia, as are its derivatives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many other meds that can relieve pain and aren’t as dangerous.

Oncology nurse here. To manage cancer-induced pain, fentanyl is the only thing that works many times. Used properly, for appropriate indications, it's a wonder drug. In the wrong hands, lacing it into other medications has horrible outcomes.
Just like many other things have appropriate uses and some highly inappropriate uses

Sorry, that just sounds complicated. Things are either good or bad.

You forgot the /s

90% of life is nuance and grey areas. This one actually pretty straightforward. Like many, many things, it’s safe if used as intended. And not if it’s abused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many other meds that can relieve pain and aren’t as dangerous.

Oncology nurse here. To manage cancer-induced pain, fentanyl is the only thing that works many times. Used properly, for appropriate indications, it's a wonder drug. In the wrong hands, lacing it into other medications has horrible outcomes.
Just like many other things have appropriate uses and some highly inappropriate uses

Sorry, that just sounds complicated. Things are either good or bad.

Pretty dangerous way of looking at the world in general...

[Anonymous]

My teen just had anesthesia for sinus surgery.
He was in lots of pain coming out of the anesthesia.
The nurse asked me if she could give him fentanyl. My immediate reaction was yikes I don’t know! No parent wants their kid to take fentanyl even in a hospital setting.
Another nurse came in and explained that ds already had fentanyl in the anesthesia cocktail he got pre-op - and I had signed something authorizing it. Nurse said generally it’s given for pain management.
I appreciated her explanation - that’s all I needed to hear.
I’ve had general anesthesia a number of times, so I’m sure I’ve had fentanyl too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Ziggy from 3rd Avenue administer the fentanyl in hospitals?

Does Nurse Jackie?