Treating fentanyl addiction

Like other opioid use disorders, fentanyl addiction is a treatable chronic medical condition. Treatment options include medications for opioid use disorder and behavioral therapy.  

Medications are the standard treatment for fentanyl addiction.Several medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of opioid use disorder. They include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Another medication, lofexidine, has been approved for treatment of withdrawal symptoms.See “Medications for Opioid Use Disorder” for more information.

Some people have concerns about becoming addicted to medications for opioid use disorder. When taken as prescribed by a person with an opioid use disorder, methadone and buprenorphine do not cause the same “high” or intense pleasurable effects as illegal opioids, and this makes these medications less addictive. Naltrexone is not addictive.See “Are medications for opioid use disorder addictive?”