Patient education: Opioid overdose – ED discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — 

Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care in the emergency department ("ED").

What should I know? — 

You came to the ED for an opioid overdose. This is when you take more of an opioid than your body is used to or more than your doctor prescribed.

Opioids are medicines to relieve pain. They can also affect breathing, change your mood, and make it hard to think and make decisions. Examples of opioids include codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, hydromorphone, meperidine, and fentanyl. The drug heroin is also an opioid.

You might have gotten a medicine called "naloxone" in the ED or before you came to the hospital. It works by blocking and reversing the effects of opioids.

How do I care for myself at home? — 

Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also do the following:

●Call your regular doctor and tell them you were in the ED. Make a follow-up appointment if you were told to.

●If you have a prescription for opioids, take them exactly as instructed. Make sure you know when to take them and the dose. If you have any questions about your medicines, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

●Make a plan to stop using opioids. Working with a doctor, counselor, or a support group like Narcotics Anonymous ("NA") can help.

●Your doctor might prescribe medicine to help ease your cravings. These medicines, such as buprenorphine or methadone, have been shown to help people function normally again and can save lives.

●Develop skills and behaviors to deal with feelings, cope with cravings, and stay away from substances.

●Learn how to deal with peer pressure. Avoid situations where you feel pressured to take drugs or drink alcohol.

●Get help for problems such as depression, anxiety, or stress. Your doctor, counselor, or therapist can help. Relaxation methods like reflection, deep breathing, and muscle relaxation can help with stress. Things like yoga, exercise, and tai chi are also good.

●Avoid alcohol and other medicines that can make the effect of opioids worse. Examples of these medicines include "sedatives" like alprazolam (brand name: Xanax), lorazepam (brand name: Ativan), gabapentin (brand names: Gralise, Neurotonin), and others.

●Keep naloxone with you at all times. Make sure you, your family, and your friends know how and when to use it.

When should I get emergency help?

●Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if you think someone is having a drug overdose. They might:

•Have severe trouble breathing, have slow or shallow breathing, or stop breathing

•Become very confused, or have trouble speaking

•Become very sleepy, have trouble waking up, or cannot be woken up

•Have a seizure

Also call for emergency help if you think you might harm yourself or someone else. In the US, you can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

•To speak to someone, call or text 988.

•To talk to someone online, go to chat.988lifeline.org.

●Return to the ED if you:

•Have shortness of breath

•Have chest or belly pain

•Feel weak

•Feel like your heart is beating very fast or slow

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call for advice if you:

●Have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

●Feel very weak or tired

●Feel very agitated

●Feel like you will start using opioids again

●Have new or worsening symptoms

More on this topic

Patient education: Opioid overdose (The Basics)
Patient education: Taking opioids safely (The Basics)
Patient education: Opioid use disorder (The Basics)
Patient education: How to give naloxone (The Basics)