What pills can cause coma? What medications exist that cause cardiac arrest?

The most common causes of drug overdose

The following factors provoke poisoning of the human body:

• improper storage;
• expired;
• simultaneous use of medications that enhance the effect of each other.

Death from an overdose of pills is possible in the following cases:

• Use of medications that are prohibited to be taken together.
• Self-administration, i.e. without a doctor’s prescription.
• Intentional addition of highly potent drugs to foods and drinks for the purpose of poisoning.
• Taking pills, despite contraindications and age restrictions.
• Simultaneous use of alcohol-containing drinks and medications.
• Intentional or mistaken overestimation of the recommended dose.
• Reception out of curiosity, which is most often characteristic of children.
• Taking a large number of tablets of different names.

Possible consequences

Complications affect almost all organ systems. Include conditions such as:

• pulmonary edema;
• functional impairment;
• mental disorder;
• anuria;
• myocardial infarction;
• stroke;
• anemia;
• gastritis;
• stomach and duodenal ulcers;
• complete cardiac or respiratory arrest.

It is worth remembering that the consequences are divided into early and late. For this reason, all patients remain for some time under dispensary registration with a therapist or other doctor of a narrow specialization. Examinations must be carried out regularly, so that formed pathologies can be identified at the earliest stages.

Overdose Clinic

What the outcome will be depends on a number of factors, namely:

• physical condition of the body;
• body weight;
• dose taken;
• properties of the drug;
• age;
• metabolic features.

We will consider in more detail below which tablets people die from overdose, but first we will focus on the clinical manifestations, which depend on the action of the medication. When taking more than the permissible amount specified in the official instructions for medical use, the following clinic is observed:

• Antibiotics - vomiting, heart rhythm disturbances, breathing problems, convulsions, nausea, kidney failure.
• Sleeping pills, sedatives, tranquilizers - drowsiness, loss of strength, slow reactions, deep sleep, turning into coma.
• NSAIDs - symptoms are similar to intestinal poisoning.
• Hypotensive - loss of consciousness, fainting, rare heart rate, vomiting, nausea, depression of respiratory function.
• Anti-allergic - failure of coordination of movements, severe thirst, hyperthermia, convulsions, tremors of the upper and lower extremities, sharp jumps in blood pressure up to critical values.

The greatest danger is respiratory tract convulsions. Without timely, qualified assistance from specialists, respiratory arrest provokes the death of brain cells, resulting in coma and clinical death.

Why scientists considered high blood pressure medications dangerous

The European Society of Cardiology has found that a number of drugs used for high blood pressure and angina can cause sudden cardiac arrest. We are talking about medications containing nifedipine.

In February, Roszdravnadzor already removed from sale two drugs that can harm the normal functioning of the heart - Erespal and Epistat. We are looking into whether medications containing nifedipine may face a similar fate.

depositphotos/kubais

Dangerous drugs

Western researchers have found that high doses of the drug nifedipine, used to treat high blood pressure and angina, can affect the functioning of the heart until it stops.

The substance nifedipine is classified as a calcium channel blocker. This means that the channels in the cell wall through which calcium enters are blocked. Inhibition of the entry and accumulation of calcium ions prevents the depletion of myocardial energy reserves and provides a protective effect on the heart muscle.

Due to the expansion of the heart arteries, blood flow to the myocardium improves, and the increased lumen of distant arteries ensures a decrease in pressure. Thanks to this, the vascular walls relax, the lumen of the veins and arteries increases, and the frequency of myocardial contractions decreases.

In Russia, the drug is prescribed by a doctor and sold with a prescription.

However, drugs containing dihydropyridine and amlodipine, which are used to treat the same symptoms, did not have such a side effect. However, experts from the European Society of Cardiology add that these results must first be verified by other studies before doctors and patients take action.

Last month, the drug Epistat, prescribed for bronchitis, was withdrawn from circulation in Russia, since the fenspiride contained in the drug causes heart rhythm disturbances. A letter about the need to remove all series of Epistat drugs from pharmacies was sent by the representative office of the Hungarian company Gedeon Richter.

A little earlier, the French cough medicine Erespal, which also contains fenspiride, began to be removed from Russian pharmacies. The medicine was also used for hoarseness, sore throat and infectious diseases of the respiratory tract.

Doctors have found that after taking the drug, the ECG pattern becomes uneven and wavy. Thus, the medicine increases the risk of heart rhythm disturbances in the form of polymorphic tachycardia and the occurrence of conditions incompatible with life.

The first to sound the alarm was in France, where there are factories producing this medicine.

Shouldn't you panic?

Yaroslav Ashikhmin, a member of the European Society of Cardiology, told the Moscow 24 portal that drugs containing the substance nifedipine are not prescribed to patients en masse. According to him, they are used only for patients with very high blood pressure who have not responded to other drugs.

“In this case, the researchers say, firstly, that the effect of increasing the risk of sudden death is observed only at a dose of nifedipine above 60 milligrams, this is a larger dose, a smaller dose does not cause such an effect. Secondly, they themselves say that their results should be verified in other studies, so we should not urgently change the treatment tactics for our patients,” the doctor noted.

Ashikhmin explained that patients who use medications with nifedipine should not panic and should better consult their doctor.

“We have a lot of drugs in cardiology that can lead to fatal complications, for example, antiarrhythmics, which are very often unjustifiably used, and no one excludes them,” emphasized the interlocutor of the Moscow 24 portal.

Sometimes this is the only way to maintain blood pressure or prevent arrhythmia. Not all drugs are 100 percent safe. I don’t think that drugs containing nifedipine will be withdrawn from sale.

Yaroslav Ashikhmin

member of the European Society of Cardiology

In turn, pharmaceutical analyst and CEO of DSM Group Sergei Shulyak is confident that if the likelihood of death from use is very high, then the drugs may be withdrawn from sale.

“It’s not for nothing that the instructions contain such a clause as side effects.

Accordingly, they may be stronger or less pronounced, it all depends on what consequences have been established from the use of this drug and in what concentrations.

If the likelihood is moderate, then warnings will be written and other doses will be prescribed. Or this drug will be used with caution,” he explained.

According to him, in order to ban the sale of the drug, “clear evidence and statistical data will be needed that the consequences arose due to the use of this drug.”

If harm is proven, it will be recalled. The National Pharmaceutical Chamber Union proposed to punish pharmacists for pushing medications. The authors of the idea are confident that pharmacies in 60 percent of cases push drugs onto customers whose manufacturers they have signed marketing agreements with. As a punishment, it is proposed to suspend violating pharmacists from work for up to six months.

Source: https://www.m24.ru/articles/medicina/18032019/155021

Stages of poisoning. Symptoms

Death does not occur immediately. Initially, severe intoxication of the body occurs. There are several stages of this condition, each with its own symptoms:

1. The first is disorientation, diarrhea, vomiting, slow reactions, increased drowsiness. At this stage, the individual is contactable and able to respond to external stimuli.
2. The second is moderate, a superficial coma develops. Communication with the outside world is lost, there are no reactions to external stimuli, all reflexes are suppressed, the person does not feel pain. There is an increased production of secretion from the salivary glands, which eventually ends up in the respiratory tract and the patient chokes, as he is unable to ask for help.
3. The third is characterized as a deep coma and is considered extremely severe. For example, an overdose of medications included in the group of sleeping pills has particularly severe consequences: blood pressure decreases, cortical structures are damaged, the brain swells, reflexes are absent, cardiovascular failure has a dynamic progression, and breathing is suppressed. If qualified assistance is not provided, a person’s life is at serious risk.
4. The fourth, or terminal, is when doctors diagnose clinical death. If resuscitation measures are ineffective, biological death is declared.

Lethal dose of sleeping pill Donormil

This drug has become a subject of interest for mentally unbalanced individuals. Since there is no simpler way to send yourself to another world than to take pills and not wake up. But so far no one has been able to implement this. Much more often such experiences end in disability and a mental hospital. The lethal dose of the drug has never been established. Taking sleeping pills Donormil will not lead to death, but will lead to severe intoxication of the entire body.

Indicators observed when using the sleeping pill Donormil in case of overdose:

Despite the fact that many manufacturers mention the danger of using huge doses of sleeping pills for life, more often than not a person who has tried to take his own life ends up as a patient in a psychiatric clinic.

The mild sleeping pill Donormil is available without a prescription, but you still don’t need to take it just like that. First, you need to try to normalize sleep without the help of medications, and then consult a doctor. If you have been prescribed Donormil, it is not recommended to combine it with taking other antiallergic drugs. In addition, it is not recommended to drive or engage in work that requires excessive concentration of attention for several days after finishing taking the drug.

You should know that there are no safe medications. Overdose of medications leads to dangerous conditions and liver problems. When a person takes medications without consulting a doctor or following the instructions, serious side effects of therapy occur. People say that medicines cure one thing and cripple another, and this is true, therefore their haphazard use is unacceptable. Now we will find out which pills can cause death in case of overdose. For those who neglect the doctor’s recommendations, the information will help avoid irreversible consequences.

Serious diseases that can cause death are treated mainly with potent compounds, which are themselves dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the instructions and see a doctor. Let's not forget that some medications do not combine with each other, and most drugs are incompatible with alcohol. Due to inappropriate combinations of drugs, cases of fatal conditions are not uncommon. The liver is not able to neutralize toxic compounds formed by incompatible components. As a result, the patient's condition deteriorates sharply, coma develops, and then death occurs.

The causes of death include not only accidental exposure to a toxic factor. Some people use pills to try to commit suicide. Fortunately, few people know which pills to take to cause death, and most dangerous drugs are sold only with a doctor's prescription.

However, conventional medications can also cause harm to your health if you take a lot of them. Lethal doses exist for every drug. How many tablets are needed to provoke death depends on age, body weight, individual characteristics of the body and concomitant diseases. According to statistics, most attempts by suicides to commit suicide using pills result in severe forms of poisoning.

Using pills at home to lose weight or improve sleep can also lead to dire consequences if the dosage is not followed. Children are poisoned with pills because of their own curiosity and the negligence of adults. Drug poisoning in emergency cases occurs when primary care is provided by incompetent people. If the victim is in pain, an ignorant person may give too much of the drug, which in this case will lead to respiratory arrest and death.

What pills cause people to die? Top 5 life-threatening drugs

Most often, death occurs due to an overdose, an allergic reaction, or the use of incompatible medications. There are five most common and most dangerous medications that should be taken with caution:

• "Phenobarbital". Depending on the body’s susceptibility, an overdose of two to ten grams provokes death in just a few minutes (from 15 to 30). This is due to the fact that the active substances included in the medication are very quickly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and begin to act on the body.
• "Aspirin". From an overdose of tablets, rapid death occurs for those under fifteen years of age. For adults, exceeding 500 mg per kilogram of body weight is also fatal.

• "Analgin" is generally prohibited for use in many countries. Taking 15-20 grams leads to death. According to medical statistics, in ten percent of cases, kidney failure is the result of uncontrolled medication use.
• “Levomycetin” is another answer to the question of which tablets you can die from overdose. The toxic effects of this medication occur even at therapeutic doses. If assistance is not provided in a timely manner, acute heart failure occurs after six to ten hours. Overdose in childhood results in death in forty percent of cases.
• "Phenazepam." For some individuals, taking ten tablets is enough to kill them.

Remember this list of the most common drugs so that you know which pills cause death and protect yourself and your loved ones.

Antibiotics and vitamins

Despite all the benefits of antibiotics in the treatment of bronchopulmonary, intestinal and other infections, these drugs can cause cardiac arrest, especially in people suffering from allergies, diabetes, etc. This is especially true for drugs from the macrolide group: azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, etc. .

Research conducted by Wayne Ray, a professor from the United States, confirmed that in people with concomitant diseases, such antibacterial therapy increased the likelihood of developing heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure and sudden stoppage of the main “motor” of the body.

A study led by a Scottish scientist found that a popular antibiotic, clarithromycin, increases the risk of heart complications in those with lung disease. It is worth noting that even after stopping this drug, the risk of side effects remains quite high.

As for vitamins, they can both prevent heart and vascular diseases and provoke their development. For example, vitamin K is necessary for the synthesis of prothrombin in the liver. Vikasol, a water-soluble drug based on it, is used to prevent bleeding before operations and childbirth, and increasing its dosage can lead to thrombosis. Excess calcium can disrupt heart rhythm and cardiac conduction, etc.

We are talking about tranquilizers, sedatives, antidepressants. They are used to treat many diseases of the nervous system and brain, and also as painkillers, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. All of them are capable of causing cardiac arrest when the dosage is increased.

Strong tranquilizers not only disrupt thinking and alter consciousness, but also cause uncontrollable sudden contraction of muscle tissue. At the same time, the face becomes like a terrible, terrible mask. And a condition such as akathisia causes agitation and psychosis with increased blood pressure and arrhythmia, which is also fraught with clinical death.

An overdose of antidepressants is fraught with seizures, fever, paralysis, heart failure, which ultimately leads to death. Some drugs from this group increase serotonergic activity in the central nervous system, which leads to the development of akathisia and, as a consequence, cardiac arrest.

About 10% of patients who take such antidepressants attempt suicide. Therefore, before taking any medications without a doctor’s prescription, you should think carefully and carefully study the instructions. For people at risk, such experiments with their health are doubly contraindicated, as they are fraught with the most dire consequences.

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We quite often encounter sleep disturbances. To combat this problem, many resort to taking special medications against insomnia. So far, no means have been created that would lead to sleep that is no different from natural. Since the circumstances of the disorder can be associated with disruption of organ function, with emotional and physical fatigue. But out of all the existing remedies, the sleeping pill Donormil is singled out.

Donormil is a sleeping pill belonging to the group of antihistamines. Its effectiveness against insomnia is due to its effect on certain areas of the brain responsible for nervous excitation. This property can be found in allergy medications.

Unlike other sleeping pills sold without prescriptions, Donormil is a completely reliable drug that does not destroy brain cells. It is recommended for problems falling asleep, constant anxiety, causeless anxiety, and excessive nervous excitability. Donoromil has a pronounced sedative effect, which not only eliminates insomnia, but also improves the quality of sleep.

Donormil sleeping pills can be insoluble and effervescent, designed to be dissolved in water. Take the medicine one pill at a time in fifteen minutes. before going to bed for a nap.

At the end of the reception, the deepest sleep occurs

It is fundamentally important that the duration of sleep is at least seven hours, since waking up early makes a person disoriented, tired and lethargic

Taking the drug is contraindicated for the following persons:

• having prostate disease;
• suffering from angle-closure glaucoma;
• children under the age of fifteen;
• the presence of intolerance to doxylamine and other ingredients;
• pregnant women.

Potentially dangerous pharmacological groups

Among them are:

• NSAIDs - Diclofenac, Nimesulide, Indomethacin, etc.
• Antiallergic - “Diazolin”, “Suprastin”, “Claritin”, etc.
• Tranquilizers – “Diazepam”, “Seduxen”, “Librium”, etc.
• Sedatives - Phenobarbital, Teraligen, etc.
• Antibiotics - Cefazolin, Augmentin, Azithromycin, Gentamicin, Tetracycline, etc.
• Antihypertensives - Amiodarone, Captopril, Nifedipine, etc.

Other groups of medications, when taken uncontrolled and abused, can also harm human health.

What pills do people die from overdosing on? The most common causes of death are:

• Opiates, or narcotic analgesics - Codeine, Morphine, Methadone. They lead to confusion, vomiting, and cardiac arrest. In some cases, there is no way to help the patient.
• Hallucinogenic drugs - Ketamine, Bromocriptine, Amitriptyline, Clonidine. These medications cause auditory and visual hallucinations, spatial disorientation, seizures, and coma in the individual. Inadequate dosages lead to depression of the psycho-emotional state.
• Barbiturate sleeping pills - Nembutal, Sodium thiopental, Butizol. An independent increase in dosage provokes confusion, failure of the respiratory and circulatory systems. Ten times the permitted dose is considered fatal.
• Central nervous system stimulants. In case of overdose - death. Which pills are the most dangerous? These are “Cocaine”, “Amphetamine”, as well as their derivatives. Death is associated with the development of cardiac arrhythmia. An overdose can lead to hallucinations, paranoid-type psychosis, hypertension and coma.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors - “Harmalin”, “Isoniazid”, “Phenelzine”, “Pirlindol”. When taking a dose higher than permissible, a person experiences psycho-emotional agitation, leading to a malfunction of the heart muscle. Such symptoms appear a day after taking the tablets, so it is impossible to diagnose poisoning in the early stages.
• Antidepressants - Trifluoperazine, Desipramine, Amitriptyline. Any medications from this group can lead to a mental disorder that occurs with impaired thinking, attention, perception and clouding of consciousness. These are pills that can kill you if you overdose if you take a large dose. For example, 1200 mg of Amitriptyline is enough to cause death.

What drugs can cause poisoning?

You can be poisoned by any drugs: it all depends on the dose, body weight and age, the presence of concomitant health problems (systemic diseases, allergies, intolerance to drug components, etc.).

It is extremely dangerous to mix different drugs with narcotic effects:

1. opiates with tranquilizers, barbiturates, sedatives and hypnotics, antihistamines;
2. alcohol and opiates or sleeping pills (for example, the tranquilizer Zoloft is not dangerous when taken alone, but if you mix it with alcohol, severe intoxication will occur);
3. CNS stimulants and opiates.

Even simple antipyretic and painkillers (for example, Aspirin, Analgin, Paracetamol) are very dangerous if used in the wrong combination or overdose.

An overdose of which tablets can cause severe intoxication and death? The special risk group includes cardiac and analgesic drugs, as well as all medications that affect the central nervous system: hypnotics, neurotropic drugs, tranquilizing drugs, antidepressants.

Consequences of drug overdose

There may not be a fatal outcome, but the person will suffer from the negative consequences of an overdose for almost the rest of his life. Let's look at the example of sleeping pills, which many individuals often take for a long period of time, which subsequently leads to addiction and the following symptoms:

• Insomnia. A person gets used to falling asleep by regularly taking a certain dose of medication and is no longer able to fall asleep without them.
• Stress is a constant companion if you don't get enough rest at night. Lack of sleep contributes to the occurrence of nervous disorders and unstable psycho-emotional background.
• Aggressive behavior develops against the background of insomnia.
• Decreased mental activity and activity. A person cannot cope with things that he previously did quickly and efficiently. As a result, he develops negative emotions.
• Death. In medical practice, it is not uncommon for a person who has taken a sleeping pill to not wake up in the morning from an overdose. Which pills cause people to die specifically is not so important; the main thing to remember is that uncontrolled use of sleeping pills causes irreversible changes in blood vessels, leading to the death of brain lobes, disruption of blood flow, heart attack and other severe pathological processes.

The dangers of heart drugs

Drugs aimed at restoring the functioning of the cardiovascular system - glycosides - are among the most dangerous. They are often prescribed for heart failure. Such remedies have a beneficial effect on the heart.

Actions:

• Normal blood circulation is restored.
• Heartbeat improves.
• Contractions of the organ become calmer.
• They have a mild diuretic effect.

However, such deadly drugs only help with the correct dosage and treatment regimen. Heart medications cause death if the amount of the drug used exceeds the prescribed dose by tens of times. However, in case of serious heart problems, death can occur if less quantities are consumed.

If an overdose of heart medications occurs, a person may experience characteristic symptoms.

Symptoms:

1. Severe pain in the abdominal area,
2. Vomiting,
3. intestinal disorder,
4. Headaches, migraines,
5. Convulsive manifestations
6. Low pressure,
7. Respiratory system malfunctions
8. The cardiogram clearly shows a disturbance in the functioning of the heart.

Death often occurs as a result of complete disruption of cardiac activity and the respiratory process. Heart medications should not be used without a doctor's prescription. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences may occur, and the likelihood of death increases several times.

What are the dangers of taking large doses of medications?

Before taking any drug, strictly follow the dosage recommended by your doctor. Death is caused by all medications that act on the cardiac and nervous systems and are well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. For information: so that you pay special attention to them before taking them, a small list of medications is provided.

Overdose of pills causing death:

• "Phenazepam", which is absolutely incompatible with alcohol-containing drinks. In case of an overdose, mental health suffers significantly.
• "Metamizole sodium" - death most often occurs due to severe consequences after taking five grams of the medicine. In some cases, acute renal failure or internal bleeding develops.
• "Amitriptyline" when taken simultaneously with alcohol ultimately causes cardiac or respiratory arrest and death.
• "Doxylamine." Taking about ten capsules is considered a lethal dose. However, for some individuals, three is enough, if you also drink alcohol.
• "Sertraline". Exceeding the dose by five or six times leads to severe intoxication, and together with alcoholic drinks, to death.
• "Melatonin" in a dose exceeding the maximum permitted by four times.

What pills cause people to die quickly from an overdose? A widely known and frequently prescribed drug called Phenobarbital, due to its rapid action, if the permissible dosage is exceeded, leads to death in fifteen to thirty minutes.

Medicines that can be fatal in overdose

The most common fatal pill poisonings occur due to the following types of medications:

• Sleeping pills and tranquilizers;
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs);
• antibiotics;
• antihistamines;
• cardiovascular medications (ACE inhibitors, cardiotonics, vasodilators);
• antidepressants.

If a drug overdose is suspected, it is necessary to provide medical assistance as soon as possible, call an ambulance and, before they arrive, try to determine what drugs were taken by the victim. The latter is necessary so that the doctor can choose the right antidote and coordinate resuscitation measures. All of the above actions are required even in mild cases for the following reasons:

• it is difficult for a non-specialist to accurately determine the severity of poisoning and the risk of death;
• an unexpected sharp deterioration in condition is possible;
• only a doctor can minimize the consequences for internal organs.

Poisoning with sleeping pills and tranquilizers

Overdose of drugs in this group occurs more often than others. People with suicidal tendencies, choosing pills that can be fatal in case of overdose, most often choose sleeping pills. There is a common misconception that in this way you can die quickly and painlessly. However, few people take into account that not a single toxicologist will undertake to predict which pills lead to death quickly. The body's reaction to pills is always individual.

Important! Many drugs in this group are equated to drugs (phenobarbital, barbital sodium, noxiron), and with prolonged use they cause severe dependence.

Other medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, sleep problems, and relieve emotional stress.

All of these drugs depress the central nervous system and suppress the functioning of the lungs and heart. It should be noted that most often fatal overdoses occur due to phenazepam, melaxen and donormil.

Overdose of phenazepam and melaxen

Phenazepam is prescribed for epilepsy, alcohol addiction, insomnia, and muscle spasms. The problem is that the medicine is addictive and you have to constantly increase the dosage to achieve the effect. Without medical supervision, this leads to poisoning, often fatal. An overdose of phenazepam at the initial stage is easy to identify: the condition is similar in symptoms to severe alcohol intoxication (excited, feels euphoria, coordination is impaired).

How much phenazepam you need to take to cause death depends on a number of factors:

• general condition of the body (with reduced immunity, poisoning occurs at lower doses);
• chronic diseases;
• degree of addiction to the drug;
• weight;
• alcohol consumption.

Important! Drinking alcohol with phenazepam increases the risk of death by more than 2 times.

On average, a lethal dose is considered to be 0.5 mg per 1 kg of weight.

Like most strong drugs, it has its own antidote - flumazenil. They block the action of phenazepam. Having an antidote in the house will greatly simplify resuscitation measures.

Melaxen is a medicine prescribed for insomnia, created on the basis of the human hormone (melatonin). An overdose of Melaxen can be fatal. Quite often this happens by accident: the medicine does not begin to act immediately, but the person, wanting to achieve results, takes more. The first sign of an overdose is severe headache and dizziness.

Donormil poisoning

The danger of this medicine is that the line between a therapeutic dose and a lethal one is very thin. The dose can be increased only on the recommendation of a doctor and within 2 tablets per 24 hours. A fatal outcome from an overdose of Donormil also often occurs due to the combination of the drug with alcohol. Even a small dose in combination with donormil leads to severe consequences for the central nervous system.

As for the question of how many Donormil tablets cause a fatal overdose, it is still open. The body's reaction is determined by the state of health and the degree of addiction to the medicine.

Consequences

Poisoning with sleeping pills and tranquilizers causes serious damage to internal organs. In case of severe overdose, even with timely medical care, death occurs in 2.5% of cases.

In addition to damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys, poisoning with these drugs leads to serious disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory system and brain. After resuscitation measures, the victim will receive a long course of antibiotics to avoid pneumonia. In severe situations, tracheal intubation and fluid suction from the bronchi are performed.

Antidepressant overdose

A depressive state is often accompanied by suicidal thoughts, so taking antidepressants should alert loved ones and force them to be more attentive to the patient. In severe psychological conditions, it is necessary to determine in advance which pills can lead to death and limit access to them. Unfortunately, if the process is started and the decision is made, the person will still find which pills to take in order to die.

The most dangerous thing is that even antidepressants, if taken or dosed incorrectly, can cause death.

One such medication is Zoloft (sertraline). It is prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and depression. How many Zoloft tablets will cause death cannot be predicted in advance. The same dose will alleviate symptoms for some, but will be fatal for others.

Overdose of cardiovascular drugs

Medicines of this group are most often found in a home medicine cabinet. According to the method and direction of its action, it is divided into several subgroups.

Toxicologists say there are increasing cases of fatal digoxin overdose. The medicine is relatively affordable, and often people start taking it not on the recommendation of a doctor, but on the advice of friends. The problem is that digoxin is not suitable for everyone, and taking even a small dose can cause severe poisoning.

Over-the-counter drugs in the pharmacy chain

Unfortunately, not all people are aware that taking a large number of pills that are sold in pharmacies without a medical prescription can also cause harm. It is important to remember that their negative effect on the body increases when combined with alcoholic beverages. An overdose of which pills leads to death? The following medications should be used with caution:

• "Ascorbic acid". Exceeding the recommended dose gives impetus to the development of cancerous tumors and rapid decline.
• "Acetylsalicylic acid". When taking these pills, children often develop the dangerous Reye's syndrome. They are also prohibited for use for stomach ulcers and intestinal diseases.
• Iodine. Use in large quantities can be fatal.
• "Tocopherol acetate." Exceeding the permitted dosage leads to internal bleeding and failure of cerebral circulation.

• Paracetamol is most often used for any reason for colds in both children and adults. However, if you overdo it with the dosage, in addition to intoxication of the whole body, you will get the destruction of brain cells. Taking about ten grams of this drug threatens a long and painful death due to complete liver failure.
• Loperamide is a favorite remedy for Russians for bouts of diarrhea. However, it becomes addictive, and as a result, a person receives a lot of side effects leading to severe pathological conditions.

Remember that even the most harmless tablets must be stored in an inaccessible place so that children cannot get to them. Answering the question about which pills you can overdose on and you can die from, doctors confidently say that from any pill taken in large quantities. It is not for nothing that they always remind you that you should not self-medicate and take medications that you have prescribed for yourself.

Video: Life-threatening drugs

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First aid for drug poisoning

In case of an overdose of pills that are potentially life-threatening, it is not recommended to independently carry out any treatment on the victim. The following actions are allowed if the individual is conscious:

• gastric lavage with plain water;
• cleansing enema;
• taking adsorbents to slow down the absorption of toxic substances;
• Drinking plenty of fluids will help prevent dehydration, speed up metabolic processes and remove drug residues from the body.

In case of loss of consciousness, if possible, you should lie on your side or carefully turn your head to the side. These poses will help you avoid choking on vomit. Immediately call specialized assistance from medical professionals.

What to do in case of drug overdose

At the slightest suspicion of an overdose of any drug, you should urgently call an ambulance. By phone, inform the dispatcher about what happened, list the patient’s symptoms and accurately state your location.

Remember that trying to cure a person from a drug overdose on your own is very dangerous. He may die in your arms, and you will not be able to help him. In order not to endanger his life, seek medical help immediately.

What to do while waiting for doctors? The arrival time of the EMS team depends on many factors (for example, traffic congestion, availability of doctors at the time of the call). While waiting for the ambulance team, you need to begin providing first aid to the poisoned person at home. The prognosis for the patient’s life may depend on it. Its main components are presented below.

Gastric lavage

In order to clear the stomach of the remainder of the drugs taken, you need to drink a liter of water in one gulp and induce vomiting. For best results, repeat this washing several times.

This procedure is not carried out if:

• impaired consciousness of the patient;
• the appearance of black or bloody vomit.

There is no need to add a solution of potassium permanganate or any other components to the gastric lavage solution. You cannot know what chemical reaction they will enter into with the drugs that poisoned the person.

Cleansing enema

The enema is done using ordinary boiled water. The temperature of the colonic lavage fluid should be neutral (room temperature).

Sorbents

These medications will help bind and remove medications that remain in the digestive tract.

Sorbents that are taken in liquid form (for example, smecta or atoxyl) act faster. But if you don’t have these at home, give the patient any other sorbent, even activated carbon will do.

Before giving the drug to a person, read the dosage rules that are described in the instructions for it.

Drink

The liquid will reduce the concentration of the drug in the blood and accelerate its excretion by the kidneys, reducing dehydration. You can drink mineral water or plain water, tea with sugar.

Actions in case of loss of consciousness

If the patient loses consciousness, you need to monitor him until the doctors arrive so that he does not choke on vomit or his tongue.
Turn his head to the side; in this position, the risk of aspiration is minimal. To improve blood flow to the head and heart, raise his legs and fix them in this position.

Before doctors arrive, monitor his pulse and breathing. If they stop, start performing indirect closed cardiac massage.

What to do if you develop seizures

The only thing you can do is hold the person’s head so that he doesn’t hit it on the floor.

Remember that a person during a seizure should not put anything in his mouth, especially his fingers.

Preventive measures and prophylaxis

To avoid the negative consequences of an overdose, you should adhere to the doctor’s instructions and avoid taking medications in excess of the established norm. The rules of treatment and medication administration are explained by the attending physician. Don't think that the above data is the same for everyone. The lethal dose is strictly individual. Some people accidentally or deliberately drink a pack of pills and end up with mild poisoning. Others accidentally take the wrong drug or mix it with a conflicting drug and fall into a coma.

You can avoid an overdose of tablets if you store the medications in a strictly designated place, inaccessible to children and people with unstable mental health. When treating older people with dementia, medications are strictly controlled.

Sleeping pills and tranquilizers

Tranquilizers and sedatives are drugs that depress the central nervous system (CNS).

These include:

• Benzodiazepines.
• Barbiturates.
• Glutethimides.
• Sodium oxybate, etc.

Most of these drugs increase the activity of GABA (the main inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system). From an overdose, euphoria sets in, gradually turning into inhibition, speech slows down, movements become inhibited, then the victim loses consciousness.

Important ! In case of severe overdose, arterial hypotension occurs, breathing becomes rarer, blood circulation stops and the person dies. The patient can be saved only when he is admitted to intensive care no later than 40-60 minutes after the overdose.

The most popular psychotropic drugs are described below.

Donormil

It has a sedative effect, the daily dose is 1 tablet, and the course of treatment is 5 days.

It is impossible to predict how many tablets will be needed to cause death. It all depends on the condition of the body, weight, age, presence or absence of chronic diseases.

Important ! It is believed that the lethal dose of Donormil is 10 tablets at a time.

When alcohol interacts with Donormil, 3 tablets are enough to cause death.

“The only thing left to do is break your head”

It’s a paradox, but when it was not a problem for drug addicts to acquire the same pregabalin, people who really need it for health reasons faced obstacles.

“I have had trigeminal neuropathy for about 7 years. These are very severe pains that cannot be controlled with conventional analgesics,” says Nadezhda . — The first drug that was recommended to me was Lyrica, pregabalin. Back then it could be bought without a prescription. I remember that I just went and bought it - no one asked me for any appointments. But the drug did not help me, I had to look for a replacement. It became “Finlepsin”.

Nadezhda recalls that after a while she again tried to buy pregabalin at a pharmacy without a prescription - it seemed to her that Finlepsin was no longer able to relieve pain as well as before. But then the pharmacist at the pharmacy already refused to sell the drug without a prescription. Then Nadezhda asked her doctor to review her treatment at the clinic and write a prescription, but was refused.

“I was prescribed another drug. He didn't help me either. I had to independently select other medications and adjust the dosage,” says Nadezhda. — In the end, I returned to Finlepsin.

Nadezhda is afraid that if Finlepsin is added to the list of potent drugs, she will not be able to get a doctor’s prescription. “All I can do is smash my head against the wall,” says Nadezhda. “It’s impossible to bear these pains when it feels like your eye is being pierced with a needle, and hot oil is being poured on your head.” I’m sure there are other drugs that are more effective in my case, but doctors simply don’t prescribe them for me, for fear of getting punished or reprimanded.”