Serious side effects of naloxone are very rare. The most common side effect is opioid withdrawal, since naloxone ejects the opioids from their receptors in the brain. The risk of withdrawal increases with larger doses of naloxone as well as the strength of a person's drug dependency. Common opioid withdrawal symptoms include aches, irritability, sweating, runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Will naloxone make you high?
No. The only effect of naloxone is to reverse the effect of opioids. It cannot make you high: if you are not using opioids, an injection of naloxone would feel the same as an injection of water. Naloxone has no potential for abuse or dependency.

Can naloxone cause overdose?
No. It is not possible to overdose on naloxone. If a large dose is given to a person with opioids in their system, they may experience symptoms of withdrawal.

Will naloxone work even if someone has previously used it?
Yes. You cannot develop tolerance to naloxone, so it can be used in every opioid overdose situation no matter how many times a person has overdosed in the past.

How much should naloxone cost?
Most harm reduction programs offer naloxone to drug users for free. How much
naloxone costs, however, varies depending on what company manufactures it. Naloxone is a generic medication, so while its price is not affected by drug patents, market issues such as supply and demand may influence cost. The injectable form of naloxone, however, is typically less than $2 per dose.

For more information, there are two websites to visit:  the website Naloxoneinfo.org and the Harm Reduction Coalition.