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Overdose
Overdose
occurs as a result of the drug's effect on the central nervous system. Too much
heroin, morphine, methadone or opium causes the body to progress past contented
drowsiness to a state of coma. The blood pressure drops so low that oxygen does
not get to vital organs, the body shuts down, and breathing slows and stops.
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The
majority of overdoses occur when drugs are mixed, changes in the purity of
heroin alone is rarely the cause of overdose.
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The
first overdose usually occurs after the person has been using for 2 years
or more.
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The
majority of overdoses are accidental.
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The
majority of fatalities with overdoses occur when the person is alone.
AN
AMBULANCE MUST BE CALLED IMMEDIATELY
IF
YOU ARE WORRIED FOR ANY REASON.
DIAL
999,
911,
000
(the
emergency services number for the country you are in)
Signs
of overdose include:
-
Being
unable to wake someone up: A common myth is that the person is 'sleeping
it off'. THIS IS NOT TRUE. If they don't respond to shaking and calling
their name - they are in danger.
It is common to hear that: walking a person around, putting them under a
shower, making them vomit, giving them tea or coffee, or hitting them up
with salty water will reverse an overdose or 'bring them around'. These
are also myths - and could all be dangerous. Stabbing a fingernail into
the soft skin at the base of the person's fingernails can sometimes get a
response - but don't waste time that should be used calling an ambulance
and starting CPR.
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Gurgling
or choking sounds when breathing.
-
Heavy
snoring while asleep - try to wake the person up, if they don't respond -
dial emergency services.
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Cold,
clammy skin and/or sweating profusely.
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Eyes
are open, but they 're like 'dolls eyes' - staring or vacant.
-
If
someone passes out or becomes unable to speak or move, but is breathing
and has a pulse - place them in the recovery position (see below) and call an ambulance
immediately.
-
Not
breathing/no heartbeat.
If breathing stops but a pulse can be felt - call an ambulance and
commence mouth to mouth resuscitation (if a pulse is evident DO NOT
attempt CPR).
If no pulse or breathing is evident - call an ambulance and commence CPR (
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) and DIAL emergency services immediately.
-
Tell
the emergency services what the person has taken and how much. This could
save their life.
-
Care should be taken if someone with asthma has trouble breathing, as use of a nebulizer could cause a cardiac arrest. This happened to Cheryl Dean. She had taken some heroin and started having breathing troubles. She used the nebulizer machine and consequently had a cardiac arrest. The emergency services took a long time to respond and
didn't have a defibrillator machine with them. Cheryl still cant walk, talk, move her legs or arms and is blind and on a feeding tube. She has been this way for six years now. (further details can be found on the Remembrance Page).
OVERDOSE
IS NOT A CRIME AND PARAMEDICS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE POLICE UNLESS A
DEATH HAS OCCURRED OR THEY ARE BEING THREATENED.
If
you are still frightened to stay with them because of the authorities, at least
call the emergency services before you leave. Place them in the recovery
position, check their vital signs (giving the kiss of life etc. if necessary)
and let the emergency services know where the person is and what/how much they
have taken. NEVER leave a person without doing this, as they will more than
likely die without being found and you will be responsible for their
death. This is the very least that you can do for a friend and I am sure you
would want someone to do it for you.
When
someone has overdosed, paramedics or medical staff will administer a dose of 'narcan'
which immediately reverses the effect of the heroin. It's a common myth that
narcan 'cleans' the system of heroin or methadone. The effects of narcan are
only temporary and once it wears off it is possible to go back into overdose.
Using again straight after - or for some time after, could lead to another
overdose.
Similarly,
if the user has other drugs on board when the narcan is administered, they will
still be affected by these drugs. Narcan only works on opioids. Let the
paramedics know EXACTLY what the person has taken - list every drug and if they
have been drinking, let them know this too.
The
recovery position
 
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Open
the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin
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Straighten
the legs.
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Place
the arm nearest to you at right angles to their body.
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Pull
the arm furthest from you across their chest and place the back of their
hand against the cheek nearest to you.
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Get
hold of the far leg, just above the knee, and pull it up, keeping the foot
flat on the ground.
-
Keep
their hand pressed against the cheek and pull on the upper leg to roll them
towards you, and on their side.
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Tilt
the head back to make sure they can breathe easily.
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Make
sure that both the hip and the knee of the upper leg are bent at right
angles.
-
Can
an ambulance and wait with them until it arrives.
Your
tolerance to a drug will have gone down if you have been clean for a while. If
you decide to inject again, be careful of the amount you use.
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