Cure to respiratory depression?

[TheSacredTree]

Not currently in any situations and don't plan on it any time soon but I can never get a straight answer to this question for some reason.

For research purposes, if someone happens to be experiencing respiratory depression due to Benzo/Opiate/Z-Drug combos or other similar situations; are there any other substances that can be used to reverse this and get back to a safer, more conscious state?

I was thinking Amphetamines or Methylphenidate but not totally sure. Or how about something like Caffeine, Cocaine, or pseudoephedrine? What's used to bring people back in a hospital setting?

 

[RaizdByWolvz]

Well for an overdose on opioids, Naloxone (Narcan) is the antidote, as far as benzos there is one too but I forgot what it’s called. A stabilized airway by respirator would be optimal in hospital setting.

 

[Keif' Richards]

^Right. Naloxone (Narcan) is the chemical antidote and antithesis to Opioid agnoists. Naloxone, however, will not reverse the effects of other CNS depressants like Alcohol, Benzodiazepins, Barbiturates etc. It can solely be used to reverse the effects of Opioids. In a clinical setting, this is typically all that is required though, because, if a patient presents from combined intoxication of Benzodiazepines/Opioids for instance, simply reversing the effect of the Opioids will be enough to ensure survival, as Benzodiazepines are not toxic in appropriate or even slightly elevated dosages.

Using stimulants to counteract respiratory depression does, in theory, work, but it cannot be condoned, as misjudgement as a result of combined intoxication with stimulants and depressants is a frequent cause of death. The archetypal speedball of Cocaine and Heroin has killed a number of well-known people over the years. So, in short, it works, but if you fuck up the process or the dosage, you can easily kill yourself.

 

[keeping]

Narcan

 

[TheSacredTree]

Okay, completely forgot about the Narcan for opiates thing.

How about for something like a Benzo/Ambien/Alcohol combo then? Or just heavy benzo/alcohol?

Would a stim of some sort work to bring you back if certain death was already imminent?

 

[Keif' Richards]

The answer is, maybe. Unfortunately, this is the point in our discourse where determining a definitive, useful answer becomes elusive. There are too many variables at play to make any kind of educated guess. It could work fine or you could die is the most honest answer. Stimulants do indeed stimulate the central nervous system, but there are interactions above and beyond the simplicity of thachycardia/bradycardia. The drugs will undoubtedly exert some kind of effect in vivo when there are other substances involved.

I see what you're getting at OP, but it's really not a phenomenon that we can chart and understand well. I do believe that a stimulant could theoretically "save" someone from something like excessive respiratory depression, but again, you're absolutely playing with fire so I feel you are just as likely to mess it up. Anyone would be. The whole idea behind death from a "speedball" is that the Cocaine is actually stimulating the nervous system enough to counteract the toxic dose of Opioid, but when the Cocaine wears off, lethal respiratory depression can occur.

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

Technically it's possible to use shit like coke or meth to bring your CNS activity up but the problem with that is there isn't any quality control so you won't know how much to take to bring you back. Plus like others have said once the uppers wear off you'll be fucked.

Maybe mild stimulants like ephedrine could stave off borderline OD doses but you'll still have that same problem of how much to take in what scenarios and the possibility of them wearing off too soon.

I think you should be focusing more on how to avoid extreme CNS depression then how to mitigate it.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Technically it's possible to use shit like coke or meth to bring your CNS activity up but the problem with that is there isn't any quality control so you won't know how much to take to bring you back. Plus like others have said once the uppers wear off you'll be fucked.

Maybe mild stimulants like ephedrine could stave off borderline OD doses but you'll still have that same problem of how much to take in what scenarios and the possibility of them wearing off too soon.

I think you should be focusing more on how to avoid extreme CNS depression then how to mitigate it.

Agreed. We should be thinking about avoiding the scenario in the first place . Kudos falsified, the voice of reason!

 

[Kittycat5]

Well for an overdose on opioids, Naloxone (Narcan) is the antidote, as far as benzos there is one too but I forgot what it’s called. A stabilized airway by respirator would be optimal in hospital setting.

Flumazenil but it isnt widely employed due to risk of seizures.

 

[isaaccain]

well it's by no means a reliable method but if someone looks like they're getting close to going blue and there's no naloxone or IV amphetamine/coke on hand then the bath filled with cold water method could bring them back around. Had my head put in a sink full of cold water by my mate the other week when I was apparently completely unresponsive and it woke me up. I could hear everything that was going on like so I wasn't that far into an overdose, it was just one of those times when you can hear everything but you're just so fucked you don't know anything that's happening, eyes rolled back and all that I would assume. I wouldn't have died but there would have been no other way to get through to me if he hadn't. That won't work if someone's stopped breathing, though. At that point you just need to call an ambulance