How to Use Naloxone: What Is Narcan and Where to Find It

A drug overdose is scary and frequently ends with lethal consequences. Fortunately, in some cases, there is a way to reverse the effects of overdose. If you use naloxone, you can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. As with any medicine, knowing how to use it is important, and Bright Futures Treatment Center can help with that. Familiarize yourself with signs of opioid overdose, naloxone, how it works, how to administrate it, and where to find it. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Recognizing an Opioid Overdose

While it’s useful and sometimes essential to be familiar with naloxone use, before you even get to that step, you should know how to recognize signs of opioid overdose. Only if you’re certain that an overdose is taking place can you react and ensure you’re providing proper help.

These are common signs of opioid overdose:

• Unconsciousness or inability to awaken
• Or shallow breeding or breathing difficulties such as choking sounds or snoring noise from a person who cannot be awakened
• Very small pupils 
• Vomiting
• Inability to speak
• Faint heartbeat
• Limp arms and legs
• Pale skin
• Purple lips and fingernails

Your first reaction should be to stimulate the person. You can call their name, and, if this doesn’t work, vigorously grind knuckles into the sternum (the breastbone in the middle of the chest) or rub knuckles on the person’s upper lip. If the person responds, you should assess whether they can maintain responsiveness and breathe without any issues. Monitor the person, especially their breathing and alertness, and try to keep them awake and alert. If the person does not respond, call 911, provide rescue breathing (if the person is not breathing alone), and administer one dose of narcaine. If the person does not respond within two to three minutes after administering a dose of naloxone, use naloxone again.

Regardless of whether you were able to administer naloxone or not, if you suspect that someone overdosed on opioids, you need to contact Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or activate the 911 emergency system immediately. An opioid overdose requires immediate medical attention. Be sure to say that someone is unresponsive and not breathing and provide the accurate address or description of your location if you don’t know the address. Follow the dispatcher´s instructions and wait for first responders to arrive.

What is Naloxone and How it Works

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. This means that naloxone attaches to opioid receptors and is reversing and blocking the effects of other opioids. By doing so, naloxone rapidly reverses an opioid overdose (e.g., heroin overdose). It’s important to recognize that naloxone will not affect someone who does not have opioids in their system, nor will it reverse overdoses from other drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine. Also, this is not a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). 

Another important thing to have in mind is that naloxone works to reverse opioid overdose in the body for only 30 to 90 minutes. Many opioids, however, remain in the body longer than that. A person can still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone wears off. Furthermore, some opioids are stronger and might require multiple doses of naloxone. The person who received naloxone should be monitored for another 2 hours after the last dose of it to make sure breeding does not slow down or stop.

Within minutes after receiving naloxone, a person with physical dependence on opioids may experience withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, changes in blood pressure, sweating, nausea, or tremors. Although uncomfortable, these symptoms are not life-threatening. Still, it’s important to contact clinicians and ensure medical help.

Administration Methods

Naloxone comes in two FDA-approved forms: injectable and prepacked nasal spray. These devices produce sustainably higher blood levels of naloxone than the improvised nasal spray. Thus, the approved nasal spray technology is preferable to non-FDA-approved forms. 

• Different companies offer the injectable form. The proper dose must be drawn from a vial. Typically, it’s injected with a needle into the muscle of the upper arm or thigh. It can also be administered into a vein or under the skin. The FDA recently approved a single-dose, prefilled syringe that can be injected into the muscle or under the skin.
• A pre-packed nasal spray was developed as a result of NIDA-funded research. It is a needle-free device that requires no assembly and is sprayed into one nostril while the person lays on their back. 

While injectable forms require some training, prepacked nasal spray can be easier to use without formal training. This option can also be more practical for those who panic or are nervous when trying to help someone. Regardless of which form of naloxone you use, you should read the product instructions and check the expiration date. 

Where to Obtain Naloxone

Having in mind the opioid epidemic in Florida and a growing need for intervention, naloxone is made available to the public in several ways:

• Buy it in a pharmacy or a store. Florida law allows authorized healthcare practitioners and pharmacists to dispense Narcan to patients, caregivers, and first responders without a prescription. The FDA-approved nasal spray can be purchased in person and online and even in retail stores like Target and Walmart. The cost of naloxone varies depending on where you get it and what type you get. If you have insurance, check how much of it would be covered. Those without insurance can consult drug companies´ cost assistance programs if they cannot pay. 
• Get it from a health department. This method of obtaining naloxone is free of charge. You should check your local health department or public health groups to see if they can assist and ensure you get the necessary dosages of naloxone.
• Obtain it through a community organization. Different community organizations dedicated to helping those struggling with addiction may be able to provide you with naloxone free of charge. Community-based narcan distribution programs are typically designed to help those financially struggling and, therefore, cannot obtain naloxone independently.

Importance of Training and Preparedness

If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, having naloxone, as well as knowledge of how to use it, is a must. Every year, over 80,000 people in the US alone die from an overdose involving opioids. This could have been prevented with the swift reaction of administering naloxone and ensuring medical assistance. Still, the reaction is often lacking for various reasons. People might not be familiar with naloxone and its purpose, they might not be in a state to provide help, or they just might lack training in how to use naloxone.

To be able to provide help to someone who’s struggling and experiencing an opioid overdose, familiarize yourself with naloxone administration techniques. Ensure you have a naloxone provider you can rely on and always have the medicine at your hand. Keep it accessible, especially if someone close to you is at risk of an opioid overdose. If needed, turn to an addiction treatment center in Florida, to educate yourself and practice naloxone administration.

Finally, remember that while narcaine will resolve the acute situation of overdose, the only way to help someone struggling with opioid addiction is to point them to a recovery program that can help them overcome their struggles and reclaim control over their lives. With specialized opioid rehab, your loved one would receive all the necessary care, therapy, and support to manage their addiction lifelong. Furthermore, they will learn how to prevent relapses and reduce the risk of an accidental overdose.

Learn to Use Naloxone with Professional Help

You never know when you will need to use naloxone. If a friend or a loved one is struggling with opioid abuse, you should always have narcane with you to provide immediate help if it comes to an opioid overdose. However, you might need a bit of training to use naloxone correctly. Gaining the right knowledge and skills can give you the confidence to administer naloxone and potentially save someone’s life. Take the time to learn—being prepared can make all the difference.