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America is in the midst of a drug overdose epidemic that is spreading geographically and across demographic groups, according to a 2018 press release by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The same report put the alarming contours of the crisis in stark relief:
Such statistics are one reason the CDC has identified a dramatic uptick in drug overdoses as a major reason for why U.S. life expectancy has decreased for the third consecutive year. The tragedy, of course, is that overdose is preventable— and, in cases where an overdose can be spotted before it’s too late, it is often reversible.
In this context, the question of how long an overdose takes is one that many people ask. You may be a drug user worried that you have overdosed. Or, you may be a concerned loved one wanting to be prepared for the possibility. In either case, knowing just how long the symptoms of an overdose will last, including what to watch for and when to dial “911” or go to your closest emergency room, can literally be a matter of life and death.
Ultimately, what just about anyone affected by drug abuse and addiction wants to know is whether an overdose could prove fatal— and if so, how much time you have until death is no longer preventable. The answer to that question will depend on a number of factors, including:
The above factors make it difficult to predict with any accuracy how long it will take for an overdose to prove fatal. In reality, an overdose can happen within a pretty wide range of time. Here is what a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states:
A fatal overdose can happen in a matter of seconds or hours. Anecdotal answers on overdose times can be found in online drug forums and sometimes in published coroner reports. People often overdose alone and are found hours later. Therefore, in many cases, there is not a definitive answer regarding the length of time between the fatal dose and the person’s death.
Given the potential for a huge variation between people in the time it takes them to overdose, the only appropriate response in any instance of suspected overdose is to call “911” or, if you are able, go immediately to your nearest emergency room. Put another way, “an overdose is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention,” according to a fact sheet by International Overdose Day.
While the symptoms and duration of an overdose can depend on the drug taken—see the next section for drug-specific information—you should call “911” immediately when you or the person who has overdosed is:
Many people in overdose situations worry about calling 911, because they fear potential retaliation for drug abuse. Don’t let that concern keep you from doing the right thing and getting much-needed emergency help. In most cases, the first responders on the scene will be medical personnel, not police. Additionally, many states have “Good Samaritan” laws on the books that provide immunity to any person who reports an overdose (even if they were involved in the contributing circumstances).
Opiate overdoses are preventable, thanks to the life-saving antidote drug naloxone. That makes knowing the signs and symptoms of an overdose of critical importance:
Opiates belong to a class of drugs known as “depressants.” That means that many of the above symptoms can also occur in overdoses from other substances in the same class— namely, benzos and alcohol.
With benzos, vomiting can occur, in addition to the symptoms mentioned above. Benzos include longer-acting drugs like Klonopin and shorter-acting drugs like Xanax, so a non-lethal overdose on Xanax will last less time than a non-lethal overdose on Klonopin. However, any benzo overdose is an emergency situation requiring immediate intervention from first responders. That’s because benzos taken in excess of a prescribed amount can slow down your breathing and heart rate, ultimately hastening death. These effects are only magnified when benzos are taken with alcohol or opiate painkillers.
Just how lethal can an overdose from Valium, Xanax or another benzo be? A 2016 article in The Chicago Tribune reported that over five percent of Americans filled a benzo prescription in 2013 and that the overdose death rate increased more than four times between the years 1996 and 2013.
In the case of alcohol, there are other symptoms of an overdose to watch for (in addition to the above symptoms that also can characterize an overdose from an opiate or benzo):
If a person has been binge drinking for a while, the effects of intoxication—slurred speech, blurred vision, poor coordination—will last longer. These should wear off within 48-72 hours, during the hangover period.
An overdose on cocaine, Adderall or another stimulant drug is distinguished by another frightening constellation of symptoms. These include, as listed by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD):
The NCADD reports that overdosing on a stimulant puts the body at risk of heart attack, stroke, seizure, or drug-induced psychotic episodes.
An overdose on any substance, whether a doctor-prescribed medication or an illicitly obtained drug, can be a frightening dance with death. If you are taking a substance in high quantities for the first time, you are especially vulnerable to overdose. Even if you elude death, an overdose can result in permanent damage to your brain and other vital organs. Those who manage to recover without any severe long-term damage to their brain or body should consider themselves very fortunate.
Anyone who has overdosed can, therefore, benefit from taking an honest look at why they did so. The person who binge drank alone for hours, misused a friend’s Adderall prescription or kept popping painkiller pills, needs to take an honest assessment of their behavior, so that an overdose never happens again.
In many cases, an overdose may be the indication of an underlying substance use disorder, for which professional treatment is the best way to protect oneself from future overdoses and the long-term health effects of drugs and/or alcohol.
For more information related to overdose, check out these articles:
