Understanding Opioid Overdose and Naloxone

Personal Accounts

• Meredith's Experience: Her sister was taking too many painkillers post-surgery, leading to an overdose scare.
• Man's Experience: Lost a young cousin to a preventable opiate overdose.

Opioid Overdose: Overview

• Serious Problem: Can affect anyone, regardless of background.
• Prevention: Important to educate oneself about opioids and how to reverse an overdose.
• Naloxone: A life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses.

What is an Opioid Overdose?

• Drugs Involved: Includes heroin and prescription pain medications like Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, Dilaudid, Fentanyl, MS Contin, and Methadone.
• Mechanism: Overdose occurs when excessive opioids slow or stop breathing.

Risk Factors for Overdose

• Drug Combinations: Mixing opioids with other depressants (e.g., alcohol, sleeping pills) or stimulants (e.g., cocaine) increases risk.
• Tolerance Changes: After a break in opioid use (e.g., detox, hospitalization), tolerance decreases, heightening overdose risk.
• Other Risks: Using others' medication, street opioids, preexisting medical issues, and past overdoses.
• Isolation: Using opioids alone increases risk due to lack of immediate help.

Signs of an Opioid Overdose

• Often quiet and non-dramatic, resembling deep sleep.
• Initial sleepiness can progress to unconsciousness and stopped breathing.

Responding to an Overdose

• Immediate Action: Try to wake the person by shaking them and shouting their name loudly.
• 911 Call: Essential to call, even if naloxone is available or illegal drugs are present.
  • Washington State's Good Samaritan Law protects against minor drug possession charges.
• Administer Naloxone: If available, while doing rescue breathing:
  • Rescue Breathing: Tilt head back, lift chin, pinch nose, and give one full breath every five seconds.
  • Additional Doses: If no response in 2-3 minutes, administer a second dose of naloxone.
• Medical Attention: Professional assessment and monitoring for at least 3-4 hours post-wake.

Understanding Naloxone

• Effect: Temporarily blocks opioid receptors to reverse overdose.
• Safety: Harmless if no opioids present; safe for pregnant women and children.
• Availability: Legally accessible and usable by anyone in Washington State.
  • Obtainable via many pharmacies and community programs.
• Importance: Comparable to having a fire extinguisher or CPR training.

Resources

• Training and Kits: Encouraged for anyone using or knowing someone who uses opioids.
• More Information: Visit stopoverdose.org for resources and locations for obtaining naloxone kits.