How to Give Naloxone (Narcan®) Nasal Spray

Narcan® Nasal Spray can help people who have overdosed on opioid drugs. Opioid drugs include prescription pain medicines like oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and methadone and illegal drugs like heroin.

Giving Narcan® Nasal Spray to someone who has not overdosed on opioids and is unconscious for another reason will not hurt them. You should give Narcan® Nasal Spray to anyone who is unconscious with known or suspected opioid use.

When you pick up Narcan® Nasal Spray at the pharmacy, check the box and: 

• Look for the expiration date on the package.

• Make sure the instructions with pictures showing how to use the medicine are included.

At home:

• Read the instructions on how to use the medicine so you're ready if you need to give it.

• Keep the instructions with the medicine so you can look at them when you need to use the medicine.

Storage:

• Keep the medicine where you can get it quickly if you need it.

• Choose a dry place that doesn't get too hot or too cold (never keep Narcan® Nasal Spray in a bathroom or in a car).

• Put the medicine where young children can't see it or reach it.

Steps for Giving Narcan® Nasal Spray

Step 1. Check the person for a response:

• Call the person's name and ask: "Are you OK?"

• Squeeze their fingernail or shake their shoulders to try to get them to wake up.

• Look for symptoms of opioid overdose:

  • not responding 

  • small pupils

  • breathing is slow or has stopped

  • snoring, gasping, or gurgling sounds

  • fingernails and/or lips are blue

Step 2. Give Narcan® Nasal Spray:

• Lay the person on their back.

• Remove nasal spray from package and review directions if needed.

• Hold the nasal spray with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle. Do not press the plunger until you are ready to give the medicine.

• Tilt the person's head back and support their neck with your hands. Place the nozzle into the person's nostril and press the plunger firmly to give the dose of Narcan®.

• Remove the nozzle from the person's nostril after giving the dose.

Step 3. Call 911:

Explain the situation to emergency medical services (EMS). While waiting for their arrival:

• Move the person onto their side and place their hands under their head if possible while waiting for medical help to arrive.

• If the person does not wake up, start to respond, or start breathing normally within 2–3 minutes, give another dose of Narcan® Nasal Spray into the other nostril. 

Will Narcan® Nasal Spray work if the person is not breathing? Yes, Narcan® Nasal Spray will work and can be given if a person is not breathing.

How does Narcan® Nasal Spray work? When a person has an opioid overdose, the opioid attaches to nerve cells in the brain. Narcan® attaches to the same area in the brain and prevents opioids from working. 

What are the side effects of Narcan® Nasal Spray? In people with long-term opioid use, naloxone (Narcan®) can cause sudden withdrawal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach cramping, trembling, increased heart rate, body aches, fever, and seizures. Always call 911 after Narcan® is given.