Too much of anything can be dangerous—even something that was designed to help people. Prescription opioids—pain medication like oxycodone and morphine—can be really helpful when they’re taken as prescribed by a doctor. But what about when someone takes too much of an opioid and overdoses?
The result can be deadly. In large doses, prescription opioids can slow or stop a person’s breathing, which can kill them. An overdose of heroin, an illegal type of opioid, works in much the same way, and can be just as lethal.
Reversing an overdose
If you like TV medical dramas, you’ve probably watched an emergency-room scene where a single injection saves someone’s life. This can really happen for someone who has overdosed on opioids if they get treatment in time, and it’s all thanks to brain science and medication research.
The most effective approach has been the medication naloxone, which can rapidly restore a person’s normal breathing rate. Naloxone is available in an injectable syringe (including one that automatically injects) and now as a nasal spray as well.
