fentanyl (injection)

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: FEN ta nil

What is the most important information I should know about fentanyl?

You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to fentanyl or other narcotic pain medicines.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is an opioid medication. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic.

Fentanyl is used as part of anesthesia to help prevent pain after surgery or other medical procedure.

Fentanyl may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving fentanyl?

You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to fentanyl or other narcotic pain medicines.

Some medicines can interact with fentanyl and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Be sure your doctor knows if you also take medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. Ask your doctor before making any changes in how or when you take your medications.

To make sure fentanyl is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • any type of breathing problem or lung disease;
  • history of head injury or brain tumor;
  • liver or kidney disease;
  • slow heartbeats;
  • if you use a sedative like Valium (diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, Ativan, Klonopin, Restoril, Tranxene, Versed, Xanax, and others); or
  • if you have used an MAO inhibitor (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) in the past 14 days.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

It is not known whether fentanyl passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is fentanyl given?

Fentanyl is injected into a muscle, or into a vein through an IV. A healthcare provider will give you this injection as part of the anesthesia given for your surgery or medical procedure.

Your breathing, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs will be watched closely while you are receiving fentanyl.

You may be given other pain medications to use after your fentanyl treatment is discontinued.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since fentanyl is given as needed by a healthcare professional for only a short time, you are not likely to be on a dosing schedule.

What happens if I overdose?

Since this medication is given by a healthcare professional in a medical setting, an overdose is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid after receiving fentanyl?

Fentanyl can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. You should not plan on driving or doing anything that requires you to be awake and alert right after you are treated with this medication. Dizziness or severe drowsiness can cause falls or other accidents.

Avoid drinking alcohol for several hours after you receive fentanyl.

What are the possible side effects of fentanyl?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Like other narcotic medicines, fentanyl can slow your breathing. Death may occur if breathing becomes too weak.

Your caregivers will watch for any of these side effects you have, which may clear up within minutes after stopping the fentanyl infusion or decreasing the dose:

  • weak or shallow breathing;
  • fast or slow heart rate;
  • stiff muscles; or
  • severe weakness, feeling light-headed or fainting.

Common side effects may include:

  • slowed breathing;
  • slow heart rate;
  • muscle stiffness;
  • dizziness, vision problems;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • itching, sweating; or
  • high blood pressure (confusion, anxiety, pounding in your neck or ears).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect fentanyl?

Narcotic (opioid) medication can interact with many other drugs and cause dangerous side effects or death. Be sure your doctor knows if you also use:

  • other narcotic medications --opioid pain medicine or prescription cough medicine;
  • drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing --a sleeping pill, muscle relaxer, sedative, tranquilizer, or antipsychotic medicine; or
  • drugs that affect serotonin levels in your body --medicine for depression, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with fentanyl, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about fentanyl.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 8.04. Revision date: 9/30/2016.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.