Prescription Drug Overdose

Due to the large number of prescriptions handed out by the medical community, the number of people addicted to opioid-based prescription drugs and deaths related to opiate overdose are on the rise. Opiate painkillers can treat an expansive array of pain situations from minor short-term pain to the management of long-term pain caused by the final stages of terminal cancer. However, when prescription drugs are combined with other drugs or taken in excess, the result can be a prescription drug overdose that could end in coma or death.

More Prescription Drug Overdose Articles

Stop flirting with a prescription overdose. Call Meditox today and begin a prescription drug addiction treatment that will allow you to stop taking your opioid-based painkiller immediately.

What are the Signs of a Prescription Drug Overdose?

If you or someone you care about is taking prescription drugs, it is essential that you are able to recognize an overdose when it occurs.

Respiratory depression-a decrease in the respiratory rate-is the most serious and obvious sign of an overdose, characterized by slow and labored or shallow breathing or no breathing at all. Many times, the victim's skin around the fingernails and lips will become bluish in color and the pupils of the eyes can shrink to the size of pinpoints. A weak pulse and low blood pressure will occur, and stomach spasms accompanied by nausea or vomiting are likely. A severe overdose usually brings with it apnea, which can cause brain damage, as well as cardiac arrest and circulatory collapse from the lack of oxygen. All of these symptoms can end in cardiac arrest, coma and death.

What Do I Do in the Event of a Prescription Drug Overdose?

If you have determined that a prescription drug overdose is evident, you should promptly call emergency medical services by dialing 911. To expedite the treatment of the overdose when the paramedics arrive, give the operator the following information:

Victim's age and weight (if known)
The condition of the victim. Are they responsive?
The name of the prescription drug(s) taken
How the victim took the drug (Orally? Nasally? Injected?)
The amount of the dose
The time the last dose was taken

The National Poison Control Center is a valuable resource if you are uncertain an overdose has taken place. The experts at poison control can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It does not need to be an emergency to call poison control; you are welcome to call any time for answers to questions about prescription drug overdose.

How is a Prescription Drug Overdose Treated?

Prescription drug overdose is a serious medical emergency and will be treated as such. The largest concern for those caring for an opioid prescription drug overdose patient will be to re-establish normal breathing. Many times, this will require the person to be put on a ventilator as well as the administration of the narcotic antagonist naloxone, which will stop the effects of the opiate on the respiratory system immediately. At the hospital, this may be followed up by gastric lavage and/or a dose of activated charcoal or laxative to flush the opiates out of the system altogether.

How Do I Avoid a Prescription Drug Overdose?

Overdosing on prescription drugs is very likely when they are not taken as directed or mixed with other drugs like benzodiazepines or alcohol. It is imperative that you always take opiate painkillers exactly as described. Should you miss a dose, it is important that you do not "double up" at the next dose as doing so can create a traumatic overdose situation in your body. Before taking a new prescription drug, discuss with your doctor all the medications that you are taking including over the counter drugs and dietary supplements. Many times, seemingly innocuous agents like antihistamines and alcohol can result in an overdose or death when they are mixed with opioid-based prescriptions. It's important to protect yourself by remaining vigilant about everything you put in your body while you are taking the opiate prescription.

Avoid a Prescription Drug Overdose Through Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment at Meditox

You can now avoid a prescription drug overdose by taking advantage of our prescription drug addiction treatment program at Meditox. Our doctors are certified to oversee opiate addiction treatment with the FDA-approved medications, Suboxone and Subutex. Suboxone and Subutex both include the drug, buprenorphine, a drug solely indicated in the treatment of opiate drug dependence that can effectively shorten detox time and minimize painkiller withdrawal symptoms, allowing you to take back your life almost immediately.

Contact Meditox to learn more about our outpatient prescription drug addiction treatment today.

If you feel that Meditox might be the right solution for you or your loved one, please call us for a toll-free and private consultation:

Additional Resources

A Lethal Prescription: Overdose
Prescription Medication Overdose Deaths Nearly Double

All Detox Programs

“Today is week #5! I have my life back, this morning my husband told me he hadn't seen me like this in three years! My daughter told me "your back Mom"! My Fybromyalgia is down to 2 to 3 percent of what it was, I am fully able to live with the Joy and Love and Laughter which has always been my way.”

Mother, Real Estate Agent, 49
August 11, 2006

More Success Stories