How to Properly Administer Naloxone (Narcan)

Being addicted to drugs and/or alcohol means that you are suffering from a chronic disease that involves compulsive usage that becomes difficult to control or even impossible to manage. This compulsive usage often comes with consequences that are detrimental to your health and can put you at risk for a potentially fatal overdose. 

Initially, the decision to use drugs and alcohol is voluntary. However, over time, repeated use eventually alters the chemistry in the brain and makes self-control and resistance to using substances extremely difficult.

These changes in the brain can cause difficulty in the long term, leading to relapses even after you have become sober. Those in recovery need to have an ongoing treatment plan even after their initial success in quitting the harmful substance. 

Why Should You Learn to Use Naloxone?

You should learn to use Naloxone because it can save lives during opioid overdoses. Learning this skill is especially important if you or someone close to you uses opioids or substances that might contain opioids like fentanyl – you should always carry Narcan and ensure your regular contacts know how to access and use it.

The need to learn using this life-saving medication is urgent: in 2021, over 100,000 people died in the United States from drug overdoses, with opioids causing 75% of these deaths. You should learn to use Naloxone because it helps restore normal breathing during an opioid overdose – the same way first responders use it to save lives.

What Is The Correct Procedure For Administering Naloxone?

The correct procedure for administering naloxone includes proper preparation of the device, careful positioning of the patient, accurate delivery of the medication, and essential follow-up monitoring. Whether using nasal spray or injection method, maintaining proper technique and timing is crucial for effective administration. For detailed step-by-step instructions on both nasal and injection methods, please refer to the comprehensive guide below.

Nasally

Here are the correct steps for administering Narcan nasally:

• Remove the nasal spray from its box.
• Open the nasal spray by peeling back the tab.
• Hold the spray with your index and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle and your thumb ready to press on the plunger.
• Provide support under the person’s neck, using your hand, and tilt your head back.
• Insert the nozzle into the person’s nostril until your fingers are against the bottom of the nose. 
• Press the plunger down firmly to administer the dose. 
• Wait and watch the person for two to three minutes. 
• If there is no response, repeat the steps to administer another dose in the other nostril.
• If you have not done so already, call 9-1-1.
• Roll the person on their side to prevent choking.
• Wait for emergency services. 

Injection

Here are the steps to administer naloxone (Narcan) through medical injection:

• Take the cap off of the vial.
• Puncture the rubber stopper with the needle.
• Pull back the plunger to draw the fluid into the needle. 
• Inject the needle into the muscle in the shoulder or the front of the thigh; injecting through clothing is OK. 
• If there is no response in a few minutes, repeat the steps and inject another dose. 
• Be sure not to wait longer than five minutes to administer a second dose if there is no response. 

How to Administer Rescue Breathing if There Is No Response From Naloxone

To administer rescue breaths if there is no response from Naloxone you should follow the steps below while you wait for emergency caregivers.

• Tilt the person’s head back.
• Lift their chin.
• Pinch their nose.
• Begin with two breaths into their mouth.
• Every five seconds, continue with another breath.
• If you do not see the person’s chest rise and fall with the breaths, be sure their mouth is clear and their head is tilted back.
• Continue with the rescue breathing until the person can breathe without assistance or until emergency services arrive. 

How To Care For Someone After Administering Naloxone?

To care for someone after administering Naloxone you should follow the further important steps below:

• Explain what happened to the person once they woke up. Encourage them not to take any more drugs, as it could lead to another overdose. 
•  Stay with the person until they are in the hospital or until the naloxone wears off.
  This can be between 30 to 90 minutes.
•  If you opt to not seek medical assistance, stay with the patient for a minimum of three hours to ensure there are no further signs of an overdose. 
•  If the person is not okay when they wake up, be sure to call 9-1-1.
•  When emergency services arrive, be sure to notify them that the patient has been administered Narcan.
•  If it becomes necessary for you to leave, turn the person on their side with one of their hands supporting their head and one of their knees positioned to keep them from rolling onto their stomach.
•  Go back to where you obtained the naloxone to get more in case you encounter a similar situation. 

What Happens in the Brain When You Abuse Substances?

When you abuse substances your brain experiences intense surges of pleasure through Dopamine flooding, triggering chemical changes in neural pathways, rewiring the reward center, and diminishing natural pleasure responses.

Over time, your brain requires increasing amounts of substances to achieve the same euphoric effects, while making it harder to find joy in everyday activities like socializing, eating, or intimacy. See the detailed breakdown below of how different substances impact your brain’s reward circuit and neural adaptations.

What Are the Dangers of Drug Addiction?

The dangers of drug addiction include devastating impacts on physical wellness, deterioration of mental stability, potential neurological damage, increased susceptibility to life-threatening diseases, and risks of fatal overdose. Chronic substance abuse can lead to irreversible health complications, from cardiovascular problems to severe dental decay. Visit our comprehensive table below to explore the full spectrum of health risks and medical complications associated with drug dependency.

More Resources on Addiction:

• Fentanyl: Definition, Uses, Side Effects, and Overdose Risks
• Addiction: Stages, Warning Signs, and Next Steps
• Overdose Prevention & Harm Reduction

Where Can You Get Naloxone?

You can obtain naloxone in all 50 states. It is often available as a co-prescription for patients who have been prescribed high-dose opioids.

It is also available over the counter at pharmacies in most states. Naloxone may also be obtained for free through syringe-service programs or community-based programs.

What Forms Does Naloxone Come In?

There are two forms of Naloxone available to administer without medical training or authorization. These are a nasal spray and a medication solution to inject into a muscle or under the skin. 

Is Naloxone Safe?

Naloxone is considered safe because there is no evidence of significant adverse reactions. As a medication that binds to opioid receptors, Narcan works by blocking or reversing opioid overdose effects.

Though it may trigger withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent individuals – including restlessness, anxiety, runny nose, vomiting, chills, hot flashes, rapid breathing, and shaking – these symptoms are not life-threatening. The medication is so safe that even mistaken administration to someone without an opioid overdose causes no harmful effects.

What Are The Signs Of An Overdose?

The signs of an overdose include physical and behavioral changes that can be mistaken for someone who is just high, making it crucial to treat any suspicious symptoms as a potential emergency. Look for these warning signs if you suspect someone might be overdosing:

• Losing consciousness or falling asleep
• Gurgling or choking
• Slow or weak breathing
• Pulmonary arrest
• Limp body
• Cold and clammy skin
• Skin discoloration
• Pinpoint pupils

What to Do in Case of an Overdose?

The immediate steps to take in case of an overdose start with calling emergency services. Good Samaritan laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia protect those who assist someone suspected of overdosing on opioids. Follow these critical steps:

• Call 9-1-1.
• Administer Narcan.
• If after two to three minutes, the person you suspect of overdosing has not reacted to the naloxone, administer another dose. If using the nasal spray, administer the second dose in the other nostril. 
• Do your best to keep the person awake and breathing.
• Turn the person on their side to prevent them from choking.
• Stay with them until emergency caregivers arrive. 

Recovery Treatment After an Overdose

After an overdose, it is important to seek addiction treatment so that an overdose does not occur again.

White Light Behavioral Health is a substance abuse rehab facility in Columbus, Ohio that provides a variety of treatment options. Effective substance use disorder treatment programs utilize a combination of medication and behavioral therapy that is uniquely tailored to the needs of the individual patient.

Getting clean after an overdose can feel like a daunting prospect, but we can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.