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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

ODing on Opiates: possible cure?

T

teological

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
475
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Morefeindville
Hey BLers, I was going to ask this a while back but forgot and remembered again...I am really interested.

A few times when I have been HEAVILY INTOXICATED by alcohol at a party and I needed to get home, I would have amphetamine (speed) on hand and basically snort myself back to sobriety, then simply drive home (I know harm reduction, but I felt like I was straight, or at least really close to it).

So since amphetamine seemed to pretty much reverse my alcohol intoxication, do you guys think it would be useful in reversing an opiate OD (or other downers for that matter)?

Like, would it be a good idea to have some on hand incase of an OD and RELY on it? Does anyone have any info on this, I am really interested.
 
^ Yeah narcan/naloxone is the only true antidote for opiate overdose, since it reverses the effects of opiates specifically.

Speed just balances out the sedation with stimulation, which will work to some extent, but it only masks the potential for overdose, it doesn't prevent it. Using stimulants to balance out opiate highs comes with a whole range of dangers, since you can't easily tell how opiated you are.
 
IIRC mixing Amphetamines and Opiates is speedballing. I don't advise that. Naloxone will prevent an overdose.
 
Albion said:
^ Yeah narcan/naloxone is the only true antidote for opiate overdose, since it reverses the effects of opiates specifically.

Speed just balances out the sedation with stimulation, which will work to some extent, but it only masks the potential for overdose, it doesn't prevent it. Using stimulants to balance out opiate highs comes with a whole range of dangers, since you can't easily tell how opiated you are.
Click to expand...

^This. Stimulants may make you feel less sedated while on opioids, but if someone is having an opioid overdose and experiencing serious respiratory depression/stopping breathing they need medical attention (oxygen, then naloxone if that didn't work) immediately. Administering stimulants is not likely to reverse a serious opioid OD and can even make it worse - in high doses these stimulants can ironically themselves cause respiratory depression. One 1979 pain management study did find that when co-administered with opioids "Stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines reduce narcotic-induced somnolence and respiratory depression" but they are not considered safe or worthwhile to administer to someone who has overdosed on opioids. A stimulant overdose is also much harder to treat than an opioid overdose. Naloxone reverses the cause, rather than just the symptoms, of an opioid overdose, whereas a simulant would only temporarily mask the symptoms at best. And even if someone's OD symptoms did seem to improve with stimulants it could easily slip back into the danger zone as soon as the stimulant began to wear off (although this can sometimes happen with naloxone as well, it is less likely and the person is more likely to be receiving proper medical care). Administering oxygen is actually the single most important thing that can be done for someone who has overdosed on opioids - even more important than naloxone and often enough on it's own to re-start the person's breathing (although of course you should always call an ambulance even if you administer oxygen or naloxone yourself).

There's a pilot program in various places in the United States, to provide naloxone (Narcan) and training to heroin addicts or other members of the public, and other countries have similar programs. Check at your local needle exchange or harm reduction center and ask if there is anything in your area.
 
I understand that Naloxone reverses the effects of the OD and is the only thing that does it, as well as the importance of oxygen, but it seems that having speed on hand may have some sort of merit?

I mean if the study found that "amphetamines reduce narcotic-induced somnolence and respiratory depression", but they were simply not safe enough to use...maybe you can't reverse the effects, but you might save your life the OD occurs at home out of no where?

Like I said, it would bring me out of total DRUNKNESS, like off your face, then out of no where...sober!

I also never understood the idea of the speedball theory that once the stimulant wears off you can OD from having too much opiates. Firstly this statement sort of implies that the stimulant holds off the OD (which in effect means it can sort of reverse it) and two that the opiate effect lasts longer than the stimulant. I do not know about you guys but all all stimulants worthy of mention, bar Cocaine, last way longer than the opiate high.

Still I understand that Naloxone is the only true OD remedy, amphetamines and what it can do to downers just amazes me sometimes. Super human stuff.
 
Also, taking speed because you're really drunk, then getting in a car and driving is really fuckin dumb!!
Sorry but you're still just as drunk, you're just also speeding. If you got pulled you'd still be just as over the drink drive limit as you would be before taking the amp. Fair enough if it takes the nasty edge off being too drunk, but dont drive!!!
 
teological said:
Hey BLers, I was going to ask this a while back but forgot and remembered again...I am really interested.

A few times when I have been HEAVILY INTOXICATED by alcohol at a party and I needed to get home, I would have amphetamine (speed) on hand and basically snort myself back to sobriety, then simply drive home (I know harm reduction, but I felt like I was straight, or at least really close to it).

So since amphetamine seemed to pretty much reverse my alcohol intoxication, do you guys think it would be useful in reversing an opiate OD (or other downers for that matter)?

Like, would it be a good idea to have some on hand incase of an OD and RELY on it? Does anyone have any info on this, I am really interested.
Click to expand...

If you get pulled over, and have to do a breathalyzer, your blood alcohol content will still be the same, and amphetamines are not going to help you avoid a DUI.

It would be wise to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol in the future.
 
K.

Everyone here is right...but the answer is too narrow. Nalaxone (not naltrexone because of its long half life) is the best and only "antidote" for an overdose. But that's exactly what it is...an antidote.

Epinephrine is NOT an antidote to an allergic reaction, but will it save you? ABSOLUTELY. But you should always go to the hospital right after because Epipens are not a cure.

The same goes for Adderall (which is not speed....speed=meth). It is not an antidote because it does not reverse the effects of narcotic agonists at the mu receptor. However it WILL mitigate the symptoms of an overdose. It WILL constrict your blood vessels as it is a vasoconstrictor. It WILL raise your blood pressure. It WILL raise your pulse and your resp. rate. It is NOT a cure...but it can save you. If you think you're nodding off into a narcotic coma...then I would definitely make sure you have a stimulant crushed up to sniff on site and then get your ass to the hospital as soon as possible.
 
Yeah I know it is really stupid and I would not and do not do stuff like that anymore...I also know that the breath test would bring up the same alcohol reading, but I could drive like normal and see where I was going...so if I did not get pulled over, I can vouch that I was pretty much driving safely and with normal reactions.

Yeah, I think having some sort of stim on hand when doing things like poppy tea could be quite a good idea...
 
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