In many affluent nations, drug overdose, primarily from opioids, is on the rise. In the US, drug overdose has been the main cause of injury-related deaths since 2009, with opioid overdose alone accounting for the majority of deaths since 2016.
Numerous factors can lead to an opioid overdose, such as:
- When folks overdose on an illegal opioid substance like morphine or heroin
- It is possible to overdose on methadone. This can happen if someone purposefully abuses a prescription opioid, takes more than one dose by accident, or combines opioids with other drugs, alcohol, or over-the-counter treatments. Combining an opioid overdose with drugs used to treat anxiety, such as benzodiazepine derivatives like Xanax or Valium, can be lethal.
- When someone abuses an opioid-based painkiller by taking one that wasn’t prescribed by their doctor or one that was meant for someone else, when children consume medication that is not meant for them, they are especially susceptible to unintentional overdosing.
If you’re asking yourself, what is an opioid overdose? You might need to read this piece to the end.
Be open to those close to you: If you overdose, those around you might be able to help emergency personnel understand your situation or use naloxone to reverse the overdose.
See your physician if you forget to take a dosage: When you miss a dose of the prescribed opioid, talk to your doctor before doubling up on the medicine at the next dose.
Embrace cooperation as your approach: All parties must be present at the table to respond to the opioid overdose pandemic effectively. Ensure all local entities can carry out their essential duties to make collaboration your strategy.
Include those impacted in developing solutions: The circumstances, experiences, and viewpoints of those at risk of overdosing must be considered in prevention initiatives.
Involving those impacted by opioid addiction and overdose risk in the development of remedies is a good idea. Intervention planning, carrying out, and reviewing processes ensure that their efforts can accomplish their objectives and are sensitive to the local community.
911 Good Samaritan Laws: The extent of 911 States in the United States have different laws known as “good samaritan laws,” but all of them aim to make it easier for people to call 911 in the case of an overdose.
This kind of legislation might offer restricted protection from drug-related criminal offenses and other criminal or legal repercussions to overdose victims and spectators, which could otherwise arise from dispatching emergency responders to the scene.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Effective treatment for opioid use disorder is MAT.
FDA-approved drugs are the mainstay of this treatment. While naltrexone prevents the effects of opioids, methadone, buprenorphine, and activated opioid receptors in the brain reduce painful withdrawal symptoms without producing euphoria.
Targeted Distribution of Naloxone: When given promptly, the non-addictive medication naloxone can reverse the consequences of an opioid overdose.
Targeted naloxone distribution initiatives aim to provide naloxone kits to those who are most likely to experience or witness an overdose, particularly drug users and first responders, so they can use them to save lives in an emergency.
Hopefully, this article has answered the question, what is an opioid overdose? Lastly, only take opioid prescriptions that you have been prescribed since sharing your restricted substance medication with other people is illegal.