If you think someone is overdosing right now, call 911 first. Then read the rest of this page out loud while you wait.
So, naloxone — the medication brand-named Narcan — reverses an opioid overdose. It doesn't fix anything else, and it doesn't replace 911. It buys time.
Every family with any opioid use in the picture — heroin, fentanyl, oxy, vicodin, percocet, suboxone, anything pressed in a pill — should have naloxone in the house. Pills are not safer. Stolen or street pills are routinely fentanyl now.
How to recognize an opioid overdose
- Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing.
- Blue or gray lips and fingernails. Pale, clammy skin.
- Limp body. Unresponsive when you say their name or shake their shoulder.
- Choking, gurgling, or snoring sounds (sometimes called the "death rattle").
- Pinpoint pupils.
If you're not sure, treat it like an overdose. Naloxone won't hurt someone who isn't overdosing on opioids. Hesitation can.
What to do — in this order
- Call 911. Say "possible overdose, not breathing." Stay on the line.
- Give naloxone. Spray one full dose up one nostril. (If you have the injectable, follow the package.)
- Start rescue breathing or CPR if they aren't breathing. The 911 dispatcher will coach you through it.
- Wait 2 to 3 minutes. If no response, give a second dose in the other nostril.
- Stay with them. Roll them onto their side (recovery position) once they're breathing.
- Do not let them refuse the hospital. Naloxone wears off in 30 to 90 minutes. The opioids may not.
How to get naloxone — today
- Most pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart) sell it over-the-counter. No prescription. Often $40 to $50 for a two-pack.
- Many states distribute it free. Search "[your state] naloxone free" and you'll usually find a state program or community organization that mails it.
- Insurance often covers it with a prescription. Ask your doctor.
- If your loved one is on MAT, ask their prescriber for a naloxone co-prescription. They should have offered.
Get two doses. Keep one in the house and one in your bag or car. Show every adult in the home where it is.
Good Samaritan laws
Most states have laws that protect people who call 911 during an overdose from being arrested for drug possession. Look up your state's Good Samaritan law and read it once. Knowing the rules makes it easier to call.
After an overdose
When the immediate crisis has passed, don't try to have a recovery conversation in the ER. Let the body and the nervous system come back online.
The conversation comes later — clear, kind, and connected to a plan. The next 24 to 72 hours are when the door to treatment is most often open. Have a name and number ready before you need it.
You're not powerless. You're prepared.