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Fentanyl
Pronounced FEN-tah-nil
Brand names: Duragesic, Sublimaze
Type: Opioid pain reliever · All Pain Relief & Fever Medicines
What Fentanyl is used for
- Severe pain during and after surgery (hospital)
- Long-term severe pain in people already tolerant to opioids (patches)
- Breakthrough cancer pain (special forms)
◆ Kidney note
Often chosen in advanced kidney disease because it has no active kidney-cleared breakdown products, though doses are still started carefully.
Common side effects
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Skin irritation (patches)
Important cautions
- Extremely potent — accidental exposure, including a child touching a used patch, can be fatal
- Patches must never be used by people who are not already tolerant to opioids, and heat (heating pads, hot baths) speeds absorption dangerously
- Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl are a major cause of overdose deaths — only use medicines from a pharmacy
How it comes
Skin patches, injection (hospital), lozenges and nasal spray (specialist use). This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.
Related medicines — Pain Relief & Fever Medicines
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.