Author: James Anderson

This Is Exactly What Happens When You Overdose

Due to their potential impact, using more than the recommended dose or in shorter periods than advised can quickly result in overdose symptoms. Sedative overdoses can result in coma and death without immediate emergency service intervention. Alcohol overdose is generally referred to as alcohol poisoning in the medical community. This event occurs when alcohol in the bloodstream grows to very high levels. Typically, anything above .16% (that is, .16% of your blood containing alcohol) results in serious symptoms like loss of consciousness, blackouts, and impairment of cognitive functioning. When .30% is reached, this is often where loss of life is a serious risk as the body is completely unable to function.

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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. When taking a prescription medication, always follow a doctor’s instructions and take the medication exactly as they prescribed it. When in doubt about the correct dosage, consult with a doctor or pharmacist. Of course, moderating the consumption of alcohol and other substances can be challenging for individuals with a substance use disorder.

ExcludeTraining GuideOpioid Overdose Basics

  1. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.
  2. Due to the potential euphoric effects of stimulants, the urge for continued use becomes difficult to ignore and can create situations in which high-risk overdose events may occur.
  3. One tab or dose could contain significantly less or significantly more chemical properties than another, which means there is a serious risk of overdose surrounding these drugs.
  4. If you see these signs of overdose, do not abandon the person out of fear of getting in trouble.

Cannabis has been considered the world’s most-used illicit substance, though it has gained legality in some places. 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. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider.

Risks and Causes of Overdose

In the brain stem, regions called the medulla and the pons control the depth and rate of breathing. Both are loaded with opioid receptors — proteins that sit on the surface of cells and grab onto opioids. 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.

Health Conditions

A doctor can help recognize the signs of drug overdose and provide treatment recommendations. Some medical treatments for opioid addiction also target opioid receptors. Drugs including buprenorphine are known as partial agonists, which activate opioid receptors to a lesser extent than heroin and other agonists.

Overdose

To prevent an overdose, follow a doctor’s directions for all prescription medications. With the right care and prevention strategies, it is possible to treat drug overdoses or prevent them altogether. The opioid epidemic within the US has resulted in multiple waves of public health initiatives to spread awareness of opioid overdoses as well educating others on ways to help in case of emergency. One of the most effective strategies for preventing overdoses has been the use of Narcan, also known as naloxone.

Overdoses are considered a medical emergency and, in many cases, can be a potentially life-threatening situation. Generally, this means that the consumption of substances was beyond the medication’s guidelines or beyond the body’s tolerance level to manage safely. This can result in critical body systems being unable to function appropriately without medical intervention. Recognizing the symptoms of a drug overdose is crucial to treating this reaction. Providing supportive care, administering medication such as naloxone, and calling 911 can all help treat certain types of drug overdose. Even after administering this medication, it is crucial to take anyone experiencing an opioid overdose to the emergency room.

Symptoms of a drug overdose may include breathing difficulties, changes in heart rate or body temperature, seizure, stroke, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 106,699 people died of a drug overdose in the United States in 2021. Sedatives are designed to be short-term solutions due to the serious risk of dependence that can form when consumed for too long.

Medical attention is necessary to address both the physical and behavioral health conditions that are experienced during a stimulant overdose. To treat an opioid overdose, doctors use drugs such as naloxone, often sold as Narcan. The potent opioid blocker latches onto empty opioid receptors, preventing other opioids from triggering the cell to take actions that can shut down breathing or freeze muscles. Most opioid overdoses are unintentional, but they can happen in a variety of ways and in any type of location. Regardless of how or where a person has overdosed, opioid overdose is a serious medical emergency that must be treated immediately. It’s important to know the signs of an opioid overdose and know what to do so you can potentially save a life.

If you suspect someone may be experiencing any of the above symptoms of an opioid overdose, call 911 immediately. 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. With the next pump of your heart, your now opioid-rich blood is pushed out to the rest of the body, where it plugs into the system of opioid receptors all over your body.