naloxone

(nah LOX own)
Narcan

What is the most important information I should know about naloxone?

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Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Naloxone may cause dizziness, especially when rising from sitting or lying down. If you experience dizziness, avoid these activities.

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Avoid alcohol while taking naloxone. Alcohol may increase dizziness caused by naloxone.

What is naloxone?

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Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. Naloxone reverses the effects of narcotic drugs.

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Naloxone is used to reverse the effects of narcotic drugs that may be used during surgery or to treat pain. Naloxone may also be used in the treatment of narcotic drug overdose or to diagnosis suspected narcotic addiction.

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Naloxone may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before using naloxone?

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Before using naloxone, talk to your doctor if you have

an alcohol or drug addiction;

a brain tumor or head injury;

seizures; or

heart disease or irregular heartbeats.

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You may not be able to use naloxone, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment.

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Naloxone is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not use naloxone without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.

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It is not known whether naloxone passes into breast milk. Do not use naloxone without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I use naloxone?

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Use naloxone exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

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Naloxone is administered as an injection, usually by a healthcare provider. If you are administering naloxone at home, your healthcare provider will give you detailed instructions regarding preparation, administration, and storage of the medication.

What happens if I miss a dose?

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Contact your healthcare provider if you miss a dose of naloxone.

What happens if I overdose?

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Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose of naloxone is suspected.

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Symptoms of a naloxone overdose may include seizures, blood pressure changes, and memory impairment.

What should I avoid while using naloxone?

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Avoid alcohol while taking naloxone. Alcohol may increase dizziness caused by naloxone.

What are the possible side effects of naloxone?

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If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking naloxone and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:

an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);

chest pain or fast or irregular heartbeats;

seizures;

difficulty breathing; or

fainting.

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Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take naloxone and talk to your doctor if you experience

dizziness or lightheadedness;

nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;

nervousness, restlessness, or excitement;

sweating;

runny nose;

trembling; or

weakness or tiredness.

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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect naloxone?

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The effects of narcotic medications used to treat pain are reversed by naloxone. Talk to your doctor before using naloxone if you are taking:

buprenorphine (Buprenex, Subutrex);

codeine (Tylenol with Codeine, others);

hydrocodone (Lorcet, Lortab, Vicodin, Vicoprofen, others);

hydromorphone (Dilaudid);

levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran);

meperidine (Demerol);

methadone (Dolophine, Methadose);

morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, MSIR, OMS, Roxanol, Oramorph SR, others);

oxycodone (M-Oxy, OxyContin, OxyIR, Roxicodone, Percocet, Percodan, others);

oxymorphone (Numorphan); or

propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet, others).

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Taking naloxone during treatment with any of the drugs listed above may result in withdrawal symptoms such as body aches, diarrhea, increased heart rate, fever, runny nose, sneezing, sweating, yawning, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, shivering or trembling, abdominal cramps, weakness, and increased blood pressure. Your healthcare provider may want to monitor the administration of naloxone.

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Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with naloxone. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

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Your pharmacist has additional information about naloxone written for health professionals that you may read.

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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed

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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.