Editing Fentanyl (section)

=== Therapeutic effects ===
* Pain relief: Primarily, fentanyl provides the relief of pain by acting on the brain and spinal μ-receptors.<ref name="Hemmings_2018" />
* Sedation: Fentanyl produces sleep and drowsiness, as the dosage is increased, and can produce the [[Delta waves|δ-waves]] often seen in natural sleep on [[electroencephalogram]].<ref name="Hemmings_2018" />
* Suppression of the [[cough reflex]]: Fentanyl can decrease the struggle against an [[endotracheal tube]] and excessive coughing by decreasing the cough reflex, becoming useful when intubating people who are awake and have compromised airways.<ref name="Hemmings_2018" /> After receiving a bolus dose of fentanyl, people can also experience paradoxical coughing, which is a phenomenon that is not well understood.<ref name="Hemmings_2018" />