Carfentanil vs Fentanyl: Understanding These Powerful Drugs

When it comes to opioids, two of the most dangerous are carfentanil vs. fentanyl. Although both drugs have their purpose in medicine, when used illicitly, they present grave danger of overdose and death. It’s more likely you’ve heard of fentanyl, but what is carfentanil? Let’s explore the differences between both substances and unpack why they can have catastrophic effects on your health.

What Is Carfentanil?

Carfentanil is the most powerful commercially used opioid. It acts as a tranquilizer, opioid analgesic, and mu-opioid receptor agonist. This means it has strong effects like sedation, pain relief, and drowsiness. However, carfentanil is not safe for human use, as it’s a veterinary anesthetic for massive-sized animals, including elephants. In a human, even a small amount can be a carfentanil lethal dose. The drug can be sourced as carfentanil pills, powder, patches, and liquid.

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used as a painkiller in medical scenarios. Because of how potent it is, fentanyl can be administered for severe pain, including chronic pain, cancer, and post-surgery pain. In fact, fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine, an alternative painkiller. It is also roughly 50 times stronger than heroin, a semi-synthetic opioid deriving from the poppy plant. Thus, fentanyl should only be used as prescribed by a doctor because even a small dose can be lethal. However, recreational fentanyl use has risen in recent years and largely contributes to the opioid crisis. Fentanyl is often laced with other substances or misleadingly sold as a different opioid.

Opioid Abuse Statistics

Over 3 million people in the United States struggle with opioid use disorder (OUD), of which fentanyl is a prevalent cause. Overdose deaths are a major concern across the world, which is also why opioid abuse is so concerning. The spiral into addiction occurs quickly with both fentanyl and carfentanil and can lead to overdose death. In 2023, an estimated 70% of overdose deaths in the U.S. were due to illegal fentanyl drugs, including carfentanil.

The Difference Between Carfentanil vs Fentanyl  

Carfentanil and fentanyl are drugs in the same drug class and act as opioid analgesics with painkilling and relaxing effects. However, there is a key difference. Alarmingly, carfentanil is 100 times more toxic than fentanyl because it’s made for large animal veterinary medicine. In powder form, even a few grains can have a fatal result. Your risk of severe physical and mental dangers is greatly increased with carfentanil use vs. fentanyl, although both opioids can be deadly.

Which Is Stronger?

Undeniably, carfentanil is the stronger drug, at 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.