Intoxication - opioids; Opioid abuse - intoxication; Opioid use - intoxication
Opioid-based drugs include morphine, oxycodone, and synthetic (man-made) opioid narcotics, such as fentanyl. They are prescribed to treat pain after surgery or a dental procedure. Sometimes, they are used to treat severe cough or diarrhea. The illegal drug heroin is also an opioid. When abused, opioids cause a person to feel relaxed and intensely happy (euphoria). In short, the drugs are used to get high.
Opioid intoxication is a condition in which you're not only high from using the drug, but you also have body-wide symptoms that can make you ill and impaired.
Opioid intoxication may occur when a health care provider prescribes an opioid, but:
In people who use opioids to get high, intoxication may be caused by:
Symptoms depend on how much of the drug is taken.
Symptoms of opioid intoxication can include:
Tests that are ordered depend on the provider's concern for additional medical problems. Tests may include:
The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The person may receive:
Since the effect of the naloxone is often short, the health care team will monitor the patient for 4 to 6 hours in the emergency department. People with moderate to severe intoxications will likely be admitted to the hospital for 24 to 48 hours.
A mental health evaluation is needed if the person is suicidal.
Many factors determine the short- and long-term outcome after opioid intoxication. Some of these are:
Health problems that may occur include any of the following:
Aronson JK. Opioid receptor agonists. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:348-380.
National Institute on Drug Abuse website. Opioids. nida.nih.gov/research-topics/opioids. Accessed April 18, 2023.
National Institute on Drug Abuse website. What are the medical complications of chronic heroin use? nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-medical-complications-chronic-heroin-use. Updated June 2018. Accessed April 18, 2023.
Nikolaides JK, Thompson TM. Opioids. In: Walls RM, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 151.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 4/1/2023
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued. |
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.