The last day of August is International Overdose Awareness Day. Do you know the signs of overdose and what to do if you see someone who appears to be overdosing? At Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, we treat people who are struggling with substance use disorders, and we want to give you the tools to intervene and save a person from overdose.
An overdose occurs when a person takes more of a drug than their body can handle. This frequently occurs when:
- Mixing alcohol or benzodiazepines with other drugs
- Returning to drug use following a period of abstinence, which has resulted in decreased tolerance
- A person takes a drug, thinking it is something else – a common example of this is when someone unknowingly receives fentanyl when they were expecting to receive a far less potent drug, or they don’t know their drug has been laced with fentanyl.
- A person has an underlying medical condition that impacts their ability to tolerate decreased oxygen levels, such as asthma, sleep apnea, heart conditions, or other conditions that reduce oxygen levels.
Preventing Overdose Deaths
There are several steps people can take to reduce their risk of dying from an overdose, which include:
- Never using drugs alone
- Staying hydrated and eating prior to use
- Avoiding drug use when sleep deprived
- Keeping overdose reversing medication on hand, in case someone overdoses – this is available at pharmacies in all 50 states without a prescription
- Recognizing that a person’s tolerance decreases after a period of abstinence
- Never mixing alcohol or benzodiazepines with other drugs
- Remembering that you don’t really know what you’re getting, any time you get drugs from someone other than a doctor or pharmacist, and proceeding with caution
- Using fentanyl test strips to confirm if fentanyl is present in a drug
- Recognizing that injecting or smoking opioids increases the risk of overdose, compared to snorting or swallowing them
Signs of Overdose
The signs of an overdose will depend on what substance caused the overdose.
Opioids
The vast majority of overdose deaths are caused by opioids. Signs of opioid overdose include:
- Struggling to wake up or stay awake
- Slow, shallow or difficult breathing
- Slowed or stopped heart
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Fingernails or lips turning blue, purple or gray
- Limp body
- Pale, clammy skin
- Pinpoint pupils that don’t change size in response to light
Alcohol
Because it is legal and so commonly used, people often forget that it is still a dangerous drug that can lead to overdose. Signs to watch for include:
- Slurred speech
- Poor coordination
- Combativeness
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
Stimulants
An overdose from stimulants is sometimes referred to as “overamping.” Signs of overdose are:
- Seizures
- Paranoia
- Panic
- Racing heart
- Hallucinations
- Nausea
- Chest pain/heart attack
- Stroke
Addressing an Overdose in Progress
If you believe someone is overdosing, look for the symptoms above and then:
- Administer an overdose-reversing medication, such as Narcan. Narcan is meant to address opioid overdoses, but if the person is overdosing from something else, it won’t hurt them. If they are overdosing from an opioid, Narcan can begin reversing the overdose while they’re waiting for professional medical care.
- Call 911 right away.
- Administer rescue breaths if they are not breathing or place them in the recovery position if they are breathing on their own.
- If the person does not start to come around in 2-3 minutes, administer another dose of overdose reversing medication and repeat every 2-3 minutes until help arrives or they start breathing again.
- Wait with them until medical help arrives and provide as much information as you know – many states, including Virginia, have Good Samaritan Laws, which protect individuals who call for help for themselves or others who could be overdosing from an illicit substance, as long as they remain on the scene and provide the most accurate information they have available.
- Do not put them in a cold bath or shower
- Do not inject them with anything except an overdose reversal medication
- Do not try to make them vomit
At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, we offer compassionate, evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders. We offer support to people who are recovering from addiction and their families.