If you have depression or suicidal thoughts, contact your doctor right away.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Opioids
Drug overdose is the intake of a drug in amounts much higher than recommended, within a short timeframe. It is possible for a person to overdose on a wide range of drugs from prescription opioids to illicit drugs, alcohol, and other potent or addictive substances. The cause of drug overdose, whether intentional or accidental, is overstimulation of the brain and body. As a person takes too much of the drug, their brain and body go into overdrive, which causes a wide range of overdose symptoms. The specific mechanisms of action depend on the type of drug used. Medications are also available to help treat addiction to alcohol and nicotine.
Recognizing drug overdose signs and learning about treatments can help save lives. Signs and symptoms vary with the substance ingested, the method used, and many other factors, as do the treatments. Knowing these can assist you in seeking help and managing an overdose until it arrives. Here’s a review of the common warning signs that a person has consumed potentially harmful drugs in a dangerous dosage. Many fatal overdoses across the country could have been prevented if an onlooker had called 911 to get the person emergency medical care. But many people don’t call out of fear of legal repercussions related to drug possession.
What Are The Signs That Somebody Is Overdosing? 13
The cause of a drug overdose is either by accidental overuse or by intentional misuse. Accidental overdoses result from either a young child or an adult with impaired mental abilities swallowing a medication left within their grasp. An adult (especially elderly persons or people taking many medications) can mistakenly ingest the incorrect medication or take the wrong dose of a medication. Purposeful overdoses are for a desired effect, either to get high or to harm oneself. Overdoses of drug overdose: definition, treatment, prevention, and more drugs or chemicals can be either accidental or intentional.
What is an SUD?
Once someone has had one overdose, they are more likely to have another. Some signs occur more frequently with certain substances than others. If three to five minutes has passed and the person hasn’t begun breathing and first responders have not arrived, then administer a second dose of Narcan.
Perform Rescue Breathing
- OD2A focuses on understanding and tracking the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose crisis by seamlessly integrating data and prevention strategies.
- When in doubt about the correct dosage, consult with a doctor or pharmacist.
- You can call the hotline after calling the ambulance and they can offer support and guidance.
- Many drugs involved in overdose are obtained illegally, particularly in the case of heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines.
For example, if someone has other heart problems such as high blood pressure or heart disease, they are at a higher risk for a stimulant-related overdose heart attack or stroke. Opioids, such as fentanyl, tramadol and morphine, are commonly used for the treatment of severe pain.6 They are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a healthcare provider. However, if opioids become an addiction, misuse can lead to overdose.
If you think you or someone else has experienced an overdose, call 911 immediately. Drug overdose, ingestion or administration of a drug or drugs in an amount that exceeds recommended levels or quantities typically used, resulting in toxicity. Drug overdose can occur with prescription, over-the-counter, or recreational drugs and can be intentional or accidental. Symptoms vary based on the type of substance and the amount taken. For some accidental drug overdoses, the local poison control center may recommend home therapy and observation. Because of the potential for problems after some overdoses, syrup of ipecac or other therapies should not be given unless directed by a medical professional.
Drug overdose is caused by a rapid and excessively high intake of one or more drugs whose effects overwhelm the brain and body. The mechanism of action that leads to the development of overdose varies from one type of drug to another. Risks of drug abuse include mixing drugs, low tolerance, dropping out of treatment, not knowing enough about the drug, having mental health problems, and method of use. This rise in opioid overdose deaths can be outlined in three distinct waves.
Opioid overdose deaths remain high
- Keep reading to learn more about drug overdoses, how they happen and a few other very important things you should know.
- Overdoses are preventable, and there is a whole field of work dedicated to stopping overdoses and overdose deaths.
- Poisoning by other psychostimulants, accidental (unintentional), initial encounter.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they’re most likely to use drugs.
- Overcoming a SUD is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs through willpower alone.
- The brain adapts to continued drug use by developing a tolerance, which means it takes more of a drug to feel the same result.
Inpatient rehab may be beneficial for those with a severe addiction, dual diagnosis, or polysubstance addiction due to the 24/7 care and treatment. Outpatient rehab is the more flexible choice for those who want to continue meeting other responsibilities while in recovery. Helps people understand addiction, their triggers, and their reasons for using drugs. This form of treatment can be done at a doctor’s office or via telehealth appointment. Like many other chronic conditions, treatment is available for substance use disorders. While no single treatment method is right for everyone, recovery is possible, and help is available for patients with SUDs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual rates of death from overdose of synthetic opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl have increased five-fold since the early 2000s. Part of this increase may have to do with the potency of synthetic opioids. For example, the CDC indicates that fentanyl, a man-made opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. And if you or someone you know has experienced a drug overdose, this may indicate the presence of a substance addiction. At the hospital, the medical team can refer you to an addiction treatment program once you’ve been stabilized.
It’s essential to know how to react in this medical emergency, as this knowledge may save their life. If a person has overdosed on opioids, the rapid administration of Narcan (naloxone) can save their life. 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.
Before considering treatment, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of how addiction, also called Substance Use Disorder (SUD), affects the brain. The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers recognizes addiction as a disease with psychological and social components, not a lack of willpower or an acute, behaviorally-centered condition. Become educated about drugs of abuse and the statistics surrounding them, and learn how to tell when someone may have a Substance Use Disorder. A drug overdose can happen to anyone who takes too much of a drug. However, there are certain conditions and factors that can increase the risk of the overdose.