Fatal fix: How an opioid overdose shuts down your body

Naloxone nasal sprays, which reverse the effects of the overdose, can be purchased over the counter (OTC) and kept on hand in case of emergencies. “If you live in one of the few areas with supervised consumption centers (also known as overdose prevention centers), then those are the safest places to use drugs,” Marino says. Particularly if you’re taking opioids illegally, try to do so in the presence of another individual. Then, if an overdose does occur, someone is around to help and administer naloxone if you need it. Some local drug programs also offer the sprays free of cost. If you feel that you or someone you know is at risk of an opioid overdose, you may be able to obtain Narcan at a free clinic, library, fire station, or other community organization.

Signs and Symptoms

When opioids enter your body, they can influence all major systems, from cardiovascular and gastrointestinal to central nervous and immune. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Cause a slight drop in blood pressure or trigger an abnormal heart rhythm. If you have depression or suicidal thoughts, contact your doctor right away.

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Even if you take naloxone and feel OK, you should still visit the emergency room following an overdose to get things checked out. But with timely and correct treatment, an individual has a good chance of survival. Normally, if your body contains too much carbon dioxide, your brain will tell you to breathe so you can even things out with more oxygen. By Michelle PugleMichelle Pugle writes health articles for award-winning websites, as seen in Healthline, Verywell, Everyday Health, Psych Central, and Health.com. She has a Master’s degree, undergraduate degrees in English and Sociology, a diploma in Holistic Herbal Therapy, and is group ideas for substance abuse trained in mental health first aid, anti-violence work, and peer support work.

What is the risk of dying from an opioid overdose?

The gap between recommendations and practice is significant. Only half of countries provide kaiser drug treatment access to effective treatment options for opioid dependence and less than 10% of people worldwide in need of such treatment are receiving it (5). Access to naloxone is generally limited to health professionals. In many countries there is still limited availability of naloxone even in medical settings, including in ambulances.

“Opioids kill people by slowing the rate of breathing and the depth of breathing,” says medical toxicologist and emergency physician Andrew Stolbach of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. If a patient overdosed on Oxycontin, which has a slow release in the gut, they can be revived from overdose only to overdose again. They may need an IV infusion of Narcan in slow-release, until the opioids are cleared from the body. Knowing your options and ways to prevent overdose can help lower your risk of opioid-related death. Simultaneously, the last two decades have seen an influx of heroin and synthetic opioids to the black market, making illegal opioids cheap and easy to purchase and fueling the epidemic even further.

1. Cause a slight drop in blood pressure or trigger an abnormal heart rhythm.
2. If you misuse drugs, quitting is the best way for you to prevent a drug overdose.
3. The appropriate number of pills depends on the person and their medication.
4. Sensing small increases in CO2, the carotid body, a small cluster of cells in the neck, spurs big increases in breathing to remove excess CO2 and keep a person out of trouble.
5. This lack of oxygen can cause organ damage, unconsciousness, and even death.
6. They may also find items or substances related to the overdose near the person.

The following are some questions people frequently ask about drug overdose. Of course, moderating the consumption of alcohol and stopping cymbalta cold turkey other substances can be challenging for individuals with a substance use disorder. This chronic condition involves the ongoing overuse of a substance. From 2015 to 2016, the number of deaths from lab-made opioids, including fentanyl and chemical kin such as carfentanil (used to tranquilize large animals), more than doubled in the United States. It’s not clear how opioids trigger this, but filled with fluid, the lungs can’t oxygenate blood very well, and a person may slip further into respiratory trouble. The brain stem and certain other parts of the brain are particularly rich in the receptors that attach to opioids.

Cannabis, or marijuana, is a substance that many people find harmless to consume. Cannabis has been considered the world’s most-used illicit substance, though it has gained legality in some places. The appropriate number of pills depends on the person and their medication. The opioid epidemic spurs a search for new, safer painkillers.

What can you do to prevent an opioid overdose?

About 75% of opioid overdoses are due to nonmedical use of synthetic opioids — mainly forms of nonmedical fentanyl. People experiencing an opioid overdose need naloxone (commonly known by the brand name Narcan®). Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose if it’s given to the person quickly. The person will still need medical attention after the administration of naloxone.