Opioids are a strong class of dugs that trigger the release of endorphins, the neurotransmitters that make your brain feel good, hindering you from feeling pain and boosting feelings of pleasure. Genetic, psychological, and environmental factors can increase the risk of opioid dependency, increasing the rick of addiction. Those who take opioids are at risk of developing an addiction to them, where the condition starts as pleasurable and turns into a substance where one cannot live without. An addiction is an irresistible craving of drugs which can spiral out of control and result in harmful consequences, including overdosing and death. One can develop tolerance to opioids as they are taken over time as the body slows the production of opioid, inducing the persons drive to increase the doses so that the good feeling can remain. In some cases, opioid users who tend to increase their supply, obtain drugs such as fentanyl which can be laced with contaminants that can result in over dosage due to the potency of fentanyl and its fatal characteristics when it is laced.
Some signs of over dosage can include a limp body, inability to wake up, slow, weak, or no breathing, heavy or unusual snoring, small pupils, blue lips and fingernails, severe dizziness. If you suspect that someone is overdosing, call 911 or your emergency health line. It is also useful to try and awaken the person by shouting their name or tapping their shoulder as well as give naloxone (medication that reverses an opioid overdose) if available. Speak to the pharmacist about getting a naloxone kit as well as for education on how to use it.
Due to the deadly consequences that come with the dependency on opioids, we offer Methadone/Suboxone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) which is an effective pharmacological treatment for opioid dependence. If you have been diagnosed with opioid dependence you can receive addictions maintenance treatment as a sudden quitting of such drugs can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, pain, trouble sleeping, cravings, sweatiness, and diarrhea, and thus it is important to manage this condition with an expert that can help decrease the risks associated with opioid dependency.
