How naloxone works in the brain to reverse overdose

Naloxone - or Narcan - which reverses the effects of an overdose is coming to every Wake County school this year. WRAL Investigates' Grace Hayba explains how it works to fight back against fentanyl.
Posted 7/15/2024, 10:34:00 PM Updated 7/16/2024, 12:58:13 AM

ONLY ONLY AT ASHLEY.

>> NEW NUMBERS FROM THE STATE

SHOW. 11 PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY

IN NORTH CAROLINA FROM

OVERDOSES. NALOXONE OR NARCAN,

WHICH REVERSES THE EFFECTS OF

AN OVERDOSE IS COMING TO EVERY

WAKE COUNTY SCHOOL THIS YEAR.

WE RECENTLY TOLD YOU ABOUT A

TEENAGER AND WAKE COUNTY WHO

USED TO SAVE A STRANGER'S LIFE.

>> WE WEREN'T THERE. HE

PROBABLY WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW,

PROBABLY DIED.

>> WRAL INVESTIGATES GRACE.

HEY, BUT EXPLAINS HOW IT WORKS

TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST FENTANYL.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO AN

OVERDOSE, WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE

YOUR BODY CAN VARY BASED ON

WHAT KIND OF SUBSTANCE YOU TAKE

AND HOW FAST ONE HAPPENS.

LARGELY DEPENDS ON HOW YOU TAKE

THAT DRUG SWALLOWING, A DRUG

MAY TAKE YOUR BODY MORE TIME TO

ABSORB IT. WHEREAS AN INJECTION

OR INHALING A SUBSTANCE WOULD

ACT QUICKER. ONE SENTINEL GETS

INTO YOUR SYSTEM. IT

ESSENTIALLY WORKS LIKE THIS.

THE DRUM BINDS TO THE BODY'S

OPIOID RECEPTORS FOUND IN THE

BRAIN. THESE RECEPTORS CONTROL

THINGS LIKE EMOTIONS AND PAIN.

FENTANYL VO CAN ALTER THOSE

RECEPTORS AND CHANGE HOW YOUR

BRAIN RESPONDS. THE DANGER LIES

IN HOW FENTANYL CAN PREVENT

YOUR BRAIN FROM RESPONDING

APPROPRIATELY. WHEN YOU HAVE

LOW OXYGEN LEVELS, MEANING IT

CAN KEEP YOUR BRAIN FROM

TELLING YOUR LUNGS TO EXPAND

AND CONTRACT WHEN SOMEONE'S

BREATHING DRASTICALLY SLOWS,

THEY CAN LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS IN

A MATTER OF SECONDS. WHEN THE

BRAIN GOES WITHOUT OXYGEN FOR

EVEN 4 MINUTES, PERMANENT

DAMAGE STARTS TO SET IN AND

EVENTUALLY THE BRAIN WILL SHUT

DOWN COMPLETELY DURING THIS

TIME. YOUR HEART RATE CAN SLOW

OUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IS

WHAT TRANSPORTS OXYGEN TO OUR

VITAL ORGANS THROUGH OUR RED

BLOOD CELLS. WHEN YOUR ORGANS

LIKE YOUR KIDNEYS OR LIVER,

DON'T GET ENOUGH OXYGEN, THEY

SHUT DOWN WHEN THIS HAPPENS,

SOMEONE CAN DIE WITHIN MINUTES

IN THE EVENT OF AN OVERDOSE.

NALOXONE CAN HELP SAVE

SOMEONE'S LIFE. YOU'VE HEARD US

TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE THE

OVERDOSE REVERSAL MEDICATION

THAT CAN COME AS EITHER A NASAL

SPRAY OR AN INGESTIBLE. HERE'S

HOW IT WORKS. REMEMBER THOSE

RECEPTORS? I TOLD YOU ABOUT

WHEN THE LOCKDOWN IS

ADMINISTERED TRAVELS TO THE

BRAIN WHERE IT BASICALLY

KNOCKED THE FENTANYL OFF OF THE

RECEPTORS, ALLOWING THE BRAIN'S

RESPONSE SYSTEMS TO SWITCH BACK

ON AND SEND SIGNALS THROUGHOUT

YOUR BODY TO KEEP YOUR ORGANS

WORKING. SOME OPIOIDS CAN TAKE

A STRONGER HOLD TO THE

RECEPTORS. SOME MORE THAN ONE

DOSE OF NALOXONE MAY BE NEEDED.

NALOXONE ONLY WORKS IN THE BODY

FOR ABOUT 30 TO 90 MINUTES.

BUT MANY OPIOIDS WILL REMAIN IN

THE BODY FOR MUCH LONGER.

THAT'S WHY IT'S STILL VITAL TO

CALL 9-1-1. IF YOU'VE GIVEN

SOMEONE THE MEDICATION BECAUSE

IT COULD WEAR OFF AND SOMEONE

COULD ONCE AGAIN EXPERIENCE THE

EFFECTS OF AN OVERDOSE.

NALOXONE WON'T HARM SOMEONE

WHO HASN'T TAKEN AN OPIOID.

SO IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT