Antidotes are drugs that work against the body's toxic or poisonous effects. They function by obstructing or neutralizing the poison's harmful effects. Depending on the kind of poison involved, there are several different antidotes. N-acetylcysteine, for instance, functions as an antidote for acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose by preventing liver damage. Naloxone is another well-known counteragent that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose by inhibiting opioid receptors. Hydroxocobalamin is frequently used as an antidote to bind with cyanide in situations of cyanide poisoning, generating a non-toxic molecule that may be expelled from the body. In poisoning situations, these antidotes—among many others—are essential to medical care that saves lives.
