Cocaine and Stimulant Related Overdoses
Hyperventilation / 'snowblind'
Unconscious but still breathing
Sometimes, particularly after a large injection of cocaine or other stimulant, one can feel like they are losing their breath; your heart is racing, pounding and the overall rush can be, when its too much to handle, a scary business. There is the phrase 'going snowblind' which is meant when such a user has such an intense rush that they literally can't see. The heart is racing so much that a 'wash' of white comes over the person and it can be dangerous should they fall or have a seizure.
Hyperventilation / Panic: A couple of things you can do if you yourself, or a pal, has such an experience. Firstly, the old 'breathing into a paper bag'. Because of the carbon dioxide, breathing in and out of a paper bag for 10 minutes can restore a more regular breathing rate and is very good for the person experiencing panic, or who is 'snowblind' - effectively conscious but needing to slow their breathing rate down.
When some people have had a hit thats too much they can start to breathe rapidly and deeply, even though they mightn't need the extra oxygen. This causes them to breathe out a large amount of carbon dioxide, and excessive loss of carbon dioxide causes the blood to become alkaline. This in turn causes the symptoms of a panic attack.
Breathe into a paper bag has long been the primary treatment for hyperventilation. The theory is that rebreathing into a paper bag will allow the person to replace the carbon dioxide "blown off" while hyperventilating. Sit down, be calm, and relax. You need to slow your breathing. The more tense you are, the faster you'll breathe. Don't take exaggerated breaths and don't take very shallow breaths—take normal breaths. That's one breath every 6 seconds or ten breaths a minute. Occasionally, rapid breathing is a symptom of nervous system disorders and brain problems that scramble the messages to the lungs. If it doesn't subside, get to a doctor quickly.
Here's the technique: Scrunch the opening of the bag closed with one hand; with your other hand, stick a finger into the opening to create a small hole; now take out your finger and hold the bag to your mouth and breathe slowly and evenly for four or five minutes, inhaling your exhaled air from the bag. If your hyperventilation doesn't let up, get to a doctor or the emergency dept.
Unconscious but still breathing:
This is quite common with stimulant OD's. A technique if someone collapses but is still breathing, even if it's shallow, an unconscious person's airway may be blocked when their tongue relaxes and falls across the airway. A technique used to open the airway is called the "head-tilt chin-lift" technique. The person is lying on their back. With one hand on the forehead and the other hand under the chin, the victim's head is lifted to put the airway back into anatomical position. This simple procedure opens the airway and has saved many lives.
- With one hand on the forehead and the other hand under the chin, the victim's head is lifted to put the airway back into anatomical position.
- Put them into the recovery position if they haven't woken up and call an ambulance. Remember, this is only if they are still breathing but unconscious. If their breathing is less than 4 times a minutes, they are in trouble and will need you to breathe for them. See mouth to mouth. If they have no pulse (their heart has stopped beating) then they need your urgent action, commence CPR (chest compressions immediately). see below.
Heart Problems This is a condition one may be seeing more of these days - heart giving out from to much Goddamn coke/crack! Sometimes, with the stimulants, it can feel like you're having a heart attack and God knows we've all been there. But with someone speaking calmly and slowly to you, trying to relax you and helping refrain everyone from the additional panic, can sometimes do wonders and 'bring down' those who could totally freak out or pass out. See Chest Pains.
Angina Pectoris can be mistaken for a heart attack as it is a similar feeling in the chest and can be brought about by to much stimulant type drugs. Normally these attacks will only last a few minutes and the pain will stop if you rest and calm yourself as much as you can. The signs are pain in the chest spreading down the shoulder to the arm and fingers (even the throat and across to the other arm). Skin may become ashen and lips blue, one feels short of breath and generally weak. The aim here is to calm the person and place them in a position where the heart is able to work most effectively.
1) Help the casualty to sit down. Support this position by placing a jacket or blanket behind them and add padding under the knees.
2) Reassure the person and loosen clothing around their neck, chest and waist. If the symptoms persist and/or worsen, an ambulance will be necessary.
Heart Attacks can occur for similar reasons - to many stimulant drugs which eventually stop the heart {cardiac arrest). OR it may occur with someone who has Deep Vein Thrombosis where a clot may break off, travel to the heart and obstruct a coronary heart muscle (coronary obstruction/ thrombosis). Both these can have serious consequences.
Symptoms are a crushing, vice like pain in the centre of the chest (sometimes described as severe indigestion) which may spread to the throat, arms, jaw or back. Dizziness, ashen face and lips, profuse sweating, breathlessness, irregular pulse and unconsciousness, may develop.
1) If conscious, gently support and place casualty in a half sitting position with head and shoulders supported and knees bent. DO NOT allow the casualty to move.
Ring an ambulance immediately.
2) Loosen any clothing around waist, chest and neck.
3) If breathing stops begin resuscitation immediately, going through the steps outlined on the previous pages.
4) If the person becomes unconscious but is breathing normally, place them in the recovery position while you await the ambulance.
NOTE; If you need to drive them to hospital then be sure they maintain their treatment position - but only drive them if you cannot get an ambulance quickly.
A CARDIAC ARREST will mean the person becomes unconscious and breathing and heartbeat will stop. No pulse will be felt at neck. Commence resuscitation and chest compressions immediately and call ambulance telling them of a suspected heart attack.
External Chest Compression in conjunction with mouth to mouth ventilation.
NEVER START CHEST COMPRESSIONS EVEN IF THE HEART IS BEATING EVER SO FAINTLY.
Without the heart to CIRCULATE the blood, oxygenated blood cannot reach the casualty's brain. Some people may avoid the chest compression procedure because they may be unsure of where to apply the pressure and fear breaking the persons ribs - which can happen if done incorrectly.
Have a go - practice (never push on the chest though, just pretend) on your mate or lover and - who is it that says - BE PREPARED? - Oh yeah, it's us users innit! Well, here's how to perform it.
HOW?
1) Lay the person on their back on a firm surface. Kneel alongside their chest - in line with the heart. Locate the Lower half of the breastbone; find the sternal notch at the top and the intersection of the rib margins at the bottom. Then place your thumbs midway between these two landmarks to find the centre. This is the spot to work on.
2) Place the heel of one hand on the centre of the lower half of the breastbone, keeping your fingers OFF the ribs. Cover this hand with the heel of your other hand and lock your fingers together.
3) Keep your arms straight and move forward until they are vertical (see pic 9). Press down on the lower half of the breastbone (it's about 11/2 to 2 inches in a normal adult). Move backwards to release pressure. Complete 15 compressions (at a rate of 80 compressions a minute). To find the right rate count aloud. Obviously the rate will be a little faster than 1 a second. Check the face colour and pulse after the first minute.
4) After the 15 compressions and the first pulse check, move back to the casualty's head and re - open airway (the head should remain tilted back throughout). Give two breaths of mouth to mouth ventilation.
5) Continue with 15 chest compressions again followed by two full ventilations. Check heartbeat every 3 minutes or 12 cycles of compression/mouth to mouth. Click here for further details on chest compressions.
AS SOON AS A HEARTBEAT RETURNS - STOP COMPRESSIONS IMMEDIATELY.
Continue mouth to mouth alone then, until normal breath returns to the person. They may need casual assistance too breathe, so give it to them when necessary until help arrives. Place in recovery position (Fig 6) when satisfied that they are breathing normally.
STAY COOL & CALM & ALWAYS TRY AND KEEP YOUR MATES ALIVE. LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF SURVIVAL.
