Emergency

Overdose signs

• Extreme drowsiness — can't stay awake or be roused
• Confusion, slurred speech, severe loss of coordination
• Slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
• Unconsciousness / unresponsive; limp, floppy body
• Blue lips or fingertips
• Vomiting while sedated (choking / aspiration risk)
• Cold, clammy skin; weak pulse

First response

• Try to wake them — shout, firm sternal rub
• If unresponsive or breathing is impaired, call emergency services
• Place them in the recovery position — critical, they can choke on vomit
• Monitor breathing continuously; be ready to give rescue breaths / CPR
• Never leave them alone to "sleep it off"
• Do not give other drugs, stimulants, or more depressants

For the medical team

Tell the dispatcher: sedative/depressant suspected, what was taken, how much, and when — especially whether it was mixed with opioids or alcohol, which is the main cause of fatal respiratory depression. Flumazenil (a benzodiazepine antagonist) is hospital-only and often avoided; it can trigger seizures in mixed or dependent users.

Resolution

Most depressant overdoses resolve with airway protection, breathing support, and monitoring. The danger is respiratory depression and choking on vomit — sharply worse when combined with opioids or alcohol. GHB/GBL overdoses often involve sudden deep unconsciousness and may self-resolve, but airway protection is essential.

Every recorded risk