Isofentanyl (3-methyl-benzylfentanyl) is an
opioid
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid us ...
analgesic
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...
that is an
analog (and
structural isomer
In chemistry, a structural isomer (or constitutional isomer in the IUPAC nomenclature) of a chemical compound, compound is another compound whose molecule has the same number of atoms of each element, but with logically distinct chemical bond, b ...
) of
fentanyl
Fentanyl, also spelled fentanil, is a very potent synthetic opioid used as a pain medication. Together with other drugs, fentanyl is used for anesthesia. It is also used illicitly as a recreational drug, sometimes mixed with heroin, cocaine ...
first invented in 1973, and which has been sold as a
designer drug.
Side effects
Side effects of
fentanyl
Fentanyl, also spelled fentanil, is a very potent synthetic opioid used as a pain medication. Together with other drugs, fentanyl is used for anesthesia. It is also used illicitly as a recreational drug, sometimes mixed with heroin, cocaine ...
analogs are similar to those of fentanyl itself, which include
itching
Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasan ...
,
nausea
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...
and potentially serious
respiratory depression
Hypoventilation (also known as respiratory depression) occurs when ventilation is inadequate (''hypo'' meaning "below") to perform needed respiratory gas exchange. By definition it causes an increased concentration of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia ...
, which can be life-threatening. Fentanyl analogs have killed hundreds of people throughout Europe and the former Soviet republics since the most recent resurgence in use began in Estonia in the early 2000s, and novel derivatives continue to appear.
A new wave of fentanyl analogues and associated deaths began in around 2014 in the US, and have continued to grow in prevalence; especially since 2016 these drugs have been responsible for hundreds of overdose deaths every week.
Legal status
As a structural isomer of fentanyl itself, isofentanyl is banned under drug analogue laws in many jurisdictions around the world. In the United States, fentanyl-related substances are
Schedule I controlled substances.
[
]
See also
* 3-Methylfentanyl
* Benzylfentanyl
Benzylfentanyl (R-4129) is a fentanyl analog. It was temporarily placed in the US Schedule I by emergency scheduling in 1985 due to concerns about its potential for abuse as a designer drug, but this placement was allowed to expire and benzylfent ...
* α-Methylacetylfentanyl
* 4-Methylphenethylacetylfentanyl
* Homofentanyl
Homofentanyl (N-Phenylpropylnorfentanyl, Fentanyl propyl analogue) is an opioid derivative which has been sold as a designer drug. It is a homologue of fentanyl, with similar analgesic and sedative effects but lower potency, around 14x stronger ...
* Secofentanyl
Secofentanyl is an opioid derivative which is an analogue of fentanyl where the piperidine ring has been cleaved to form an open-chain structure. It is around 40x less potent than fentanyl itself but still 5-6x the potency of morphine in animal t ...
* List of fentanyl analogues
This is a list of fentanyl analogues (sometimes referred to as Fentalogs), including both compounds developed by pharmaceutical companies for legitimate medical use, and those which have been sold as designer drugs and reported to national drug co ...
References
{{Opioidergics
Anilides
Designer drugs
Mu-opioid receptor agonists
Piperidines
Synthetic opioids