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Synthetic, or “designer,” drugs refer to a wide-ranging category of manmade illicit drugs. Though not as common as the other substances on this list, it is still something to be aware of to ensure proper care is provided as needed. With that increased potency are more examples of cannabis toxicity, or cannabis overdose symptoms, being seen in hospital settings. Cannabis, or marijuana, is a substance that many people find harmless to consume. This can result in a mixed substance overdose potential.
Due to the potential euphoric effects of stimulants, the urge for continued use becomes difficult to ignore and can create situations in which high-risk overdose events may occur. Sedative-specific medications are used to sedate the body to reduce stress and assist with sleep and are often quite powerful in their effect. Opioid overdose is the largest representation of drug-related overdoses within the US. Typically, anything above .16% (that is, .16% of your blood containing alcohol) results in serious symptoms like loss of consciousness, blackouts, and impairment of cognitive functioning. Alcohol overdose is generally referred to as alcohol poisoning in the medical community. Even substances that we consume every day, like caffeine, can cause an overdose, although it usually requires so much that it is unlikely to occur.
Opioid overdose
This event occurs when alcohol in the bloodstream grows to very high levels. Almost any substance can result in an overdose. This can result in critical body systems being unable to function appropriately without medical intervention. Overdoses are considered a medical emergency and, in many cases, can be a potentially life-threatening situation.
People who suffer from depression and who have suicidal thoughts are also at high risk for drug overdose. Taken in combination with other drugs or with alcohol, even drugs normally considered safe do cause death or serious long-term consequences. Some anti-epileptic medications can also prevent the effects of convulsions and seizures brought on by stimulant overdose. People who take more than one CNS depressant (like drinking alcohol while on opioid painkillers) have a much higher risk of overdose. CNS depressants include benzodiazepines, alcohol, and opioids, all of which have a sedative effect on the brain and body which causes reduced anxiety and creates a euphoric, calming effect in the user.
Suicide prevention
Several factors can increase the risk of a drug overdose. When it comes to drug overdose, being proactive is essential to reversing overdose and preventing death. In a 2020 study, 75% of overdose deaths involved a prescription or illicit opioid, including 62% that involved a synthetic opioid other than methadone, such as fentanyl.
Addressing a substance use disorder can help decrease the chance of a drug overdose. Even after administering this medication, it is crucial to take anyone experiencing an opioid overdose to the emergency room. There are a range of treatments available for different kinds of drug overdose. A doctor can help recognize the signs of drug overdose and provide treatment recommendations.
Health Conditions
Call 911 drug overdose meaning or visit an emergency room as soon as possible. This medication is available in a nasal spray and as an intravenous injection at the hospital. Learn about the links between depression and substance misuse.
What Is the Medical Treatment for a Drug Overdose?
Negative drug-drug interactions have sometimes been misdiagnosed as an acute drug overdose, occasionally leading to the assumption of suicide. A person experiencing an opioid overdose might also have muscle spasms, seizures and decreased consciousness. Opioid overdoses can also cause pinpoint pupils, and blue lips and nails due to low levels of oxygen in the blood.
The opioid epidemic within the US has resulted in multiple waves of public health initiatives to spread awareness of opioid overdoses as well educating others on ways to help in case of emergency. Generally, this means that the consumption of substances was beyond the medication’s guidelines or beyond the body’s tolerance level to manage safely. Unfortunately, we continue to experience an epidemic of drug overdoses within the US and across the globe. New CDC data in 2024 demonstrates U.S. drug overdose deaths have significantly declined, marking the potential for the first year with fewer than 100,000 fatalities since 2020.
How to Help Someone Who is Overdosing
If you suspect someone has overdosed, contact the emergency services immediately. EMedicineHealth does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Intentional overdoses are harder to prevent, unless the underlying problems are addressed. Treatment will be dictated by the specific drug taken in the overdose. Many people who are directed to go to the emergency department may not develop any physical signs of poisoning.
Medical Definition
Getting medical help quickly can make a big difference in the effectiveness of drug overdose treatment. The symptoms of a drug overdose may vary depending on the person, drug, and amount taken. The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed. A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal. Naloxone (spray or auto-injectable) can reverse an opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications. A drug overdose can occur after an individual takes too much of a medication or substance.
Overdoses involving opioids are common when synthetic opiates like fentanyl or heroin are being used. Alcohol poisoning is not uncommon for those who consume multiple alcoholic beverages a day over time. Additionally, there are many other factors that can impact how and when an overdose can occur. Overdose-related deaths have increased by 31% from 2019 to 2020, highlighting an alarming spike in what are otherwise preventable deaths. While the opioid crisis continues to take a heavy toll, fentanyl remains a major driver, contributing to the majority of these fatalities.
What Are the Risk Factors for Drug Overdosing?
Edmund has an extensive background in SUD research and medical writing, working collaboratively with doctors, substance use disorder specialists, and clinical experts across all content on Recovered. Overdoses can cause long-term damage to the brain and body and can even lead to death. If you suspect you or someone you know is having an overdose, then you should contact medical professionals immediately. Overdoses from psychedelics are rare and usually only occur when other substances are present.
The drug naloxone (Narcan) can also help treat an opioid overdose by blocking opioids’ effects in the body. Among people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes. From 1999 to Feb 2019 in the United States, more than 770,000 people have died from drug overdoses. 22 people out of every 100,000 died from drug overdoses in 2019 in the US. The U.S. drug overdose death rate has gone from 2.5 per 100,000 people in 1968 to the peak rate of 33.2 per 100,000 in 2022. The distribution of naloxone to injection drug users and other opioid drug users decreases the risk of death from overdose.
Lifestyle Quizzes
- Naloxone (spray or auto-injectable) can reverse an opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications.
- Depending on the type of substance, there are many different symptoms of an overdose.
- Stabilization of the person’s airway, breathing, and circulation (ABCs) is the initial treatment of an overdose.
- This medication is available in a nasal spray and as an intravenous injection at the hospital.
- When .30% is reached, this is often where loss of life is a serious risk as the body is completely unable to function.
- The person may need to be admitted to the hospital to continue treatment.
Stimulants, alcohol, and benzodiazepines can also lead to drug overdose. Anyone experiencing symptoms of an overdose should seek emergency medical care immediately. The following are some questions people frequently ask about drug overdose.
- Similarly, benzodiazepine overdoses may be effectively reversed with flumazenil.
- This can lead to alcohol overdose, more commonly referred to as alcohol poisoning.
- One tab or dose could contain significantly less or significantly more chemical properties than another, which means there is a serious risk of overdose surrounding these drugs.
- To learn more about the recovery process, contact a treatment provider today.
- Usage of illicit drugs, in large quantities, or after a period of drug abstinence can also induce overdose.
You should call if you have any questions about an overdose, poisoning, or poison prevention. An overdose may be mild, moderate, or serious. Your health care provider may refer to an overdose as an ingestion. If the overdose happens by mistake, it is called an accidental overdose. If you take too much of something on purpose, it is called an intentional or deliberate overdose. Seek support for any instances of a substance use disorder.
The first step when responding to an overdose of any kind is to contact emergency services. This can include taking any amount of someone else’s medication or more than the doctor prescribed. Addiction Center is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice. Once overdose symptoms are safely managed, and a safe detoxification process is complete, the next step toward recovery can begin. All these substances are considered highly dangerous as there is rarely any standardization to them. Many variations of these substances can be found on the internet or even in local convenience stores due to there being little to no regulation guiding their production.
A serious risk is that the patient will stop breathing (respiratory arrest). Pinpoint pupils, where the black centers of the eyes become smaller than normal, are common in opiate overdose. Severe toxicity can lead to seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, extremely high blood pressure , and coma. Dilated pupils, an inability to urinate, and mental disturbances are also symptoms.