A family with no history of opioid use is rocked by an unexpected poisoning. Six years later, it happens again.
I am haunted by what happened to my family,” says B, a consultant in the medical industry. “I’m haunted by the fact it could happen to someone else, and that it is happening to other people.
B’s family had no history of opioid use. “All of the things you would think that would put someone in harm’s way, in terms of an opioid overdose, don’t apply here,” she explains.
In the early 2010s, she lost her brother to an overdose. He was in a remote location, at a hunting lodge. Suffering from sleeplessness and anxiety, he got to chatting with an elderly man who offered him a sedative. He took the pill, which contained methadone. As someone who had never used opioids before, the strength of the dose was overwhelming—he never woke up.
“My brother was opioid-naïve,” says B. “It was a lack of education and not understanding the risks.”
Six years later, B’s father also suffered an opioid poisoning. This time, it was due to an incorrectly dispensed pill pack. He received the wrong person’s medication (hydromorphone) and didn’t notice due to poor vision. Thankfully, he was at home. Family members noticed that he had slouched over in his chair and had blue lips. The responding paramedic noticed a female name on the pill pack, put two and two together, and administered naloxone—saving his life.
“Opioid poisoning is happening all the time. It’s accidental, and it can happen to anyone, not just marginalized communities or people,” says B. “I think that every time an opioid is dispensed from a pharmacy, naloxone should be offered. It should also be in schools, homes, and should just be a common thing. Like how everyone knows about an EPIPEN®— everyone should know about naloxone. We should make it something people can comfortably talk about openly.”
Today, B says she is thankful for the opportunity to share this story, so that it might help someone else from ending up in her situation.