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§2.5.3 · Chemicals › Intoxicating Depressants

Fentanyl

N-(1-phenethyl-4- piperidyl)propionanilide

Also known as China White · Fent · Sublimaze · Actiq · Duragesic

Acute: Extreme riskDependency: Extreme risk Test for fentanyl

Quick reference

Routes
Insufflated
Form
Powder
Shulgin rating
N/A

Duration

Onset
5 Minutes
Total duration
2 Hours

Experience

Primary effects

  • Effects are similar to other opioids, particularly heroin, producing potent depressant and analgesic actions.

Negatives / side effects

  • Fentanyl is extremely potent (50-100 times stronger than morphine) and is responsible for a huge wave of overdose fatalities.
  • Often used as an adulterant in other substances like heroin, greatly increasing risk.
  • Do not use in combination with other psychoactives; it is recommended not to use fentanyl at all due to extreme danger. Have naloxone readily available.

Reference dosage

Reference ranges from third-party harm-reduction databases. Individual response varies enormously — start lower than you think.

insufflated
light10ug+
common25ug+
strong50ug+

Reagent testing

Recommended reagents
MarquisMeckeMandelin
Expected reactions
MarquisNo reaction / very faint (fentanyl is a poor Marquis substrate)
MeckeFaint yellow/orange
MandelinFaint yellow

Adulterant detection: Fentanyl itself is often an adulterant in other drugs. Colorimetric reagents are UNRELIABLE for fentanyl at trace doses. Fentanyl test strips are more sensitive and are the recommended test.

CRITICAL: Colorimetric reagents are poor detectors for fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips (immunoassay) are more sensitive and should always be used. Even fentanyl strips may miss some analogues. Naloxone should be on hand.

Source

Reference fields and narrative for Fentanyl extracted from The Drug Users Bible by Dominic Milton Trott (MxZero Publishing, 2022).

drugusersbible.com

Harm reduction notice

This platform provides educational and harm-reduction information adapted from public reference material. It does not endorse, encourage, or facilitate drug use. It is not medical advice. If you or someone near you may be in a medical emergency, contact local emergency services immediately.