"Six Facts About Naloxone, The Drug That Reverses Overdoses"
Naloxone, called the “overdose drug” because it counteracts the potentially lethal effects of heroin, oxycodone, and other abused narcotics, this lifesaving medicine in making headlines thank to the opioid addiction epidemic. This epidemic of addiction has left millions of people dependent on these illegal narcotics. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, said Edwin Salsitz, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. When an opioid enters the brain, it attaches to neurotransmitters that give the user a hit or a high. “The naloxone goes to the same opioid receptors, removes the drug, and binds to the receptors to block the opioid,” Dr. Salsitz explained. If a person is overdosing and stops breathing, administering Naloxone can restore normal breathing and save a life. It is fast-acting and short-acting, meaning it does its job quickly and only stays in the person’s system for roughly 30 to 90 minutes.
- Edwin Salsitz, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai