If you suspect that someone has an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help immediately. Do not wait for the person to have all the symptoms, and be aware that a person who has passed out can die. Don’t try to remedy the situation yourself; cold showers and coffee may not be enough to revive someone in extreme cases. Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death from an overdose. Because someone who stops breathing can quickly slip into unconsciousness, a timely response can save their life.
Here are some red flags that someone is experiencing a drug overdose. That’s why it’s often used as a filler in fake prescription pills or street drugs. If you use street drugs how to help someone that has overdosed or fake pills, you may take fentanyl without knowing it. Fentanyl is a powerful pain medicine made in a lab (synthetic opioid).
What are the signs of an overdose?
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. Ingesting alcohol and other drugs together intensifies their individual effects and could produce an overdose with even moderate amounts of alcohol.1 What results is a lethal cocktail. Individuals may also struggle with mental health concerns or other underlying health issues.
Treatment
- Get connected to naloxone near you, prescription drug disposal sites and substance use resources.
- In Baltimore City alone, it’s saved more than 2800 lives.
- Ingesting alcohol and other drugs together intensifies their individual effects and could produce an overdose with even moderate amounts of alcohol.1 What results is a lethal cocktail.
- An overdose can lead to serious medical complications, including death.
It is marked by an inability to stop using a substance despite the negative consequences that follow. When addiction takes hold, the risks of adverse effects, including overdose, increase significantly. Witnessing someone suffering from drug overdose can be very traumatizing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdose deaths have topped 100,000 annually. With such high statistics, it is important to know how to respond if you think you’re witnessing a drug overdose. Knowing what to do if you do observe a drug overdose will help you remain calm so you can help the person experiencing the overdose and get them the help they need.
You should also not mix alcohol with prescription drugs without checking with your doctor first. In the case of an opioid overdose, a Naloxone kit is a key tool which can help save lives. However, even if you have used Naloxone and the person’s condition is improving, still phone 999 so an ambulance can attend.
An overdose can occur if you swallow, snort, or inject fentanyl. Naloxone will not do any harm if given to someone who does not have opioids in their system. If the person improves, place them on their stomach with their face and head turned to the side. Put their hand under their head and bend their knees for support. In Baltimore City alone, it’s saved more than 2800 lives.
Drug Overdose
And, with drug use, there is always the risk of a deadly overdose. At Water Gap Wellness, we are dedicated to guiding you and your loved ones through the recovery process with compassion and professionalism. Our individualized treatment plans, expert staff, and holistic approach provide the support needed for lasting recovery.
Lifestyle Quizzes
The program is designed for individuals who are unwilling to get the medication in-person. You can also walk into a pharmacy and get the medication without a prescription and without training. It is covered by most insurance and Maryland Medicaid. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, do not wait. Contact Water Gap Wellness today and take the first step toward a healthier, happier future. We are here to be your partner in recovery, every step of the way.
Mental Health
East Point Recovery Center offers a clinical approach to drug addiction treamtent. Our caring and compassionate staff are ready to help you or your loved one overcome addiction and lead a life full of meaning and purpose. If the person is not breathing and there is no pulse, you should begin administering CPR.
Blood Alcohol Content
For more information, read about overcoming addiction. A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal. If you’ve taken more than the recommended amount of a drug or enough to have a harmful effect on your body’s functions, you have overdosed. For some people, coming so close to death can expose the harsh consequences of continuing to abuse drugs. However, if someone dear to you has survived a drug overdose and is still hesitant to seek treatment, you may need to hold a substance abuse intervention to convince them to get sober.
Drinking too much alcohol and too quickly is dangerous. Ignoring these symptoms and signs can lead to alcohol overdose.1 Abusing alcohol, in general, has certain short-term and long-term effects. When a person is suffering from an overdose, time is of the essence. Once you’ve recognized their symptoms and realize they are in grave danger, you must call for emergency help. The sooner you can make that call means the sooner they’ll get the emergency services they desperately need. While waiting for emergency services to arrive, stay with the person and put them on their side to prevent choking.
- You should also not mix alcohol with prescription drugs without checking with your doctor first.
- However, if someone dear to you has survived a drug overdose and is still hesitant to seek treatment, you may need to hold a substance abuse intervention to convince them to get sober.
- The healthcare provider may be able to use an antidote for certain drug overdoses.
- Put the nozzle tip in either nostril until your fingers touch the bottom of the person’s nose.
Parents need to be especially mindful of drinking behavior in teenagers, who are often susceptible to peer pressure. If you or someone you’re close to uses opioids or street drugs, these ideas may help protect them. The law provides certain legal protections when you call to help an individual experiencing an emergency overdose.
Where To Get Naloxone In Maryland
Once they are on the scene, emergency medical technicians will take over and continue performing CPR until there is a pulse and the person is breathing. Social and problem drinking is not uncommon, especially among young adults, and can often lead to dangerous outcomes. Often, innocent partying and fun on social occasions can get out of hand, leading to deadly outcomes and alcohol overdose.
However, if you do happen to have access to it, you should administer it to the individual as it will temporarily reverse the effects of the drug overdose. This drug will only work if opiods are present in the person’s system. This drug blocks the effects of the opiod on the brain which allows the person to stay conscious and breathing. Anyone with access to naloxone can administer the life-saving drug to someone who is overdosing.
Anyone in need of assistance with mental health or substance use-related needs can call 988. If you have NARCAN® available, you can use it to provide immediate aid while waiting for medical personnel to arrive. Next Harm Reduction and the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition will also mail the life-saving medication to Maryland residents for free.