Call for public access to overdose treatment

[rahli]

Groups dealing with narcotics users and their families are pushing for greater public access to a drug that can reverse overdoses.

Naloxone is a drug that reverses overdoses of opiates like heroin, methadone or oxycodone.

A conference in Melbourne today will hear that hundreds of people in Chicago have saved lives by administering the medication, which only medical professionals are allowed to access in Australia.

Dr Sarz Maxwell, who runs a needle exchange program in Chicago, says one of her biggest achievements is handing out naloxone to drug users and their families.

"Most doctors really can't say 'I've saved hundreds of lives'," she said.

"But with this program, it's one of the most rewarding things I've done professionally in my life."

Dr Maxwell says that in the past 11 years her organisation has handed out about 15,000 doses.

She says they have heard 1,500 success stories and insists there are no drawbacks.

"The only thing that could go wrong is if someone is overdosing on more than one drug, then it may not work. They may still die," she said.

"Naloxone is ridiculously safe. You can give it to newborn babies as a just in case."

Dr Maxwell says the drug is also available to the public in several other American states, as well as Europe, Asia and Africa.

'Peace of mind'

In Australia, it is only used by doctors and paramedics, but the Anex drug harm minimisation group wants to change that.

Anex chief executive John Ryan says naloxone is simple to use.

"Families would have peace of mind if they knew that [they] had naloxone to reduce the risk of fatal overdose, also reduce the risk of permanent brain damage from overdose," he said.

"It's a harmless drug - unless you are overdosing, it has no effect."

But the Australian Medical Association says there are risks involved in administering naloxone.

Federal vice-president Steve Hambleton says he would want people to be highly trained before using it.

"Unfortunately it can actually precipitate an urgent and acute withdrawal syndrome there and then in front of you," he said.

"That can make a person feel very, very unpleasant and very, very unhappy, even though you have just saved their life."

He says users can become violent.

"The other problem is some of the narcotics, some of these dangerous drugs, heroin and methadone that people get hold of, have got a long half-life.

"The naloxone has about a four-hour half life so you need to keep observing the person because the effects of the reversal can wear off and they can become well overdosed again."

The Anex organisation says someone dies everyday from an overdose in Australia.

Link

[FancyPants]

Agreed. Was watching a Courtney Love doco on MTV the other day and she said Kurt was having a lot of "minor" OD's from heroin it was becoming old hat for her to try and make him conscious again. I thought why the hell wouldn't a situation like that warrant having some Narcan around just in case? Obviously didn't make any difference to the final outcome, but surely just to have at least one smallish hit in case of emergency so you can take the person to ER would be a good idea? When I had been overdosed on fentanyl it required two hits, but hell I was in a hospital anyway, how many other potentially fatal OD's occur within a hospital in the first place?

[synchromesh]

Interesting article.

Was watching a Courtney Love doco on MTV the other day and she said Kurt was having a lot of "minor" OD's from heroin it was becoming old hat for her to try and make him conscious again.

Like she wasn't (and still isn't) a fully fledged junkie herself... I personally don't believe a word the dog says.

Edited October 26, 2010 by synchromesh

[Rabaelthazar]

I've had a few friends overdose in my company, several many years ago and one very close friend only about twelve months back. When I was younger, I was shit-scared of calling for help and it was only luck that brought my friends back to consciousness. In hindsight, I'm really thankful that the people who did overdose in my company pulled through because I'm not sure how I'd deal with the idea of having been able to help and not having done so.

For the more recent occasion, I called the paramedics and they came quickly and acted professionally. Administered an injection (I thought it was narcane, but I could be wrong) which brought my friend around very quickly.

I don't really associate with the opioid scene much these days, but back when I did, having access to an emergency safety-net would have been warmly welcomed. I have friends who weren't so lucky with their overdoses and their lives could potentially have been saved by something like this.

[synchromesh]

Sorry for what you've been through, Rabael. It must be really tough.

[Μορφέας]

good thread, I went and got a script for a 5mg/2ml naloxone needle kit yesterday, there is no restrictions on their prescription to patients for precautionary measures so i suggest any users or friends of big users aquire one, just make sure your mate is REALLY Overdosing or your friend will come out and hit you!! lol

[Rabaelthazar]

Sorry for what you've been through, Rabael. It must be really tough.

 

Thanks, Synchromesh, but it's just the way it goes. None of my close friends died and I didn't die, so I feel blessed.

The friends I had who didn't make it were living a life of their choosing, and the chance of dying comes with the territory for people who choose to use/abuse opiates. It was always a shame, but never completely unexpected. All our experiences make us who we are, and I'm happy with who I am today, so I can only be thankful for the experiences I've had.

I do feel very sad and sorry though for the families and lovers of people who die from overdose, as it can leave an enormous emotional scar. They are the people who would most benefit from access to naloxone or similar.

Thank you though.

good thread, I went and got a script for a 5mg/2ml naloxone needle kit yesterday, there is no restrictions on their prescription to patients for precautionary measures so i suggest any users or friends of big users aquire one, just make sure your mate is REALLY Overdosing or your friend will come out and hit you!! lol

 

Morpheus, good advice. nice addendum to the main article.

[synchromesh]

You know what, Rabael, you remind me of Philip K. Dick... Good on ya, man.

[Sonny Jim]

I really don't get the AMA's problem with making naloxone freely available. How does inducing severe withdrawals for a few hours out weigh the fact that it will save lives. Of course their is a chance of someone going back into overdose once the naloxone has warn off but how is that better than having no chance at all.

Nothing like this could be fool proof but I think a bit of public education and some decent and simple instruction written on the naloxone pack would go a long way.

[ThunderIdeal]

exactly! it seems pretty dumb.

[synchromesh]

I smell an agenda.

[t st tantra]

i assume it was this woman i heard on radio nation last week or so.

she had a few interesting things to say....like that her people only use 1/10th the dose used by medicos and so people dont come conscious in shock and with full wds.im was used for the same reason...took about 3mins max to work im,i think she said.

also available as nasal spray.

t s t .