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What to Do if You Think Someone is Overdosing Stop Overdose

A person can still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose famous people who died from alcoholism of naloxone wears off. Because of this, it’s essential to call 911 for the person so they can get immediate medical care. Anyone who uses opioids could potentially experience an opioid overdose. Overdoses can happen to people during their first time using opioids, to people who’ve taken them multiple times or to people who have opioid use disorder. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with opioids being the most common cause.

People can also die from opioid overdose when they (knowingly or unknowingly) use an opioid in combination with another substance, such as a sedative or stimulant. These combinations create a level of toxicity in your body that’s deadly. While North America currently has the highest rate of opioid overdoses in the world, opioid overdose continues to be a global issue. Learn the value of harm reduction and how you can help prevent overdoses in your community. Fentanyl Test strips are a harm reduction tool that detects the presence of fentanyl mixed into a substance, such as cocaine or heroin. You can learn more about overdoses from cocaine and other stimulants, which often rebuilding your life after addiction involve fentanyl, from this report issued by the OASAS Medical Advisory Panel.

1. Police officers, emergency medical technicians and first responders carry and have training on how to give naloxone.
2. They also perform other tests to assess the health of the person and to look for possible complications.
3. People experiencing an opioid overdose need naloxone (commonly known by the brand name Narcan®).
4. An online and mail-based harm reduction platform that deliveries harm reduction supplies to New Yorkers outside of New York City.

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. If you suspect a person has overdosed, but you’re not sure what substance they’ve used, you should still give them a dose of naloxone just in case they have opioids in their system. If they didn’t take opioids, naloxone is still safe — it just won’t have any effect.

How common are opioid overdoses?

If you use prescription drugs, be sure to use them only as directed by your doctor. Do not combine any medications without first asking your doctor if it’s safe. You should also not mix alcohol with prescription drugs without checking with your doctor first. An overdose can lead to serious medical complications, including death. The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed.

Stay with the person until emergency services arrive

It can be difficult for people who use opioids or other substances to know what to expect when using nonmedical forms of opioids. This is because when they’re not regulated medically, they often have varying levels of potency. Using unregulated opioids increases someone’s chances of overdose and death from overdose.

An opioid overdose happens when opioids negatively affect the part of your brain that regulates breathing, resulting in ineffective breathing. A person experiencing an opioid overdose needs naloxone and immediate medical care to prevent death. Opioid overdoses are medical emergencies that require quick diagnosis and treatment. Because of this, first responders and people who are trained to administer naloxone (Narcan®) mainly rely on symptoms and personal history to diagnose them. As the person experiencing an overdose is usually unconscious, providers rely on bystanders or loved ones to tell them if the person has a history of substance use.

This rise is due to the increased use of prescription narcotics as pain medication and the contamination of nonmedical opioids and other substances with highly potent opioids like fentanyl. Using any kind of opioid has the potential to result in opioid overdose, whether it’s a prescription or nonprescription opioid. About 75% of opioid overdoses are due to nonmedical use of synthetic opioids — mainly forms of nonmedical fentanyl. The healthcare provider may be able to use an antidote for certain drug overdoses. For example, the drug naloxone can help reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. It’s important to note that the effects of naloxone only work for 30 to 90 minutes, but after that time, a person can overdose again if opioids are still in their system.

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. Anyone can overdose, especially when using drugs for the first time or using after a period of not using. If you have overdosed previously, gas x and alcohol interaction you are much more likely to overdose again. If you do use alone, make sure someone knows where you are and that you are using so that they can check on you by phone/text and notify 911 if you don’t respond.

Lifestyle Quizzes

Overdoses are most common among those who use opioids and may be increasing in some populations or areas recently in the context of COVID-19. Drug overdoses from other drugs (e.g., cocaine, methamphetamine) have also been increasing, largely due to the mixing of these drugs with opioids such as fentanyl. Factors that increase the risk of overdose and death include drug use following a drug-free period, mixing substances, using alone, and having other medical conditions such as lung or heart conditions. If you or someone you know uses opioids, it’s important to carry naloxone in case of an overdose.

How to Find Help for Substance Misuse

If you or a loved one has opioid use disorder, talk to a healthcare provider as soon as possible. A trained provider can help guide you to the treatment you need. Opioid use disorder is a medical condition — it requires care just like any other condition.