I’m sad this needs to happen but glad that it is.
As I’ve said on here before, my best friend all the way up through high school is battling heroin addiction. It is a battle she will probably eventually lose but I’ll take anything that can help save her and countless others.
Wow, it’s available over the counter in 45 states.
I know, it surprised me, too. I can’t for the life of me figure out what 5 (or 6 if DC is included in the “states”) states still don’t allow it. Among those who do allow it are my home state of MI along with states hit very hard like Kentucky and Ohio.
West Virginia is another state hit very hard and my quick searching skills are giving me mixed results on whether it’s available there or not.
@romanigypsyeyes - I can relate to your feelings…my brother is a surviving heroin addict (recovered) - it was the most difficult thing to watch, both as he became addicted, and then the first 10 years of recovery (he’s almost 30 years clean now). He’s doing very well now, but many of his friends did not make it.
I’m grateful to the makers of the spray as well as to the pharmacies carrying it. I hope your friend finds some peace in her life.
Such a good thing, although I agree that it’s sad to celebrate such a thing. Deaths from ODs are too common in our area … but the police have saved many lives through the use of Narcan. It’s great that loved ones can be armed with it now, as well.
@justamom that gives me hope. I’m so glad he’s in recovery.
She has three little boys. I don’t want them to grow up without their parents. It’s heartbreaking on so many levels.
It appears to be available OTC in my state and area. I’m glad and wish that were the case nationally.
In my state, it appears to be available without a prescription but not over the counter, strictly speaking. Pharmacists can dispense it but they must receive training before being allowed to and they must counsel (I think in the sense of telling them how to use it) prospective purchasers.
Over the counter (OTC) and “available without prescription” are two different things.
OTC means it’s out on the shelf in front of the pharmacy counter like most cold medicines. You can just pick it up without having to go to the pharmacy counter or speak to anyone…
“Available without prescription” usually means it is kept behind the pharmacy counter and you have to ask for it.
. Since this is an inhaler and new the pharmacy (at least in our state) has requirements to demonstrate how it works.
The media lumps both terms together without distinction in most of the articles I’ve seen.
Veterinarians keep nalaxone (Narcan) around because dogs sometimes find and eat narcotics.
That’s good to know.
One of the harm reduction techniques we teach to IV drug users is to get needles from animal supply stores.
DH is a pharmacist. H says it’s been stocked at his pharmacy for about a year. It’s available without a prescription but there’s a protocol for dispensing it—you have to get it at the pharmacy.
We also have a relative who was addicted to heroin for a time several years ago. It’s scary. That person did recover. It’s not easy.
Romani, insulin needles (1 cc) are sold without prescription. I had a diabetic cat… got her needles at people pharmacy.
Thanks for that, BB. I’ve never seen them around here. Are they behind the pharmacy counter?
We don’t have needle exchange programs around here so every source of clean needles is valuable.
Yes, I had to go and ask the pharmacist.
Just an FYI: a year and a half ago, my diabetic husband suffered sudden, unexpected seizures.
We called 911, and they administered Narcan several times.
Each time, it broke though the seizure for a few minutes, though he was absolutely not himself.
The initial diagnosis, based on the Narcan results, what that he had OD’ed on something.
The bloodwork, however, revealed that the only substance that was giving him trouble was off-the-charts sugar levels.
So, yes, we contacted the hospital and had that initial diagnosis changed.
I’m sure that Narcan does a wonderful job when it’s administered to someone who is overdosing. But I did want to post the warning that it’s not infallible.
@bjkmom–Just speculating.
It’s likely the Narcan administered to your husband decreased his high blood sugar levels enough each time it was administered to stop the seizures. The effects of Narcan do not last long for opiate withdrawal but for opiate withdrawal the short effect is usually enough since the body keeps processing the drug during that time. Narcan is specifically indicated for opiate overdose.
In hyperglycemia the lowered blood glucose effect of Narcan would be extremely short. The fact that EMS had to keep administering Narcan should have been a clue that he hadn’t necessarily OD’d on anything and that there was an underlying cause (his high sugar levels). Knowing he was diabetic they should have looked to that as a main cause (over jumping to an OD diagnosis).
I’m guessing when they got an effect from the Narcan they thought that they had the correct diagnosis without knowing the possible blood sugar lowering effects of the drug.
Bjkmom’s tale of her H is a real-life cautionary tale to health-care providers. And family.
To health-care providers–curb the jump to conclusions. Being judgmental clouds the brain.
Family–advocate for your loved one.
The abundance of addiction and OD episodes makes ER and EMT personnel make a leap to OD diagnosis first and sometimes discount other causes (as appears in this case). They are taught to disregard other causes even when provided first hand by friends or family because so many people cover up drug use. Sad state of affairs to be sure.
@bjkmom Did they know your H is a diabetic? If so, it seems astonishing that they would not do an immediate blood sugar test.
A diabetic on a discussion group devoted to the disease once related how she experienced a severe low, became fairly incoherent and unable to walk, collapsed in the street and was picked up by EMTs who assumed she was a drunk, repeatedly slapped her face, ignored her attempts to tell them she needed sugar, took her to an ER where this treatment continued until a doctor walked in who actually listened to her admittedly garbled speech, and told the nurse to bring her juice. Gave her a glass: bingo, very quickly she was fine.
Excuse my ignorance but is Narcan usually used for things other than an OD?