Barbiturate Intoxication and Overdose
Alternate Names : Intoxication - Barbiturates
Treatment
Most overdoses of depressant medications are mixtures of drugs, commonly alcohol and barbiturates, benzodiazepines or barbiturates and opiates (like heroin or Oxycontin).
Some users combine all four: those who take such combinations tend to be either new users who don't know that such combinations are a recipe for coma or death, or experienced users who want to entirely blot out consciousness and who are amongst the most difficult addicts to treat.
Because mixtures are the most common cause of death, an opiate blocking drug called naloxone (Narcan) is often used in treatment of overdose in case an opiate was part of the mix. If opiates are involved, this will often quite rapidly restore consciousness and breathing.
There is no direct antidote to barbiturates or alcohol, so in such overdoses, respiration must be maintained by artificial means until the drugs are removed from the system. Drugs to make the urine more basic (less acidic) help speed the excretion of the barbiturate.
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