Bergen County, NJ had 122 confirmed drug overdoses due to fentanyl in the most recent official reporting period, according to the New Jersey Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner in 2025. People get “fentanyl bent over” or “fent lean” due to fentanyl’s powerful effects on the central nervous system, causing profound sedation and muscle weakness. Additionally, it can induce severe muscle rigidity, particularly in the trunk, which combines with the impaired cognitive function to keep them in this fixed, slumped position. In 2024, a surge of videos depicting individuals in the “fentanyl slump” began circulating widely across social media platforms such as X and TikTok. These raw, unvarnished clips, often tagged with hashtags like #fentyfold, #fentylean, or #fentanylbend, thrust the harsh realities of fentanyl abuse directly into the public consciousness. This unprecedented visibility elicited a deeply polarized range of reactions, from outright derision to profound compassion.
- During this state, people lose control of their body posture and lean forward, bend over, or slump down.
- Beyond muscle rigidity, medical experts and addiction specialists propose a strong link to the profound central nervous system depression induced by opioids.
- Support groups provide a community of individuals who understand the challenges of addiction.
- This means you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms once you stop taking it.
- Usually, this means spraying it into their nose or injecting it into their muscle.
How many people have died of fentanyl poisoning in Arizona and the United States?
Instead, it’s becoming clear that it is a neuromuscular side effect of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. If you have naloxone (Narcan), use it right away by following the instructions on the package. Usually, this means spraying it into their nose or injecting it into their muscle.
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It is crucial to understand what the fentanyl fold is, what causes it, how to recognize other, less obvious signs of fentanyl abuse, and how to approach a loved one about getting help for their addiction. The “fentanyl fold” effect can reportedly kick in within two or three minutes after taking the drug, Ciccarone said. Alternately called “the fentanyl fold” or “the fentanyl bend over,” videos and photos of people reportedly using the drug have spread through social media. The bent posture can compromise breathing even further by restricting airway passages and reducing lung capacity.
While jarring to witness, the fenty fold has become a sad yet common phenomenon in cities like San Francisco and Baltimore, where fentanyl use has grown rampant alongside the growing nationwide trend. Being able to identify and understand the behaviours that come with Fentanyl sure is important in order to mitigate risk. Education and awareness can help people step in and provide help before a dangerous situation becomes fatal. Life saving fentanyl fold intervention such as Narcan or Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose when administered in a timely manner. Fentanyl test strips can be used by addicts to test their drugs to make sure that they are Fentanyl free, by reducing the risk for unintentional exposure.
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As a prescription, fentanyl is available under the brand name Actiq, which is a throat lozenge, or Duragesic, a patch placed on the skin. If a person is hospitalized or undergoing surgery, a healthcare professional may administer fentanyl as an injection called Sublimaze. If you or a loved one struggles with opioid use, it’s a good idea to keep naloxone on hand. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Many states offer it over the counter or for free through public health programs.
- Users who are not accustomed to opioids may experience intense and dangerous side effects, even with small amounts.
- And it tells us that every life affected by fentanyl is worth saving.
- Fentanyl patches can take up to 2 days to start working, but they last longer.
- Whether you’ve seen the fold in real life or just heard about it online, now you know what it means.
The “fentanyl fold” effect can reportedly kick in within two or three minutes after taking the drug, Ciccarone said. Among Arizonans, it’s become the deadliest drug, the county’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Jeff Johnston, emphasized. Deaths from fentanyl use have risen by 4,900% over the past decade.
What is the Fenty Fold? “Nodding Out” and Its Risks
Inpatient treatment can provide you with a safe environment where you can detox and learn the tools necessary for a healthy recovery. Contact a treatment provider today to learn more and begin your healing journey. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be what is alcoholism prescribed by doctors for pain management (National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA, 2021).
Serious fentanyl side effects
Medications are the standard treatment for fentanyl addiction.32,33 Several medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Another medication, lofexidine, has been approved for treatment of withdrawal symptoms.34 See “Medications for Opioid Use Disorder” for more information. For instance, there have been reports of purple fentanyl, a form of the drug mixed with other substances that give it a distinctive color.
The central nervous system depression caused by fentanyl can lead to various physical manifestations, including the characteristic bending over observed in many users. This is due to the drug’s impact on motor control and muscle tone, causing intense relaxation and loss of coordination. The high risk of overdose and severe physical effects underscore the dangers of fentanyl use and the critical need for effective intervention and treatment. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, sometimes without the user’s knowledge. For instance, there have been reports of purple fentanyl, a form of the drug mixed with various substances that create a distinctive color. This contamination increases overdose risk because users may be unaware of what they are consuming, including potent substances like carfentanil.
Someone may experience extreme happiness or euphoria shortly after using the drug, followed by sedation or depressive episodes as the drug’s effects wear off. These mood swings can disrupt relationships, create tension, and lead to isolation as the person becomes more focused on obtaining and using fentanyl. “It’s a degree of loss of consciousness and a degree of lost muscular control,” Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a UCSF professor of addiction medicine, told ABC7 San Francisco. Professional intervention services can help families navigate the complex process of getting their loved one into treatment. Given fentanyl’s dangers, waiting for the person to “hit bottom” or seek help independently may mean waiting too long. Support groups provide a community of individuals who understand the challenges of addiction.
If you switch from using lozenge to using other forms of fentanyl, you will need to use a different dose. If you use the same dose of each medication, you may have life-threatening overdose symptoms. Older people are more likely than younger individuals to experience adverse effects, especially the respiratory depressant effects of fentanyl. Healthcare professionals will typically monitor people in this age group.