Drug Overdosing: What Does It Mean For You & Your Body?

If you are questioning your behavior or the behavior of a loved one, it is likely already time to seek help. However, if you are unsure whether or not support will be well-received, take the time to determine if you think you have had or are witnessing an overdose or an OD and how to find treatment for drug addiction in the safest way possible.

Definition of an Overdose

An overdose occurs when a dose of a toxic drug, or combination of drugs, enters the body that it is overwhelmed and responds by entering some version of a critical state. Depending on the drug, or combination of drugs, and the person involved, the dosage necessary for an overdose is not uniform, which is why it regularly happens. Despite measures in place to prevent death from occurring due to overdoses, often the signs are not recognized early enough, and people do not make it to the other side of the critical response.

Signs of an Overdose

Typically each person will have a unique and varied reaction to a hazardous amount of toxins in their body. However, there are a few common answers you can look for when determining whether or not to call for emergency help.

• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
• Unresponsive or intermittent loss of consciousness
• Weak or no pulse
• Consistent vomiting or dry heaving
• Cyanosis or skin turning blue
• Rapid temperature changes
• Shaking or seizures
• Aphasia or inability to communicate

Challenges

Due to similar symptoms in regular drug use, depending on the substance, many of the symptoms of an overdose can be difficult to determine as extraordinary from regular operation for someone who suffers from addiction issues. Since addiction is a lifelong battle with a life-threatening disease, the best practice is to call for help in Denver, CO. Whether or not the person tells you not to call for help or you are unsure if you need help, doing so anyway could save a life. What is an overdose if not an explicit request for help?

Overdose Concerns for Specific Drugs

Some drugs can have more devastating results than others if an overdose occurs. While no overdose is ideal, stimulants and opioids typically prove to be the most deadly in terms of reaction time and intensity. Other common drug groups that people can overdose on with dangerous results include:

• Depressants
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Hallucinogens
• Inhalants
• Other chemical compounds

Is Overdose a Sign That Treatment Is Necessary?

While an overdose is a very apparent sign that treatment is necessary, the unfortunate news for many people who have lost loved ones over the years is that a person can overdose from just the first time they try or use particular drugs.

Immediate treatment for a drug overdose is typically administered by emergency response teams when they arrive on the scene. Pumping the stomach and intravenous fluids are usually the next steps in removing the toxic substances to help heal the body. However, social workers have also been known to aid overdoses in Denver, CO. Naloxone hydrochloride is the name of the controversial drug used to help reverse opioid overdoses.

Overdosing simply says the quiet part out loud, hoping that someone else is there to hear it. Still, for so many people, no one is around to call for help or offer the life-saving measures that can quickly turn an overdose into a short hospital stay and recovery stint rather than a ventilator.

Finding Help for an Overdose

Not every person will have the same path to recovery. Finding help for an overdose will likely start at the hospital where the treatment was given. The care team that works to reverse the overdose will help locate additional care options for the patient to find a match before the process repeats itself. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers treat addiction crises after the actual event of the overdose. If you are searching for more information on outpatient treatment options call us to learn more.

Finding Help for Drug Addiction in Denver, CO

While learning what an overdose is and what to do if you experience or witness one, finding out more about preventive measures is important as well. Measures like naloxone hydrochloride that reverse opioid overdoses or getting to the ER for stomach pump and treatment fluids may help more people realize. This result is ideal instead of ignoring or running away from the problem.

If you live in or around the Denver, Co, area, the Magnolia Medical Group offers drug addiction treatment. You will benefit from the support of medication-assisted treatment and substance abuse counseling by board-certified physicians and counselors in a non-judgmental and caring outpatient practice. Contact Magnolia Medical Group today for more information.