Naloxone produces 11 documented subjective effects across 2 categories.
Full Naloxone profileNaloxone is not used recreationally and does not produce a "high" or any desirable subjective effects. What a person experiences after receiving naloxone depends entirely on whether they have opioids in their system.
In opioid-naive individuals (people who have not recently taken opioids), naloxone administration produces virtually no subjective effects. Most people report feeling nothing at all. There may be mild, transient discomfort at the injection site if given IM or SC, or a brief stinging sensation in the nose with intranasal administration, but pharmacologically, it is essentially inert in someone without opioids on board.
In opioid-dependent individuals, naloxone precipitates acute withdrawal syndrome, which is intensely unpleasant. Within minutes, the person may experience severe body aches, profuse sweating, goosebumps (piloerection), abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, anxiety, irritability, rapid heart rate, runny nose, tearing of the eyes, yawning, and restlessness. The severity of precipitated withdrawal is proportional to the degree of physical dependence and the dose of naloxone. This experience is extremely distressing but not life-threatening on its own.
In someone being revived from an overdose, the experience is typically abrupt and disorienting. The person may go from unconsciousness to wakefulness within minutes. They are often confused, agitated, frightened, and sometimes combative. Many people do not remember taking the overdose or understand what is happening. Some express anger at having their high reversed. Nausea and vomiting are common. This is why it is important for those administering naloxone to be prepared to explain calmly what happened and to position the person in the recovery position in case they vomit.
A state of insufficient bodily hydration manifesting as persistent thirst, dry mouth, and physical discomfort, often caused by increased sweating, urination, or simply forgetting to drink water during substance use.
DiarrheaDiarrhea is the occurrence of frequent, loose, or watery bowel movements as a side effect of certain psychoactive substances, resulting from either direct GI irritation or pharmacological alterations to gut motility and fluid absorption.
Excessive yawningInvoluntary, repeated yawning that occurs far more frequently than normal and often without the usual association with tiredness or boredom. The yawns may be deep and extended, sometimes occurring in rapid succession, and can be accompanied by watery eyes and a brief sense of stretching release throughout the face and jaw.
NauseaAn uncomfortable sensation of queasiness and stomach discomfort that may or may not lead to vomiting, often occurring during the onset phase of many substances.
Pain reliefA suppression of negative physical sensations such as aches and pains, ranging from dulled awareness of discomfort to complete inability to perceive pain.
Physical fatiguePhysical fatigue is a state of bodily exhaustion characterized by reduced energy, diminished capacity for physical activity, and an overwhelming desire to rest, commonly experienced during comedowns or as a direct effect of sedating substances.
Pupil dilationA visible enlargement of the pupil diameter (mydriasis) that can range from subtle widening to dramatic saucer-like expansion where the dark pupil dominates the iris. This effect is one of the most recognizable signs of psychedelic and stimulant intoxication and directly contributes to light sensitivity, enhanced color perception, and the characteristic "wide-eyed" appearance.
SedationA state of deep physical and mental calming that manifests as a progressive desire to remain still, lie down, and eventually drift toward sleep. Sedation ranges from a gentle drowsy relaxation to a heavy, irresistible pull into unconsciousness where maintaining wakefulness becomes a losing battle against the body's insistence on shutdown.
Temperature regulation disruptionImpaired thermoregulation causing unpredictable fluctuations between feeling hot and cold, with risk of hyperthermia or hypothermia.
Intense feelings of apprehension, worry, and dread that can range from a subtle background unease to overwhelming panic attacks with a sense of impending doom, often amplified by the substance's intensification of one's existing mental state.
PsychosisPsychosis is a serious psychiatric state involving a fundamental break from consensus reality — characterized by firmly held false beliefs (delusions), perception of things that are not there (hallucinations), disorganized thought and speech, and a loss of the ability to distinguish internal mental events from external reality.
Naloxone can produce 9 physical effects including excessive yawning, pupil dilation, dehydration, sedation, and 5 more.
Naloxone produces 2 cognitive effects including anxiety, psychosis.
