This posture signals that fentanyl has reached levels in the body sufficient to cause life-threatening complications, and every minute counts in preventing permanent harm or death. The trunk rigidity acts like a locked hinge, forcing the body to fold at the waist while preventing normal adjustments. Meanwhile, the weakened muscles are unable to generate the strength necessary to pull the body upright.
Why do people on fentanyl bend in weird ways?
“Nodding off” is when someone using opioids such as fentanyl drifts in and out of consciousness. During this state, people lose control of their body posture and lean forward, bend over, or slump down. Their head will bob as they try to stay conscious but keep falling into a drowsy state. When someone nods off on fentanyl, the sedative effects are so strong that their body shuts down while they’re somewhat awake. This happens when the brain can no longer send signals to the muscles about how https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to stay upright.
Priority 4: A robust, diverse behavioral health workforce.
“Does overdosing, particularly with multiple overdoses, increase your risk for dementia? And I predict it will,” Volkow said. Research around the effects of opioid damage and how that impacts rehabilitation is also lacking, according to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Ma. Conway works at the Vancouver Urban Health Centre on Main Street, where he offers medical care for people often failed by traditional hospitals.
Why Fentanyl Users Are Bent Over
Turns out this happens to some degree with many other opioids, like heroin and oxycodone — the so-called “nod” one gets in an initial high. But since much of the fentanyl supply has become exponentially more powerful than heroin, the slouching effect is most pronounced with fentanyl. The severity of fentanyl’s effects varies from person to person according to your weight, frequency of use, dosage, and potency. Any time you ingest illicit fentanyl, knowingly or unknowingly, you are at high risk for overdosing. Fentanyl induces extreme muscle relaxation, making it difficult for users to hold themselves upright.
At those coordinates, Xavier’s whole crew performed under the light of the moon for a raucous mob as fireworks exploded overhead. Feeling the force of the audience, dancing hard enough to conjure a phantom earthquake, Rennessy didn’t know exactly what he was watching, but it looked like the future. Behind the virality or streaming numbers or follower counts, there are always hordes of irrepressible young people what is alcoholism looking for a late-night thrill. Born and raised on the Upper West Side, Xavier is quicker to call his music “New York shit” than any of the various subgenres it’s been categorized under online.
What’s It Like to Get Treatment for Fentanyl Use Disorder?
The trend gained traction over the following months, with various creators doing the fent fold in unexpected scenarios and locations. The information on this site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. fent stance This site was developed by the UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI). King County worked with Rescue Agency to create Laced & Lethal, a campaign to educate youth about fentanyl, and how to respond to overdose. If you live in King County you may be able to order free fentanyl test strips through an online order form. Watch a video on How to use fentanyl test strips from Prevent Overdose-Rhode Island.
The drug significantly slows down breathing, sometimes to a life-threatening level. Reduced oxygen intake can make users feel dizzy and lightheaded, causing them to bend over as a subconscious attempt to stabilize themselves and breathe more easily. A 2019 report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found about a quarter of all homeless adults in Los Angeles County had mental illnesses and 14% had a substance use disorder. That analysis only counted people who had a permanent or long-term severe condition. Taking a broader interpretation of the same data, the Los Angeles Times found about 51% had mental illnesses and 46% had substance use disorders. Comprehensive federal strategies to address opioid overdose include efforts to reduce the supply of illicit fentanyl products across the country.
- The fentanyl death pose can be frightening (the person may look as stiff as a statue and in an unusual position), but in many cases, medical professionals can reverse it within minutes.
- At the same time, fentanyl induces profound muscle weakness by disrupting normal neuromuscular signaling.
- At those coordinates, Xavier’s whole crew performed under the light of the moon for a raucous mob as fireworks exploded overhead.
Things you may have witnessed are people so high, they just stand in the middle of the sidewalk bent over, appearing as if they were frozen in place. Administering naloxone is usually the first step, however, the usual dosage may cause vomiting, which is a dangerous reaction when the airways are paralyzed. To explore additional treatment options, you can view editorially selected providers on our site or visit the SAMHSA Treatment Locator.
What are the signs of fentanyl overdose?
Many others survive, like Lampkin, but are left with injuries or chronic health issues that then hinder their rehabilitation. Now in his late 50s, he’s an overdose survivor who has beaten back his demons. But his past has taken a toll on his body, leaving his back bent at an impossible angle, and surgery out of reach. Hugh Lampkin says he abused drugs — everything from pot to PCP — for decades.
Addiction and Mental Health Therapies
- His family has been in the city since the 1970s, when his mom’s side emigrated from the Dominican Republic.
- This is due to the drug’s impact on motor control and muscle tone, causing intense relaxation and loss of coordination.
- On Monday, King County is expected to announce the opening of a new clinic to treat substance use and mental health disorders, as well as an expansion of naloxone kit distribution and an increased number of mobile crisis and outreach teams.
- Alternately called “the fentanyl fold” or “the fentanyl bend over,” videos and photos of people reportedly using the drug have spread through social media.
- Stay with them and be ready to give another dose of naloxone if they don’t wake up, as fentanyl is so strong that it often requires multiple doses.
- As long as it is safe to do so contact emergency services or if you have “Narcan” or other opiate overdose preventatives be ready to administer if the person loses consciousness or stops breathing.
On Monday, King County is expected to announce the opening of a new clinic to treat substance use and mental health disorders, as well as an expansion of naloxone kit distribution and an increased number of mobile crisis and outreach teams. Why can’t a trunk bend in the wind, when as a sapling, it could arc to the ground? Many patients will tell me that their substance use isn’t related to the problem with their back. They will explain how they have slept for years on the street before they walked like this. They counter with stories of friends who have used more drugs for more years and that friend’s back is just fine.
Discover affordable rehab centers near you, offering easy access and convenience. While more research is needed on the causes of fentanyl fold, it is clear that it is an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous side-effect of fentanyl use. When Brandice Josey, another homeless addict, bent down and blew a puff of fentanyl smoke his way in an act of charity, Smith sat up and slowly opened his lip to inhale the vapor as if it was the cure to his problems. Lisa Wheeler, a mother who spoke with Henry but isn’t in the final story, shared that her son had started off as a typical kid.