This type of overdose can cause heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. A drug overdose means that an individual has consumed a toxic amount 5 types of alcoholics characteristics of each alcoholic type of a substance. According to the National Harm Reduction Coalition, ingesting too much of one or multiple drugs can harm the body.
Hidden in these national statistics are stories of individual people. In the brain stem, regions called the medulla and the pons control the break the cycle of addiction with these strategies to keep dopamine in check depth and rate of breathing. Both are loaded with opioid receptors — proteins that sit on the surface of cells and grab onto opioids.
Most people dependent on opioids used illicitly cultivated and manufactured heroin, but the proportion of those using prescription opioids is growing. When an opioid overdose is suspected, Narcan (naloxone hydrochloride) should be administered as soon as possible. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Narcan Nasal Spray in March 2023 as an over-the-counter (OTC) emergency treatment for opioid overdose. An overdose is when a person consumes “over” the recommended or typical dose of a substance. An overdose can be accidental (i.e., you were prescribed a dose of medication, and your body does not handle it as expected), or it may be intentional.
What does drug overdose mean?
Good Samaritan laws and similar legal protections exist across states to ensure you will not get into trouble for helping someone experiencing an overdose. Sedative-specific medications are used to sedate the body to reduce stress and assist with sleep and are often quite powerful in their effect. Generally, these medications are most often seen in the Benzodiazepines class (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin) and less commonly among Barbiturates (phenobarbital). Alcohol poisoning is not uncommon for those who consume multiple alcoholic beverages a day over time. Usually injected or inhaled, naloxone starts working in minutes and, in many cases, can reverse the overdose.
So, opioids might depress breathing by working directly on areas of the brain outside the brain stem. Breathing delivers fresh oxygen to the body’s cells and eliminates carbon dioxide. Opioids can interfere with that life-sustaining process in multiple, dangerous ways. Because there is an overwhelming amount of opioid in your brain, your body stops receiving the correct signals at all to breathe. If you have children in the house, make sure that all medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are kept well out of reach. Cannabis, or Marijuana, is a substance that many people find harmless to consume.
- Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with opioids being the most common cause.
- An overdose is when a person consumes “over” the recommended or typical dose of a substance.
- It is not uncommon for opioid overdose patients to experience aspiration.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 106,699 people died of a drug overdose in the United States in 2021.
Sometimes opioid overdose can include pulmonary edema (fluid leak into the airspaces of the lung). This is a noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, meaning it is not caused by fluid backup from a failing heart; doctors are still unsure of the exact mechanism behind this event. The only guaranteed way to prevent an overdose is to avoid using cocaine. A cocaine overdose can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as paranoia, aggression, vomiting, temperature spikes, and seizures. In severe cases, a cocaine overdose can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, coma, and even death. WHO recommends the use of a range of treatment options for opioid dependence.
People most likely to witness an opioid overdose
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. The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed.
Medical attention is necessary to address both the physical and behavioral health conditions that are experienced during a Stimulant overdose. A drug overdose can occur after an individual takes too much of a medication or substance. The leading cause of drug overdoses today is opioid medications. Stimulants, alcohol, and benzodiazepines can also lead to drug overdose. It’s very common for other substances to be mixed, or cut, with cocaine.
How is an opioid overdose treated?
Overdose patients can end up paralyzed and unable to speak. With lungs and heart barely working, your brain begins to be damaged by lack of oxygen. The brain is highly sensitive to lack of oxygen; permanent brain damage sets in after four minutes of oxygen deprivation in most situations.
An opioid overdose happens when opioids excessively stimulate the part of your brain that regulates breathing. This leads to respiratory depression (ineffective breathing) and can cause death if it isn’t treated in time. A drug overdose is alcoholic denial how to help an alcoholic in denial 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.
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.
WHO also supports countries in monitoring trends in drug use and related harm, to better understand the scale of opioid dependence and opioid overdose. If you think you or someone you may know is experiencing an overdose, the best thing you can do is treat it like an emergency. Afterward, you may experience many complicated emotions about the overdose, how you reacted, and what to do to prevent future overdoses. Know that medical and mental health community support is available, and you don’t need to go through this alone. If first responders suspect an opioid overdose, they’ll administer naloxone, a medication that treats opioid overdose.
Drug overdose explained
This can result in critical body systems being unable to function appropriately without medical intervention. Naloxone can treat an opioid overdose for up to 90 minutes. Even after administering this medication, it is crucial to take anyone experiencing an opioid overdose to the emergency room. Overdosing on a stimulant such as cocaine increases heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure.