a life saving drug that anyone can use
naloxone is an 'opioid antagonist' meaning that it blocks and reverses the effects of opioids. its used as a treatment for opioid overdoses. it often comes as a single dose in a nasal spray or as an injection. the common american brand name is 'narcan' but you might see it under other names too
opioids are a class of drugs that includes a wide variety of prescription medications and restricted or illegal substances. the main ones you will probably come across are
pretty much any kind of opioid has the potential for overdose. prescription medications give specfic instructions for dosage to avoid overdoses but they can still happen. they are more likely to happen if you are taking opiods recreationally or are taking a different drug (like cocaine or methamphetamines) and your dealer has cut it with fentanyl without you knowing
the kit that your naloxone came in will have specific instructions on how to administer it. generally you should see improvement almost immeidately. youll often be given more than one dose of naloxone because sometimes you have to give the patient more (usually after an hour or so but check the specific instructions on your kit).
you should administer naloxone asap if you believe the person is having an opioid overdose. make a note of what time you give them the first dose and call an ambulance or take them to the hospital yourself if you have a car. tell the doctors what time you gave them the first dose and how quickly they responded.
read the instructions on your naloxone carefully. they may tell you exactly how long to wait before giving a second dose.
there are lots of different drugs that can save your life in different situations. unfortunately many of them require advanced medical training for you to know when to use them or how to use them. and there are always the risks of side effects.
aside from its ability to completely reverse an opioid overdose, because of its chemical structure it only targets opioid receptors. this means that if you make a mistake and give it to someone who isnt having an opioid overdose they wont have any effects. unlike an epipen there is basically no risk (aside from needle injury if you have an injection) to giving someone naloxone if you seriously suspect an overdose.
you should be aware that because of how naloxone reverses opioids it will also send the patient into immediate withdrawl which while not deadly can still be very painful and distressing for the patient
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