All prescription medications can cause side effects with use. Each person’s experience is different but symptoms can range from common to more serious. Actiq is a lollipop-like lozenge that contains fentanyl, a highly potent narcotic pain reliever. It is meant to treat breakthrough cancer pain that can’t be managed with other medications. Use of this medication can offer relief for many chronic pain sufferers but it also can lead some down a road to dependence. Actiq is also considered to be a drug of abuse. Possible side effects can range from nausea to insomnia to difficult breathing.
Common and More Serious Actiq Side Effects
Constipation is a common problem for those on opiate therapy and can turn serious, even fatal, if left unchecked. An allergic reaction is also possible with Actiq and signs include rash, wheezing, difficult breathing, closing of the throat, hives or swelling of the lips, face, tongue or throat. More widely reported side effects include weakness, trouble sleeping, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, flushing of the skin and blurred vision. Actiq should be taken exactly as prescribed to avoid serious effects. Altering the dose in any way can be dangerous. Those who have been addicted to alcohol or drugs can be more prone to opiate addiction. Taking it with alcohol can cause slowed breathing. Drowsiness can be magnified by patients who take Actiq with other narcotics, allergy medication and sleeping pills. Dizziness and drowsiness can also occur, so patients are urged to take it cautiously when driving or performing other potentially dangerous tasks. Actiq use can lead to dependence and addiction, two serious side effects that bring with them a withdrawal phase that can be difficult to manage alone.
Waismann Method: Safe and Discreet Treatment for Actiq Addiction
Regular use of Actiq can lead to physical or psychological dependence. For over a decade, the Waismann Method of Rapid Detox has successfully and humanely treated addiction to Actiq and other opiates. In the majority of our patients, addiction developed after legitimate pain prompted a prescription from a medical professional. Our program includes an in-hospital procedure that uses medication to cleanse the drug from patients’ opiate receptors. They sleep lightly under deep sedation for a short time and awake without the conscious awareness of the accelerated withdrawal symptoms that occurred while they were out. We manage the withdrawal phase so effectively that patients can recover more quickly and thoroughly. Actiq addiction can be treated in a matter of days with our program, and patients can choose to move onto our Domus Retreat aftercare facility. Here, they can take advantage of therapeutic and spa-like services, continuing their recovery in a safe and supportive environment. The Waismann Method doesn’t use opiate replacement therapy to treat addiction. Many programs offer opiate replacements such as Suboxone to help wean patients from other opiate drugs. This can lead to a second addiction. Our opiate-free program offers the safest, most discreet Actiq detox with proven results.
