SearchExclusive.com

Naloxone for Opioid Overdose – Here’s What You Need to Know

Opioids are a class of drugs that alleviate acute pain, such as the pain one experiences after undergoing a surgery. These drugs interact with the opioid receptors in the brain cells and mollify the feeling of pain and enhance the feelings of pleasure. They are produced using poppy plants or synthesized in a lab. When used according to the medical practitioner’s directions, opioid can spare the patients from pain while recovering from a health condition. However, at the moment, opioids are considered an epidemic, not only by medical communities but also by political and social bodies because of the rampant addiction cases.

Since 2000, deaths because of narcotic prescription painkillers have tripled. On the other hand, over 600 thousand individuals are battling with heroin addiction. Like prescription painkillers, the deaths caused because of heroin overdoses have multiplied by 4 times since the early 2000s. A considerable chunk of people has switched from prescription painkillers to heroin as it is easier to access and cheaper. This clearly infers that the country’s opioid crisis has dramatically risen in a span of just 15 years.

Lower doses of opioids can make the patient feel sleepy, whereas higher doses can slow down the breathing and pulse rate. As opioid releases endorphins in the brain, it keeps the person ecstatic for a while. When the drug’s effects start fading, one might crave to experience these feelings of pleasure again, which eventually can lead to addiction. Withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, irritability, insomnia, abdominal pain, tremors, diarrhea, and vomiting can make it increasingly tough for the person to maintain abstinence from opioids. Consistent opioid consumption in high doses can prove fatal too.

Signs of opioid overdose

Dangerously slowed breathing patterns and heart rate
Pale face
Sweaty hands
Blue or purple fingernails and lips
Vomiting
Inability to speak or making gurgling sounds
Unconsciousness
Limp body

If one notices these signs they should immediately contact 911.

Emergency treatment for opioid overdose
To reverse the effects of opioid overdose, a medication known as naloxone is used in an injectable form by doctors in emergency rooms or paramedics on the site. In many states, friends or family members might be allowed to carry naloxone to help a loved one addicted to heroin or painkillers. One can also find a nasal spray variant, which can be used by anyone. The good part is that it doesn’t require any special training, making it useful in stressful situations. As naloxone is highly effective, authorities encourage first responders, including the police and firefighters, to carry it with them to revive individuals suspected of opioid overdosing.

Side-effects of naloxone
Although naloxone can rapidly reverse the effects of opioid overdose, it has its own set of side-effects. These side effects include:

Allergic reactions (in the form of hives; difficulty breathing; and swelling of the face, tongue, and lips)
Pain in the chest
Seizures

Furthermore, while reversing the opioid overdose effects, naloxone puts the affected person in a state of withdrawal. As a result, they may sweat profusely, vomit, or shake violently. Likewise, they might also experience pain and burning on the site of the injection or in their hands or feet.

Cost of naloxone
The surging costs of naloxone have become a cause of concern as thousands of people are at the risk of losing their lives every year. As of now, there are no talks of subsidization, but the good news is that most health coverage plans include naloxone and numerous public health initiatives and community-based programs offer this it free of cost.

The price one has to pay for naloxone vastly depends on their health insurance plan and the variant they want to purchase. Naloxone available in the form of shots (sold as Evzio®, manufactured by Kaleo) and the nasal spray (sold under the brand name Narcan®, produced by Adapt Pharma). These variations are sold at wholesale prices to first responders and community-based organizations. Likewise, high schools, eligible colleges, and universities are offered with free naloxone to ensure timely response and promote awareness among young individuals.

Buying naloxone
As this is an emergency-based drug, naloxone in most states is classified as a non-prescription drug. In states where it is not listed as a non-prescription drug, the state departments allow pharmacists to prescribe naloxone. Therefore, before buying naloxone, one should check their state’s health laws and pharmacy regulations.

While having a naloxone can come in handy, unfortunate incidents because of opioid overdose can’t be prevented when one isn’t around a loved one who is experiencing it. Therefore, before the situation takes a turn for the worst, try and ensure that the concerned friend or family member gets all the necessary help to cope with opioid addiction. It takes a considerable amount of time to bounce back from opioid addiction, but with the help of proper medical treatments and therapy, it is possible for one to regain control over his/her life.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.