What Is a Drug or Alcohol Overdose?

If the individual has no intravenous access, naloxone may be given intramuscularly, intranasally, intraosseously, or endotracheally via an endotracheal tube. Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider. Cannabis, or marijuana, is a substance that many people find harmless to consume. Cannabis has been considered the world’s most-used illicit substance, though it has gained legality in some places. Start your recovery journey with peace of mind, knowing your care is covered.

What Is an Overdose?

Many people do have an emotional problem that has brought on their use or need for drugs or medication. Drug toxicity refers to how harmful or poisonous a substance can be. Toxic effects of a drug depend on the dose and can have an effect on an entire system, such as the central nervous system or a specific organ, such as the liver. The toxicity of the drug occurs when the individual has accumulated too much of the drug in their bloodstream. Drug toxicity doesn’t always look like a dramatic overdose – it can happen slowly, with increasing side effects and health problems.

• Deaths from these fentanyl derivatives often occur in clusters, as sellers move from street to street, causing multiple fatalities along the way.
• In some cases, clinicians can manipulate excretion pathways to manage toxicity.
• Most opiates can trigger the release of histamine, leading to itching, skin flushing, and urticaria.

Drug Overdose Signs and Symptoms

The key to diagnosis lies in recognizing that continued and escalating opiate doses worsen abdominal pain rather than provide relief. Treatment for narcotic bowel syndrome involves what is drug toxicity psychotherapy, as well as tapering or discontinuing the opioid. Successful treatment depends on developing a strong patient-physician relationship and trust, gradually withdrawing the narcotic, and using nonpharmacological treatments to manage pain.

Substances

The issue of poorly treated pain has led medical professionals to use various short- and long-acting opiates. While this approach has significantly improved pain relief, some patients often fail to adhere to proper dosing. When patients increase the dose or duration of opioid use, toxicity becomes a potential complication. Although the annual rates of transition are low, toxicity often occurs when individuals move from the nonmedical use of prescription opioids to heroin. 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.

A drug overdose occurs when a person takes too much of a drug, interfering with the brain and body’s ability to function. A drug overdose is a medical emergency and can Substance abuse have potentially fatal consequences.1 And in cases of non-fatal overdose, the person may still experience harmful short-term and long-term effects. Accidental overdoses tend to happen when people take more of a prescription medication than originally intended or use too much of an illegal drug trying to get a better high. Intentional overdoses are usually a result of someone trying to commit suicide. Regardless of the intent, any loss of life due to overdose is tragic, and an overdose can have severe and lasting repercussions. The healthcare provider may be able to use an antidote for certain drug overdoses.

Monitoring for efficacy in a large therapeutic window involves ensuring that the drug dosage is sufficient to achieve the desired therapeutic effect without causing adverse effects. Drugs with a large therapeutic window, such as amoxicillin, have a wide range between the minimum effective dose and the maximum safe dose, allowing for more flexibility in dosing and less frequent monitoring. An opioid overdose happens when opioids overwhelm the part of your brain that controls breathing. The liver and kidneys are crucial for drug metabolism and elimination. If these organs are not functioning properly, a medication can build up in the bloodstream, leading to excessive concentration and potential drug toxicity. A drug allergy is a specific type of adverse effect mediated by the immune system, often a Type B reaction.