This article describes Narcan’s dosage and strength and gives details on how it’s used. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for Narcan. If you want to know more about Narcan, see this overview article. It covers details about the drug’s uses, side effects, ways to save on cost, and more.
Narcan is a brand-name medication that comes as a nasal spray. It’s available in a generic version called naloxone nasal spray.
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Form and strength of Narcan
Narcan comes as follows:
- Form: nasal spray
- Strength: 4 milligrams (mg) in 0.1 milliliters (mL)
Dosage of Narcan
This article describes the recommended dosage for Narcan. The drugmaker provides these dosages. Be sure to follow the directions in the drug facts section of Narcan’s packaging label.
Usual recommended dosage of Narcan in adults
The drug packaging label contains the recommended dosage of Narcan. A caregiver or someone you know will likely give you Narcan. So it’s important that they know how to use the drug.
Dosage for opioid overdose
Below is the dosage of Narcan for opioid overdose:
- Dose: one spray into one nostril
- Frequency: every 2–3 minutes as needed until the person wakes up
It’s important to know that you cannot give too much Narcan. Be sure to give Narcan as many times as needed to keep the person awake until medical help arrives. For more details on how to give Narcan, see the “How Narcan is given” section below.
Frequently asked questions
Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about Narcan and its dosage.
How does the dose of Narcan compare with the dose of naltrexone?
The dose of Narcan is very different from the dose of naltrexone. Narcan is an OTC drug used to treat a known or possible opioid overdose. So it’s given as needed until the person experiencing the overdose wakes up and medical help arrives.
Naltrexone is a prescription drug that’s used to treat drug misuse. (With misuse, a drug is taken in a way other than how it’s prescribed.) Naltrexone comes as an oral tablet that’s taken once per day as a long-term treatment.
To learn more about how the dosages of these two drugs compare, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Narcan used long term?
No, Narcan is not a long-term treatment. Instead, it’s used short-term to help someone with a known or possible opioid overdose until medical help arrives.
If you have questions about how Narcan is used, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
How Narcan is given
If a person is having an opioid overdose, someone else will administer Narcan. This can be a caregiver or another person who knows how to use Narcan. The first dose is given by spraying one single-dose nasal spray into a nostril. After the first dose, call 911 or a local emergency number right away.
If the person doesn’t wake up, another dose of Narcan can be given 2–3 minutes after the first dose. This will be given into the person’s other nostril with a new single-dose nasal spray. If the person still doesn’t wake up, keep giving a dose in alternating nostrils until they wake up or until medical help arrives. You cannot give too much Narcan.
Be sure to use a new nasal spray for each dose. And do not prime or test the Narcan nasal spray device before giving the dose. One box of Narcan contains two single-dose nasal sprays. Do not reuse the nasal sprays.
If you’re administering Narcan, be sure to follow the instructions on the Narcan packaging label. If you have questions about how to give Narcan, talk with a doctor or pharmacist.
Narcan coupon
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