Preventing Overdose

Opioid Overdose

Common opioids include heroine, fentanyl, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and hydrocodone.

It is important to know that you can overdose from these substances even if you are using a small amount. This is because more toxic opioids (e.g. carfentanil) could be mixed in with street drugs.

Strong opioids (fentanyl or carfentanil) can be mixed with other street drugs like ecstasy (MDMA), crystal meth, cocaine and others.

One of the risks of using opioids is overdose. In an opioid overdose, you pass out, your breathing slows or stops, and you may die.

Some of the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose include:

soft/no breath or snoring
pinpoint pupils
blue lips, nails or skin
cold clammy skin
limp body
doesn't respond to shouting.

If you are using opioids, here are some tips for staying safer:

Use with someone else
Start with a little bit to see how it affects you
Avoid mixing drugs with alcohol
Don’t use at exactly the same time as someone else
Carry a naloxone kit
Make a plan to know how to respond in case someone overdoses
Remember, an overdose is a medical emergency. Call 911.

Naloxone

Naloxone (or Narcan®) is an antidote for opioids (including codeine, demerol, hydromorphe, heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone etc.) that can be used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

It is important to call 911 even if naloxone has been administered to an individual experiencing an overdose.

Naloxone can be found in various agencies and pharmacies in Waterloo Region. See the list of locations on the Naloxone page.

Crystal Methamphetamine (stimulant) Overdose

‘Methamphetamine’ is the name given to a range of different street drugs that, in chemical terms, are related to amphetamine. Amphetamines are drugs that are classed as stimulants, or sometimes they are called psycho-stimulants. These are drugs that increase central nervous system activity – they basically change the way your brain does things including making you breathe faster, making your heart beat faster, giving you more energy, and making you feel like you can handle anything.

Stimulant overdose

It is important to know that you can overdose on stimulants such as crystal meth. Some of the signs of overdose include:

Hot, flushed or sweaty skin
Headaches
Chest pain
Rigid muscles, tremors or spasms
Seizures
Difficulty breathing
Psychotic symptoms in individuals with no prior mental health illness
Severe agitation or panic
Confusion or disorientation

If you are concerned about a stimulant overdose, there are ways you can respond:

Call 911 and stay on the line
Reassure the person and make sure they are comfortable
If overheating, try to loosen outer clothing or put a towel on the back of their neck or under their underarms
Check for a response
Put the person into recovery position and monitor

Recovery position