Signs Of A Barbiturate Overdose

Barbiturate Overdose_

Barbiturate drugs are prescribed to treat seizures, and in more limited instances, anxiety and insomnia. But, when abused, these drugs can cause addiction and overdose. First time and chronic users alike can overdose. Overdose can first resemble alcohol intoxication before progressing to more serious extremes, including respiratory depression, coma, and death. Roughly ten percent of barbiturate-related overdoses are fatal, most commonly from complications of the heart and lungs.

Barbiturate Overdose_10%Prescription drug abuse affects countless individuals and families across our nation. And sadly, in many cases these individuals actually abuse their own medications or get barbiturates from their family members or other loved ones. Some individuals may do this to self-medicate a physical or mental health condition, while others do so for recreational purposes. If you’re struggling with insomnia or anxiety this might seem like a quick fix. But regardless of why you initiate barbiturate abuse, you’re ingesting a drug which has a high potential for overdose.

How Do People Abuse Barbiturates?

Barbiturates are produced in capsule, tablet, and elixir forms. During abuse, whether it be self-medication or recreationally, many people continue to consume these drugs orally, but in larger and more frequent quantities. Recreational users may use barbiturates because they create feelings similar to being drunk or intoxicated on alcohol.

When a person is addicted, or even within patterns of abuse, they might decide to alter the form of the drug and administer it differently. This is because they hope to enhance or quicken the drug’s effects. These methods may include smoking, snorting, rectally (“plugging”), or even by liquefying capsule or tablet forms and injecting it.

And in another attempt to alter or expedite the pleasurable effects, or to moderate ill effects of another drug, users often abuse barbiturates with alcohol or opiates. Mixing these drugs is not a harmless, fun time. All of these work upon your central nervous system (CNS) with depressant qualities, leading to what can be deadly results.

What Are Barbiturates?

Barbiturate drugs have sedative and hypnotic effects, which mean they can make you feel sleepy or very relaxed. This mechanism of action occurs due to the way this class of drugs decreases the rate of certain activity within your brain. These effects are also what makes them so appealing to drug abusers. Frequently abused barbiturates include (name brand is listed second):

  • Butabarbital (Butisol Sodium)
  • Phenobarbital (Luminal)
  • Pentobarbital (Nembutal)
  • Secobarbital (Seconal)

Barbiturate Overdose_DrunkEven prescribed use of these drugs changes the way your CNS functions, earning them the term CNS depressants. These effects are felt more profoundly within patterns of abuse and addiction.

As your CNS is depressed various systems within your body which are tasked with life-support begin to slow down or fall, including:

  • Blood pressure
  • Breathing rate (respiration)
  • Heart rate
  • Temperature

Severe levels of CNS depression are what initiate overdose. When too much of the drug is used these critical systems can even begin shutting down. The higher potential for overdose is why barbiturates are prescribed in smaller numbers than they were in the past. Now, benzodiazepines are largely used in their place, however these drugs also run the risk of addiction and overdose.

What Are The Signs Of Barbiturate Overdose?

What makes barbiturate abuse dangerous is how it resembles alcohol intoxication. This similarity can surface as an excuse or diversion for a barbiturate abuser. Barbiturate abusers might try to pin their abuse on alcohol or the casual observer might make this assumption on their own. Try to be mindful of this. If a person becomes suddenly drunk after having only one drink (especially if they’ve struggled with barbiturate abuse in the past) there may be cause for concern.

According to MedlinePlus signs of overdose include:

  • Becoming uncoordinated
  • Changes in speech (speaking slower or slurring words)
  • Coma
  • Difficulty maintaining consciousness
  • Feeling or moving sluggishly
  • Having trouble walking (staggering)
  • Intense drowsiness
  • Impaired judgment
  • Slow or shallow breathing
  • Struggling to think clearly

Many of these symptoms are also present in varying degrees during an intoxicated state. But beware, intoxication can quickly progress to full-fledged overdose. If you have the slightest concern that you’re going into overdose, or watching a loved one do so, call emergency medical services immediately. This prompt action could save a life.

Can A Barbiturate Overdose Be Deadly?

Yes. Again, nearly one in ten barbiturate-related overdoses leads to death. As barbiturates are often mixed with alcohol or opiates (all three may be abused together) a large number of overdoses result this way. In fact, MedlinePlus warns that these polydrug abusers are:

“New users who do not know these combinations can lead to coma or death”
“Experienced users who use them on purpose to alter their consciousness”

They conclude by cautioning that overdose in the second group of individuals is harder to treat.

What Are The Risks Of A Barbiturate Overdose?

While death is surely the most serious concern, even a non-fatal overdose can have some life-altering results. According to MedlinePlus, overdose may lead to:

  • Coma
  • Developmental damage to the child in utero
  • Miscarriage
  • Falls, leading to head injuries, concussions, injury to the neck and spine regions, and/or paralysis.
  • “Pneumonia from depressed gag reflex and aspiration”
  • “Severe muscle damage from lying on a hard surface while unconscious, which may lead to permanent kidney injury”

Barbiturate Overdose_Death

Your drug abuse and addiction doesn’t have to progress to this point. But every time you use you’re taking a gamble with your health and life. Fortunately, help exists. Barbiturate abuse and addiction can be treated with the right combination of treatment modalities, and with the help of the right program.

The Right Treatment Could Save Your Life

Since a vast majority of prescription drug abuse begins from self-medication, a good treatment program should address any physical or mental health concerns which precipitated abuse. So if you struggle with anxiety, insomnia, or seizures, and you’ve found that you’re misusing your prescription (or someone else’s) in dangerous ways, treatment should address these adverse health effects alongside of the addiction.

This might include implementing the use of another medication to curb the symptoms of these conditions. For a co-occurring disorder like anxiety, individuals should be offered dual diagnosis care so that the mental illness is treated too. These treatments hold true with recreational abusers who may have a mental health disorder.

Effective treatment for both addiction and co-occurring disorders includes behavioral therapies; two research-based examples include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Barbiturates do form intense physical dependencies. Because of this, a medical detox may be necessary prior to commencing inpatient drug rehab. Life can be very overwhelming and dark when you’re living under the constant burden of an addiction. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Get Treatment And Find Hope Today

Don’t give up your life to addiction. Contact the compassionate treatment specialists today at DrugRehab.org. We have more resources on barbiturate abuse and addiction to help you or a family member begin living a sober and safer life. Contact us today.

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Sources

National Institute on Drug Abuse — Commonly Abused Drugs Charts

Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States?

DrugRehab.org Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States_

All across our nation, opioid drug abuse continues to claim the lives of our neighbors, family members, and other loved ones. With proper prevention and/or treatment, these deaths can be prevented. Narcan is a powerful tool which can save a person’s life.

What Is Naloxone?

All opioid drugs depress the central nervous system. This results in decreased blood pressure, breathing, heart, and temperature rates. During overdose these critical life support functions slow even more, to the point where they begin to shut down. Left untreated, these circumstances can lead to death.

DrugRehab.org Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States_ Results in Decreased

Naloxone hydrochloride is an opioid antagonist, which, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse means “that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids.” Because of these effects, naloxone holds great success as an overdose reversal drug. This mechanism of action occurs rapidly by “restoring normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or prescription opioid pain medications.” Naloxone is available in three FDA-approved formulations, one of which is Narcan.

What Is Narcan?

To stop overdose in its tracks, a medication must be administered in a form which allows the drug to begin working right away. At a time like this when every minute matters, a pill or tablet would take far too long to work. This is why naloxone is administered in rapid-release formulations for overdose, such as with Narcan.

As a nasal spray, Narcan delivers the naloxone to the sensitive tissues within your nasal cavity. These tissues are highly permeable to naloxone, allowing the drug to pass quickly so it can make its way to the brain. Each single dose contains 2 mg or 4 mg of naloxone. According to the manufacturer, this medication begins reversing overdose in two to three minutes.

Narcan:

  • Comes already assembled
  • Does not require an injection
  • Is available over-the-counter in certain locations

Because of these features, Narcan is a life-saving device which is easy to use for family members, friends, and caregivers of opioid drug abusers.

How Do I Use Narcan?

The minute it becomes apparent a person is overdosing, Narcan should be administered. To use this drug, the overdosed individual must be placed on their back. Narcan is then inserted and sprayed into one nostril. At this point, the drug goes to work right away.

Medscape cautions that multiple doses may be required if a person fails to begin breathing or relapses back to unconsciousness and respiratory depression. To meet these needs, each pack of Narcan comes with two dosages. Each dose has enough medication for one use and should only be used once.

DrugRehab.org Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States_ Emergency medical Help

Even though Narcan works within minutes to slow or stop overdose, a person isn’t necessarily in the clear. Emergency medical help should still be contacted as soon as possible. While you’re waiting for help to arrive it’s crucial that you continue to watch the individual closely. Emergency medical personnel should monitor the individual for two hours to ensure that they do not suffer from any additional respiratory complications.

Can I Purchase Narcan Over-the-counter?

Narcan is changing the face of the opioid epidemic for many reasons, namely due to its accessibility. While many emergency medical teams and first responders do carry this drug, over-the-counter (OTC) availability puts Narcan into the hands of those who need it.

Like other medications, Narcan is available with a prescription. But with the growing concerns of opioid overdose across our nation, this drug is increasingly becoming available OTC. The manufacturer’s website states “As of December 28, 2016, ten states require a prescription from your healthcare professional to obtain NARCAN® Nasal Spray.” Two nationwide pharmacies have made huge strides in promoting Narcan’s life-saving potential. In 2016, Walgreens and CVS both announced that they were expanding access to Narcan without a prescription.

Keep in mind, state legislation is always changing. As time passes, this medication may become even more widely offered OTC. For example, Narcan was recently made available over-the-counter in Michigan. This option is dependent on state-specific laws regarding the prescription and administration of Narcan.

How Do I Know If Narcan Is Available Without A Prescription In My State?

In order to obtain this drug, it’s important to know if you can purchase it this way in your state. These laws vary. Some states may only dispense Narcan without a prescription to the patient, whereas others will do so for those who wish to protect their loved ones.

The Prescription Drug Abuse Policy System offers resources on the specific legislation and broadened naloxone access laws on a state-by-state basis. Beyond this resource, the easiest way to find out would be to ask your family doctor or local pharmacist.

Who Should Carry Narcan?

Within situations of overdose, time matters. Medications like Narcan help individuals and families have a protective measure in place, should overdose occur. If you have a loved one who abuses opioid drugs, it’s recommended that you keep Narcan on hand. This will allow you to dispense treatment immediately if they start exhibiting signs of overdose.

DrugRehab.org Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States_ Available in MichiganAdditionally, a person who is experiencing overdose themselves may not be able to administer the Narcan. Even then, chronic opioid abusers should keep Narcan on or near them. It’s important the user notifies those close to them of the location of this drug, so that these individuals have access to it fast. The prescribing doctor or pharmacist (if purchased over-the-counter) can walk you through using Narcan.

Can You Get In Trouble For Administering Narcan?

Unfortunately, some individuals are apprehensive of administering this drug for fear of liability should something happen. To counter this fear, many states are increasingly developing legislation to protect people who choose to use this drug. These individuals are referred to as lay people and the laws protecting them as Good Samaritan Laws. The Network for Public Health Law has published a fact sheet detailing if and how these protections are in place.

In early 2017 the National Conference of State Legislatures reported that “To encourage people to seek out medical attention for an overdose or for follow-up care after naloxone has been administered, 37 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of a Good Samaritan or 911 drug immunity law.”

We Can Help You Fight The Opioid Epidemic

Experiencing an opioid addiction, either personally or within a loved one’s life, can be a very frightening experience, and overdose even more so. If you’re concerned about an opioid overdose and would like to learn more about prevention or treatment options, like Narcan, let DrugRehab.org help. Opioid addictions are serious, but the good news is that they’re treatable. We can help you find a treatment program to help you recover. Contact us now.

For more information, call now!

For More Information Related to “Is Narcan Available Over-The-Counter In The United States?” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

 


Sources

DAILYMED — Label: NARCAN- naloxone hydrochloride spray
NARCAN (naloxone HCL) NASAL SPRAY 4 mg — More Questions?
National Conference of State Legislatures — Drug Overdose Immunity and Good Samaritan Laws
National Institute on Drug Abuse — Opioid Overdose Reversal with Naloxone (Narcan, Evzio)

Methamphetamine Overdose Treatment

Methamphetamine Overdose Treatment

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, among other street names, has become increasingly widespread, as its prevalence has extended across the United States within the past several decades. With this diaspora, a continued pattern of abuse, addiction, and destruction has followed.

Meth is a highly addictive stimulant drug. Using this drug, either for the first time, or habitually, as is characteristic of an addiction, can bring great harm to a person, including a high risk of overdose.

Meth’s Background

You may be surprised to know that meth owes its roots to the medical field. Like many illicit drugs, meth was developed for medical purposes, and is yet used, albeit rarely for medical applications. After its creation in the early part of the 20th century, methamphetamine was used in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers, as explained by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Currently, in the now infrequent times it is used within the medical field, NIDA tells us that it is administered for ADHD or weight-loss treatments.

Methamphetamine Overdose Treatment Nasal Decongestants

In order to better understand its potency and addictive potential, it is useful to consider the fact that it is very closely related to another powerful, and also commonly abused stimulant—amphetamine. In fact, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, meth, like amphetamine are both within the amphetamines class of drugs. Due to its strong risk for abuse and dependence, it is classified by the DEA as a Schedule II drug.

How Meth Affects Your Body

People may choose to administer meth several ways, each of which alter the effects and risks a meth abuser incurs. Meth, like various other illicit stimulant drugs, may be smoked, snorted, injected, or more rarely, taken orally. Each of these ways exposes a person towards to the potential of overdose, which in some cases, may be fatal.

Before we speak of this risk, and the subsequent treatment, we will speak in brief of the drug’s effects on a user. Being able to understand the signs and symptoms of meth abuse and addiction may give you a greater awareness that could be helpful towards initiating the help that may avert an overdose in someone you love. Prevention is key in protecting someone from use that accelerates from abuse to addiction, and subsequently the attributed risks. When someone uses meth, they may, in the short term:

  • Become excessively talkative
  • Exhibit a more focused state of attention
  • Experience decreased fatigue
  • Have a diminished appetite
  • Exhibit signs of increased respiration (taking breaths in a greater frequency or speed)
  • Complain that their heart rate is rapid
  • Become too hot (hyperthermia)

As with any drug of abuse, as use progresses, a person is apt to exhibit more serious effects, with meth, these long-term signs of abuse may be:

  • Tolerance (a person needs more to achieve the same effect)
  • Anxiety
  • A confused state
  • Mood changes, including violent behavior
  • Psychotic tendencies (paranoia, and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)
  • Believing that bugs are crawling on, or beneath the skin
  • Intense itching or damage to the skin from the above notion
  • Significant weight loss
  • “Meth mouth,” a variety of dental issues due to the drug’s damaging effects
  • Marks from needle use
  • Infections at injection sites
  • Wearing long sleeves to cover up the latter two signs

Methamphetamine Overdose Treatment History

In addition to these symptoms of use, meth can also damage a person’s physical and mental health, including an increased risk of various transmissible diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C and B; cognitive decline, complications during pregnancy, and damage to the heart, to name some. Two of the greatest risks are addiction and overdose.

Signs Of An Overdose

If the above signs become apparent in someone close to you, and you believe there may be concern of meth abuse, or addiction, seek treatment immediately—it may mean the difference between an overdose occurring down the road, and even life and death. Being preemptive may help a person to avoid such dire circumstances if their drug use continues unchecked.

Unfortunately, people’s drug habits are not always caught in time, and an overdose may still occur. There are even more imminent signs that may further point to more serious straits, such as those which precede an overdose. As extracted from MedlinePlus, if a person has consumed large amounts of meth, such as that which may cause overdose, they may exhibit or experience the following:

  • Methamphetamine Overdose Treatment SymptomsAgitation
  • Chest pain
  • Coma or unresponsiveness (in extreme cases)
  • Heart attack
  • Irregular or stopped heartbeat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Very high body temperature
  • Kidney damage and possibly kidney failure
  • Paranoia
  • Seizures
  • Severe stomach pain
  • Stroke

Please, we urge you, if you witness any of these conditions call emergency medical assistance immediately, your call has the potential to save a person’s life. Should you even begin to think that a meth overdose may be occurring, or that a person even be at risk of experiencing one, seek medical attention immediately. In these critical conditions, every minute manners, and the sooner you get your loved one, or yourself help, the sooner a medical intervention can work towards improving the odds that it does not result in a fatality.

As these individuals may become violent or aggressive please proceed with caution around them. If a person is seizing, do not attempt to hold down their limbs, or attempt in any other way to stop the movement. Instead, if they are experiencing a seizure, the only thing you should do is to lightly cradle their head, to help protect it from harm. If you are able, roll them off their back and onto their side, preferably the left, so that they don’t aspirate their vomit should they get sick.

Lastly, MedlinePlus urges that if you witness an overdose, to prepare crucial information for the medical support team, as much as you may know, including:

  • How much they weigh and also their age.
  • What amount of drug did they take, and in what frequency?
  • How did they administer the drug? Did they inject it, take it orally, etc?
  • When did they take the drug?

Also, if the person took any other drug(s), either prescribed or illicit, including alcohol, please make certain to tell the responders this, as this may change the course of treatment. This can be a very overwhelming and frightening situation, but remember, try to keep your head clear and stay calm so that you may assist them in getting the help they need.

Should An Overdose Occur

Again, we must remind you that a person may conceivably overdose on meth the first time they try it, or at any point along the spectrum between abuse and addiction. When this overdose happens suddenly, it is called an acute methamphetamine intoxication. In an instance that an overdose does occur, what follows are measures of treatment that will be initiated in an attempt to moderate the severity of various facets of the overdose in attempt to save the person’s life.

Foremost, when a person is overdosing on meth, due to the at times extreme impact that it can have on a person’s psyche, the medical staff will ascertain a person’s psychological standing. Within this period of time, they will also be establishing a person’s vitals. In most severe cases, a person’s mental state may be evident as extreme psychosis manifests by delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia. This is often accompanied by aggressive or violent behavior.

For the safety of both the individual and hospital staff, in these cases, the person will likely be restrained and sedated intravenously. This not only protects all parties involved, but allows for the emergency department (ED) team better, unobstructed access to be able to administer critical, and what could be lifesaving, measures. A Medscape article specifies on medicines that may be used, nothing that “Benzodiazepines diminish methamphetamine-induced behavioral and psychiatric intoxication. This class of drug is also used to terminate methamphetamine-induced seizures.”

Another medication-based approach that may be used is also outlined by Medscape, “Treat hyperactive or agitated patients with droperidol or haloperidol, which are butyrophenones that antagonize CNS dopamine receptors and mitigate the excess dopamine produced from methamphetamine toxicity.” However, they do note that despite the clinical success of these drugs in studies, some places will not use them because of a Black Box warning due to the cardiac risks of “QT prolongation and the potential for torsades de pointes.”

Within this process, as soon as they’re able, the medical staff will do a toxicology screening to confirm the presence of any other drugs that were reported and to identify any that were not. A person may also be intubated so that they can receive oxygen and breathing support through the aid of a machine.

Currently, meth, like many other stimulants has no FDA-approved treatment for addiction. Similarly, because of its stimulant nature, medical means to treat meth overdose varies from other approaches that use overdose-reversal drugs. For this reason, when a person encounters a meth overdose, the emergency department instead focuses their predominant attention on treating the physical and psychological symptoms of the meth overdose instead of an actual reversal of the drug itself.

At this point, once the situation is under control, the ED staff will begin assessing a person’s vitals more completely to determine the next measures of medical attention. As we noted above, meth may cause a person’s temperature to rise to sometimes drastic heights, a condition that is called hyperthermia. Combined with other risks—high blood pressure, increased or irregular heart rate, increased respiration, and convulsions, a person is at risk of losing their life.

To counter these risks, as explained by The Endowment for Human Development, a person may receive anticonvulsant drugs or be put into an ice bath to cool down their internal temperature. Hyperthermia may impact not only a person’s body, but also their brain, causing their brain’s temperature to rise to the point great damage may occur.

A U.S. National Library of Medicine published study on meth overdose chronicles the danger that this may have, citing that “we demonstrate that acute METH intoxication induces robust, widespread but structure-specific leakage of the BBB, acute glial activation, and increased water content (edema).” The piece continues to say that they are uncertain if these conditions may be reversed, however, that they do know that they contribute to “multiple functional and structural perturbations in the brain, determining its acute toxicity and possibly contributing to neurotoxicity.” Essentially, this means that a meth overdose may lead to brain damage. Hence, it is critical that a person receive care, so that their body and brain can begin cooling as soon as possible to advert as many aspects of damage as possible.

If a person has taken meth orally, MedlinePlus tells us they may receive a laxative and activated charcoal. These help to pass the toxins and cleanse them from a person’s system in a quicker manner than their body would on its own, in order to avoid the drug continuing to wreak havoc.

Once a person is more stabilized and the most imminent risks addressed, other medical tests and procedures may occur to determine the full extent of the damage, so that they may continue to administer even more focused medical care on other serious risks. These may include, as cited from MedlinePlus:

  • Chest x-ray
  • CT (computerized tomography) scan (a type of advanced imaging) of the head, if head injury is suspected
  • EKG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing)
  • Other medicines or treatments for heart, brain, muscle and kidney complications

In addition to these measures, a person may receive various other drugs or treatments. As we’ve noted, meth abuse—especially in the larger amounts that would precipitate an overdose—can cause anxiety, agitation, nausea, high blood pressure, and even pain. Once a person’s state is evaluated for these concerns, they may receive a variety of medicines via an IV to address these conditions.

After a person recuperates from this event, they should seek treatment for meth abuse or addiction, in order to further protect themselves against greater risk. In serious cases, inpatient drug rehab may be best, especially programs that employ cognitive behavioral therapy, a method that has shown great success with these concerns.

Prevent The Damage

Contact us if you or a loved are considering treatment.If you or someone you love uses meth, than you are at risk of overdosing. Please, contact us at DrugRehab.org, so that we may help you to find treatment options that can put you on a path towards sobriety and better health.


Sources
Center for Substance Abuse Research — Amphetamines
MedlinePlus — Methamphetamine overdose
Medscape — Methamphetamine Toxicity Treatment & Management
THE ENDOWMENT FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT — Chapter 9: What treatments are effective for methamphetamine abusers?
U.S. National Library of Medicine — Acute methamphetamine intoxication: brain hyperthermia, blood-brain barrier, brain edema, and morphological cell abnormalities.

Signs Of A Xanax Overdose

Signs Of A Xanax Overdose

Xanax is an effective anti-anxiety medication; it is one of the most prescribed within its class. Due in part to this prevalence and its highly addictive nature, it is widely misused, which leads to high rates of abuse and addiction. Research demonstrates that benzodiazepines, often referred to as a “benzos,” are second only to opioid analgesics in terms of unintentional overdose.

Xanax is one such benzodiazepine. When used to this extent, it puts a person in a position to experience potentially harmful and even dangerous side effects, one of which is overdose, to the point at which it can be fatal.

How Does Xanax Impact Your Body And Brain?

In order to understand an addiction to this substance, we need to understand the mechanisms of action by which the drug works and its purpose when used as a prescription medication. This will also help us to understand why excessive amounts of the drug can exert effects that lead to overdose.

Signs Of A Xanax Overdose Uses Of XanaxWhen used properly, Xanax (alprazolam) holds the potential to be a valuable tool in fighting generalized anxiety and other more extreme panic disorders, by helping people to combat their stress and maintain emotional and mental stability in their life. Xanax works towards depressing your central nervous system in a way that creates a calming state and the characteristic signs of sedation.

This occurs because the drug works on altering the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA for short, specifically, it increases the amounts of this neurotransmitter, allowing GABA’s natural effects to be further enhanced. This heightened capacity within your brain inhibits certain nerve transmissions, which presents as decreased excitability within the brain.

Xanax has a very short half-life, which is one reason why it works so quickly, and also why it holds such potential for dependence and overdose. As the drug’s influence wanes, a person may use more, in a greater quantity and frequency, to continue feeling it and to avoid symptoms of withdrawal.

How Is This Drug Used Illicitly?

Many times, illicit use begins with prescribed use, which can even happen when a person starts using the drug in the properly prescribed way. Xanax has a large potential for physical dependence, and for this reason, a person may begin to develop a tolerance, finding that the amount they were prescribed no longer works to fully alleviate their concerns.

As a person has experienced the drug’s positive effects, they may begin to use more of it—without a doctor’s recommendation—in the hopes of further suppressing the symptoms they’re trying to quash. What is dangerous about this misuse and self-medication is that a person is not only reducing their symptoms, but they are increasing the chemical burden and potential for damage on their body, as their body is not immune to the toll of these higher doses.

What Causes An Overdose?

An overdose can happen either intentionally or unintentionally, occurring when your body is so overburdened by the drug that its systems begin to behave differently or shut down. The extent of overdose is impacted by several things, first being the individual’s genetic makeup and unique physiology, including any illnesses or diseases that might be present. It also includes a person’s history of use, the amount and frequency of drug use, method of administration and any other concurrent drug use.

Signs Of A Xanax Overdose How Do You OverdoseXanax is available in an extended-release version. What this means is that the pill is meant to be taken in its whole form, due to the fact that it is designed in a manner that gradually releases the medicine into your body. Sometimes when a person is abusing Xanax, they will alter the pill, either crushing it or breaking it apart. This affects the drug’s absorption, allowing it to be assimilated into your body quicker, creating a higher risk of overdose.

Ultimately, overdose occurs when a person uses more of a drug than their body can handle. If a person who uses illicitly has a tolerance, they are at a higher risk for overdose, because they are more apt to use an increased amount without medical supervision.

How Does The Overdose Manifest?

It is important to understand the symptoms of overdose so that you receive appropriate medical treatment, in the hopes of avoiding any further complications or a fatality. What might seem strange is that in an overdose setting, Xanax can actually cause some of the conditions that it was created to treat, including agitation and anxiety.

Here are the signs of a Xanax overdose:

  • Confusion
  • Blurred vision
  • Seeming intoxicated
  • Weakness and/or a sense of somnolence or drowsiness
  • Dizziness, may be marked by, or occur independently from decreased coordination
  • Impaired reaction time and reflexes
  • Troubles with coordination or other motor skills, including ataxia, and difficulty walking or talking
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Slowed heart beat
  • Respiratory depression
  • Coma

If you even begin to suspect that you or someone you love has overdosed, you need to seek medical attention immediately, where you will be closely monitored to prevent further danger.

What Are The Risks Of Overdose?

For those who suffer from addiction or are using Xanax in a way other than prescribed, their actions are not without the possibility of deadly consequences. Though it is true that overdose from Xanax can range from mild to severe, and that the instance of acute toxicity and death from benzodiazepines isn’t as high as some, in the worst of these instances Xanax can cause coma or death.

Signs Of A Xanax Overdose Cases Of Emergency VisitsAccording to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, cases of Emergency Department visits due to benzodiazepines alone rose from 46,966 in 2005, to 89,310 in 2011, which is just over a 50 percent increase.

Overdose leading to coma or death is more probable when Xanax is paired with other drugs, especially other CNS depressants, including alcohol. These interactions may also cause hallucinations, met with decreased reaction time and impaired coordination, which may put a person at an even greater risk for accidents, falls and head injuries. These events may also cause death.

The Journal of Pharmacy Practice published findings on the dangers of benzodiazepine overdose in relation to opioid use. They echo cautionary mention that these classes of drugs can present greater risk of overdose when combined. Additionally, they note that between 1999 and 2009, benzodiazepine related deaths rose by five times. This research presents some startling news—within the period between 2003 and 2009, alprazolam was second to only oxycodone in terms of increased death rates, at 233.8 percent and 264.6 percent, respectively.

One study, “Alprazolam is relatively more toxic than other benzodiazepines in overdose,” focused on the toxicity of Xanax in comparison to other benzodiazepines. Although the study focused on intentional self-poisoning, the results may be somewhat applicable in the understanding of an overdose from illicit drug use.

While the amount of Xanax may at times be significantly more in this case, when compared to that which precipitates an unintentional overdose, we can still see how this drug has the potential to be more destructive than other benzos. Researchers noted, “this greater toxicity appears due to intrinsic toxicity of alprazolam. Alprazolam overdose should be regarded as more significant than other benzodiazepines.” Keep in mind, any overdose situation is serious, however, this sheds light on the fact that special considerations need to be taken into account in the case of a Xanax overdose.

How Is An Overdose Treated?

Depending on the severity, a person may require ventilation. Intravenous fluids will likely be given and vital signs will be monitored, especially cardiac and respiratory rates.

Medscape informs us that flumazenil, a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, can be used for benzodiazepine (BZD) poisoning, however, they note that its use is disputed, as the risks may negate the benefits. They elaborate on this, stating “In long-term BZD users, flumazenil may precipitate withdrawal and seizures; in patients taking BZDs for a medical condition, flumazenil may result in exacerbation of the condition.” They continued to say that when this drug is used, it may work best in “BZD-naive patients,” meaning those that don’t have a history of benzodiazepine abuse.

On the other hand, another study spoke of its benefit, reporting that “In the setting of isolated benzodiazepine overdose, flumazenil is capable of completely reversing coma within one to two minutes, with this effect lasting between one and five hours.”

An overdose is indicative of a problem, one that requires supportive care and treatment. Xanax abuse and addiction can bring disorder and harm to a person’s mental, physical and emotional states.

Let Us Help You Find An Equilibrium

Contact us if you or a loved are considering treatment.At DrugRehab.org, we want you to realize that sobriety and good health are possible. If you’re concerned that your drug use is accelerating to the point where you might be in danger of experiencing an overdose, please contact us today. We can direct you towards the best methods of care and treatment for benzodiazepine-related substance use disorders, including those due to Xanax.


Sources
MedlinePlus — Alprazolam
American Family Physician — Addiction: Part I. Benzodiazepines—Side Effects, Abuse Risk and Alternatives
Medscape — Benzodiazepine Toxicity
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — Benzodiazepines in Combination with Opioid Pain Relievers or Alcohol: Greater Risk of More Serious ED Visit Outcomes
Medscape — Benzodiazepine Toxicity Medication