It is available in injection form and in the form of a pre-filled injection device that can be administered to a patient at the time of overdose. 60 percent of drug overdoses involve an opioid, according to a 2014 CDC report. This happens because opioids fit into specific receptors that also affect the drive to breathe.

General Health

Comprehensive naloxone access and Good Samaritan laws (GSLs) are vital to bystander overdose response, as they protect rescuers who provide care or call emergency services from civil and criminal liability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that GSLs should provide immunity from arrest, detention, prosecution, parole violations, and warrant searches. Furthermore, comprehensive laws extend these protections to all parties present, not just the person who called emergency services or the person experiencing an overdose. Many states’ GSLs do not include all of these suggested protections. Naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid agonist that can block the effects of opioids on the body’s receptors.

Health topics

A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal. If you’ve taken more than the recommended amount of a drug or enough to have a harmful effect on your body’s functions, you have overdosed. Another method for decreasing overdose risk is drug checking or testing substances for adulterants. Laws that limit access to harm reduction programs or criminalize these tools can discourage their use.

There are a range of treatments available for different kinds of drug overdose. The best methods remove opportunities for accidental overdose or triggers for intentional overdose in the first place. Signs and symptoms of an overdose vary depending on the drug, its ingredients, the amount consumed, and exposure to toxins. This can help one determine what class of drug or toxin is causing the difficulties. Surviving an overdose is possible with the right intervention, but seeking help for an addiction problem can prevent overdose in the first place.

• However, if they will not, or cannot, due to an altered level of consciousness, provide this information, a search of the home or questioning of friends and family may be helpful.
• Do not combine any medications without first asking your doctor if it’s safe.
• NIDA reported a 600 percent increase in overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines from 1999 to 2014.
• National Harm Reduction Coalition creates spaces for dialogue and action that help heal the harms caused by racialized drug policies.

Avoid combining prescription medications with other substances, such as alcohol. Do not share a prescription or take medications prescribed to another individual. After calling 911, stay drug overdose meaning with the individual experiencing an alcohol overdose. If they begin vomiting, help them lean forward so they do not choke.

The Good Samaritan Law: Overdose Prevention

The most obvious way to tell if these symptoms indicate overdose is if you know you have taken drugs or have seen someone else take drugs. Getting medical help quickly can make a big difference in the effectiveness of drug overdose treatment. An overdose can lead to serious medical complications, including death.

Mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy may be used for individuals who experience difficulty breathing. Naloxone (spray or auto-injectable) can reverse an opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications. 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. Due to the potential euphoric effects of stimulants, the urge for continued use becomes difficult to ignore and can create situations in which high-risk overdose events may occur.

• Individuals can overdose, either intentionally or accidentally, on virtually any drug.
• Regardless of why the overdose happened, it’s important to treat people who have experienced an overdose with care and dignity.
• Generally, this means that the consumption of substances was beyond the medication’s guidelines or beyond the body’s tolerance level to manage safely.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are many nonfatal overdoses for every fatal overdose reported.
• Discover affordable rehab centers near you, offering easy access and convenience.

Signs of a Drug Overdose

The most commonly abused classes of prescription drugs are opioids, stimulants and depressants. On average, the adult body can process one unit of alcohol per hour (one shot of liquor, half a pint of beer, 125ml of wine). If someone consumes more alcohol than this in a short time frame, the body can’t metabolize the alcohol fast enough, forcing it to spread throughout and overwhelm the system. This can lead to alcohol overdose, more commonly referred to as alcohol poisoning.

Some anti-epileptic medications can also prevent the effects of convulsions and seizures brought on by stimulant overdose. In any case, if you suspect someone is having a stimulant overdose then contact the emergency services. A drug overdose occurs when a person uses a toxic amount of a drug that their body cannot handle properly. This can lead to life-threatening consequences, including hypoxia, coma, and death.

Additionally, there are many other factors that can impact how and when an overdose can occur. Here are some of the most important factors and symptoms to be aware of, as they often require emergency medical intervention. Overdoses are considered a medical emergency and, in many cases, can be a potentially life-threatening situation. Generally, this means that the consumption of substances was beyond the medication’s guidelines or beyond the body’s tolerance level to manage safely. This can result in critical body systems being unable to function appropriately without medical intervention.

Causes and symptoms

As an opioid antagonist, naloxone blocks the effects of opioids and can reverse an overdose when administered quickly. Naloxone is widely available without prescription in stores, online, and through some local agencies. If you or someone you know has a substance use disorder, seek treatment to prevent an overdose. If you or they have survived an overdose, seek help before another overdose occurs. There are many resources, such as support groups, 24-hour national hotlines, and virtual rehab facilities, for substance users and their families. These resources can help the substance users and their families in the healing and recovery process.

Prevention

Mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy is sometimes necessary to assist breathing. Survivors may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy and education on drug use. Your doctor, your local poison center, or the emergency department of your local hospital may be able to help determine the seriousness of a suspected drug overdose. Development of any symptoms after drug overdose requires immediate and accurate information about the specific name of the drug, the amount of the drug ingested, and the time when the drug was taken. Often, the bottle the drug came in will have the information needed.

Overdose deaths have increased by an alarming 137 percent since 2000, and it stems from the growing problem of substance addiction. Nationally, 2014 saw a record number of overdose-related deaths, with three out of five resulting from opioid intoxication. In many cases, a person who overdoses generally recovers completely and without lasting physical disability.

Alcohol overdoses can lead to unconsciousness, but there are usually signs before this, such as vomiting, seizures or hypothermia. This is because too much alcohol actually poisons the system, and the body may react by trying to get the substance out. Sometimes it’s unclear if an overdose was accidental or intentional. Overdose – what to do in an emergency has detailed information about dialling triple zero (000) for a drug overdose, and what will happen in the emergency department.

NIDA reported a 600 percent increase in overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines from 1999 to 2014. Edmund has an extensive background in SUD research and medical writing, working collaboratively with doctors, substance use disorder specialists, and clinical experts across all content on Recovered. Illicit drugs, used to get high, may be taken in overdose amounts when a person’s metabolism cannot detoxify the drug fast enough to avoid unintended side effects. The following are some questions people frequently ask about drug 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.