Call 911 immediately anytime an overdose is suspected, even if the person seems okay.
Do you know what to do if a loved one is overdosing? Whether it’s your family member, a close friend, a total stranger, or even you, it’s frightening not to have any overdose education or know what is Narcan.
Time is of the essence because what you do next is a matter of life or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 people in the United States died from an overdose over the 12 months ending April 2021 [1]. This record-breaking overdose death rate increased 28.5% from the previous year and continues to rise with most deaths involving synthetic opioids [1]. The good news is that many symptoms can be reversed, and people can be saved, but only if overdoses are caught in time.
If you’ve been wondering—What are the symptoms? What is Narcan? What to do?—we’ve put together valuable overdose education tips, so you’ll be prepared.
What Are the Symptoms of Overdose?
An overdose (OD) happens when a person takes more than a standard dose of medications, illegal drugs, alcohol, or other substances intentionally or accidentally. As a result, you can take too much to the point that it can cause serious illness, brain damage, and even death.
When someone has overdosed, symptoms will vary depending on the type and amount of drugs taken and the victim’s overall health. Sometimes an overdose can be difficult to recognize because symptoms can range from mild to moderate to severe. If you think you or somebody you know may be overdosing, look for the following general symptoms:
- Slow or absent breathing
- Weak, slow, fast, or irregular pulse
- High blood pressure
- Cold or hot body temperature
- Drowsiness, snoring, unconsciousness, unresponsiveness
- Diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, choking, gurgling
- Stomach cramps, chest pain, headaches
- Seizures, coma, death
What To Look for Visually
There are many indications of distress that you might notice in a person who’s having a dangerous reaction to drugs or alcohol. As with symptoms, these signs may vary based on the substance overdosed on. Look for visual signs to help determine how severe someone is overdosing:
- Dilated (large) or constricted (tiny) pupils
- Purple, bluish (cyanosis), or flushed skin, lips, or fingernails
- Erratic behavior, irritability, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations
- Unbalanced walk, drunkenness, limp body
- Staring, rapid eye movements, confusion, jerking movements
How To Check Vitals
Medical professionals take vital signs to monitor how well a patient’s body is functioning during routine check-ups and emergency situations. The normal ranges for vital signs vary based on age, weight, gender, and health. Anything outside of the normal ranges can signify that something’s wrong.
Following are the four main vital signs [2] and how to check them on someone overdosing:
- Body Temperature (97.8º–99.1ºF; average 98.6°F): You can find a person’s temperature using a thermometer placed in the mouth or under the armpit. Temperature can also be measured with an ear thermometer. A higher-than-normal temperature is considered hyperthermia or fever, whereas a low temperature is hypothermia.
- Pulse or Heart Rate (60–80 beats per minute): To measure how fast a person’s heart is beating, gently press your first two fingertips against their wrist or neck and count the number of heartbeats for 60 seconds. A fast pulse can indicate that a person is stressed or in shock. A weak, irregular pulse could signify that the heart is working too hard.
- Respiration Rate (12–20 breaths per minute): As a person breathes, you can measure the rate by counting how many times their chest moves (rises/falls) within a minute. A drug overdose commonly causes fast, slow, or irregular breathing. If a person stops breathing, they can be at risk of permanent brain damage and death.
- Blood Pressure (90/60–120/80 mm Hg): The force of blood pushing against arteries as the heart beats and when the heart rests can be measured using a blood pressure device. High blood pressure is called hypertension, and low blood pressure is called hypotension. Drug overdoses often involve low blood pressure.
Whenever you suspect an overdose, it’s essential to check the person’s vitals. Ideally, everyone should be trained and certified in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Even if you’re not, you can still know what is Narcan and check vital signs without having any medical experience or equipment with some overdose education.
Self-detoxification doesn’t work, so realize why addiction is so dangerous and how to recover.
What If They Have a Seizure?
Drug abuse can cause decrease a person’s bodily functions and cause a lack of oxygen to the brain, which often leads to seizures. A seizure involves uncontrollable jerking movements and can last for 1–3 minutes or longer, sometimes not stopping without medical intervention. Someone having a seizure will lack self-control and have no awareness of their surroundings.
If a person is having a seizure due to a drug overdose, you need to do the following:
- Stay calm and be sure to call 911 or have someone else call right away
- Lay the person on their side to keep tongue and saliva from blocking the airway
- Place something soft like a pillow under their head to cushion any blows
- Loosen tight clothing and move objects or furniture that could injure them
- Time how long the seizure lasts and keep a record for healthcare workers
- Stay with the person until medical help arrives to take over
- Don’t try to hold a person down or put anything in their mouth, including food or water
How Can You Stay Safe?
When dealing with someone experiencing an overdose symptom, it’s essential to keep yourself safe. Before helping someone, closely examine the surroundings. A potentially dangerous setting might include exposed needles, anxious people, traffic, aggravated pets, and other hazards. Do what you can to make the environment safe or leave until emergency personnel arrive. This seems to tell you to leave the person overdosing alone.
While checking vital signs, assisting during a seizure, or staying with someone until they can be treated, protect yourself as well as your patient. Use common sense, and don’t do anything that might result in injury. For example, never stick your fingers in someone’s mouth while they’re having a seizure because they could bite down. Similarly, if you try to restrain someone, you could dislocate your shoulder or cause some other type of trauma.
What Is Narcan?
Out of all deaths from drug abuse, more than 70% are related to opioid use [3]. Opioids include morphine, fentanyl, and tramadol, which are frequently prescribed as painkillers. Synthetic opioids are illegally manufactured drugs such as heroin and various forms of fentanyl. Opioid overdose symptoms can be treated with FDA-approved NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) [4].
Narcan is a nasal spray developed as a treatment for known or suspected overdosing on opioids for people who have problems breathing, are unusually sleepy, or are unresponsive. A single dose of the medication (4 mg) is given immediately, followed by another dose after 2–3 minutes if symptoms return. Care must be taken with those who have heart conditions, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Also, drug addicts may experience opioid withdrawal symptoms after taking Narcan, including fever and weakness, runny nose and sneezing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, nervousness, sweating and shivering, body aches, nausea, and stomach cramps.
Initially available only by prescription, Narcan nasal spray can now be purchased over the counter at a pharmacy. Naloxone, the active ingredient, can be found in the brand-name or generic versions available as a nasal spray or an auto-injector shot. The price can range from about $20 per dose for generic to $140 for a two-dose Narcan brand kit.
You can break free from opioids/opiates and other substances. We offer many addiction recovery programs at our South Florida Detox Center.
If the Person Witnessing the Overdose Is Also Intoxicated or in Possession of Drugs, Will They Go to Jail?
If someone is overdosing, you or another person witnessing it might also be intoxicated or carrying drugs. It’s perfectly understandable to wonder if you could be charged with a crime. In fact, one of the most common reasons people fail to call 911 is because they’re afraid of the police.
Possession of illicit drugs can lead to serious felonies. Overdose deaths are classified as second-degree murders, manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. Fortunately, many states have passed “Good Samaritan” laws providing immunity for those who seek medical care on behalf of someone OD’ing. That’s because it’s critical for first responders and other professionals to know everything they can about the overdose. Legislation varies from state to state, so be sure to check your local laws and seek legal assistance if necessary.
Our safe and effective treatment programs can help you through drug and alcohol detoxification.
What NOT To Do When Someone Is Overdosing
Now that you know the do’s when it comes to someone overdosing, you need to be aware of the don’ts. When responding to an overdose, heed the following warnings:
- DON’T try to wake a person up by slapping, kicking, or being forceful. You risk causing more injury.
- DON’T attempt to sober someone up by giving them a cold bath or shower. They could fall, drown, or go into shock.
- DON’T make the person vomit as a way to get rid of the ingested drugs. The person could choke on their vomit.
- DON’T give them anything to drink. Liquids could cause them to choke or inhale their vomit.
- DON’T inject anything other than naloxone. Saltwater, milk, stimulants, and other substances usually don’t work and can cause cardiac arrest, infections, and other issues.
- DON’T leave someone overdosing alone. While you’re gone, they could stop breathing and die.
It can be scary and overwhelming if you find a loved one has OD’d. However, you can take steps such as checking vital signs, protecting them if they have a seizure, and even administering Narcan. A thorough overdose education is important in case you or a loved one experience symptoms from overdosing. Equipped with a bit of knowledge and understanding of what’s going on, you’ll be able to stay calm until medics arrive.
If you or someone you know is at risk of overdosing, contact us to enter a treatment program.
References
