The FDA has approved a prescription treatment that can be used by family members or caregivers to treat a person known or suspected to have had an opioid overdose. Opioids include various prescription pain medications and illicit street drugs. An overdose is characterized by slowed breathing and heart rate and a loss of consciousness.
These medicines can slow brain activity, which helps to treat anxiety, panic, acute stress reactions, and sleep disorders. Drug abuse carries the risk of severe side effects, including overdose. Of course, moderating the consumption of alcohol and other substances can be challenging for individuals with a substance use disorder. This chronic condition involves the ongoing overuse of a substance. These give immunity from arrest, charge, or prosecution when experiencing or responding to an unintentional overdose. It’s understandable to be concerned about police involvement.
- Administer the naloxone and then stay with the person until emergency services arrive on the scene, or for at least four hours to monitor if their breathing has gone back to normal.
- Ask the person questions calmly to try to keep them engaged.
- A drug overdose may occur when an individual consumes too much of a substance.
- The FDA has approved a prescription treatment that can be used by family members or caregivers to treat a person known or suspected to have had an opioid overdose.
- It prevents opioids from binding to the receptors in the brain, resulting in immediate physical withdrawals.
Getting medical help quickly can make a big difference in the effectiveness of drug overdose treatment. In a hospital setting, healthcare providers order drug tests to diagnose opioid overdose. They also perform other tests to assess the health of the person and to look for possible complications.
Why carry naloxone?
The rate of deaths from drug overdose has increased steadily over the past couple of decades. Opioid addiction treatment can vary depending the patient’s individual needs, occur in a early signs of liver damage from alcohol variety of settings, take many different forms, and last for varying lengths of time. The main cause of death from an opioid overdose is respiratory failure (you stop breathing).
Taking too many pills may lead to an overdose in some people. Symptoms of a drug overdose may include breathing difficulties, changes in heart rate or body temperature, seizure, stroke, and more. If the person is responsive and doesn’t want to go to the emergency room, stay with them until the medication wears off. If their overdose symptoms return, administer another dose of naloxone, if possible. If the person is still unresponsive and not breathing after administering a second dose of naloxone, you should continue supporting their breathing as best you can.
What Is the Jellinek Curve in Addiction and Recovery?
Many people who are directed to go to the emergency department may not develop any physical signs of poisoning. Depending on which drugs are taken in an overdose, many people https://sober-house.org/ can recover successfully and without permanent psychological and/or physical disability. However, some drug overdoses can result in temporary damage to specific organs.
Naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray
When experiencing an overdose, breathing can slow to the point of death. Giving naloxone to someone who has overdosed restores normal breathing, by reversing the effects of opioids. It is safe, easy to administer, and has no potential for abuse. Likewise, if the mental health issues that resulted in an intentional drug overdose are not treated, the individual remains at risk for more drug overdoses. These and other life-saving measures can help reduce the long-term health effects of drug overdose.
Administer the naloxone and then stay with the person until emergency services arrive on the scene, or for at least four hours to monitor if their breathing has gone back to normal. To prevent an overdose, follow a doctor’s directions for all prescription medications. Seek support for any instances of a substance use disorder. With the right care and prevention strategies, it is possible to treat drug overdoses or prevent them altogether. Although many drug overdoses involve the use of illegal drugs, it is also possible to overdose on prescription medication. Many doctors prescribe opioid medications for pain management.
Nasal naloxone typically comes in a box with two spray devices. After performing CPR, you can administer naloxone to help reverse the opioid’s effects. Carrying naloxone is no different than carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (commonly known by the brand name EpiPen) for someone with allergies. It simply provides an extra layer of protection for those at a higher risk for overdose.