Yes. Families should strongly consider keeping naloxone at home when a loved one has opioid overdose risk, including after opioid treatment. Naloxone can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, and overdose risk can increase when someone returns to opioid use after a period of reduced use or abstinence because tolerance may be lower.
Why can overdose risk be high after treatment?
Periods without opioid use can reduce tolerance. CDC identifies returning to a previously tolerated dose after losing tolerance as an overdose risk factor. SAMHSA also warns that reduced tolerance can make even a previously used or lower opioid dose life-threatening in some situations.
Who should know how to use naloxone?
CDC recommends that clinicians offer naloxone and education to people with opioid use disorder and to household members or significant others. Family members, partners, roommates, and other people likely to be present during an overdose should know where naloxone is stored and how to respond.
Does keeping naloxone encourage opioid use?
No. Naloxone does not produce euphoria and does not treat cravings. It is an emergency overdose-reversal medication. Having it available is similar to keeping another emergency medication or safety device accessible.
What should a family do if an overdose is suspected?
CDC advises giving naloxone if available, calling 911, trying to keep the person breathing and awake, placing the person on their side to reduce choking risk, and staying with them until emergency help arrives. If you are unsure whether someone is overdosing, CDC advises treating it like an overdose.
Is naloxone enough by itself?
No. Naloxone is emergency rescue medication, not a substitute for treatment. CDC states that medications for opioid use disorder such as buprenorphine and methadone are associated with reduced overdose and mortality risk, and detoxification alone without medications for OUD is not recommended for moderate or severe OUD.
Where should naloxone be kept?
Store it according to the product instructions in a place household members can access quickly. Check expiration dates and replace used or expired doses. Do not lock it somewhere that cannot be reached during an emergency.
Should naloxone be part of the discharge plan?
When opioid overdose risk is relevant, families should ask the treatment team about naloxone, overdose education, medications for opioid use disorder, and what to do if opioid use resumes. This fits into broader planning for someone returning home after rehab.
Frequently asked questions
Can naloxone hurt someone who is not overdosing on opioids?
Naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, which is one reason emergency guidance supports giving it when opioid overdose is suspected.
Do I still need to call 911 after giving naloxone?
Yes. Naloxone can wear off before some opioids do, and additional emergency care may be needed.
Can more than one dose be needed?
Yes. Follow the product instructions and emergency guidance; repeat doses may be needed if the person does not respond or symptoms return.
Should families keep naloxone if the person is taking medication for OUD?
Yes, overdose-prevention planning can still include naloxone. CDC specifically recommends offering naloxone and education to patients with OUD and household members or significant others.
Sources
- CDC: Treating Opioid Use Disorder
- CDC: Opioid Overdose Risks and Naloxone
- SAMHSA: Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reversal
Families should discuss individualized overdose-prevention planning with the treating clinician. Naloxone availability is a safety measure and does not replace ongoing evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment.