Overdose of drugs. Consequences of drug overdose. Help and treatment

Modern medicine offers remedies for treating almost all diseases and strengthening the body as a whole. But many have heard that medicines cure one thing and cripple another. Sometimes this expression, which has long become popular, applies to human life.

Violation of the rules for taking medications or increased sensitivity body to chemical compounds can provoke best case scenario intoxication, and at worst - death. So, what common medications should you be wary of? An overdose of which pills leads to death?

Rules for taking medications

Before using any medications, you should consult your doctor. This is rule No. 1 when treating diseases. But there is a small problem: not all doctors have sufficient knowledge and experience. Therefore, to resolve the issue, it is better to choose a proven specialist, especially in the case of serious illnesses.

Secondly, not every person turns to a doctor for help, preferring to self-medicate. For headaches, slightly elevated temperature or a superficial scratch, it’s even embarrassing to go to the hospital. And the person uses the medications on his own, often following the recommendations of very dubious advisers, completely forgetting to read the instructions.

The result is often the swallowing of an excessive amount of tablets, which, instead of healing, leads to a serious complication. Therefore, under any circumstances, you must read the instructions. The manufacturing company always indicates the therapeutic dose of the drug, pharmacological group, possible side effects and compatibility with other medications.

What pills cause death from an overdose? From the most diverse. Popular today and familiar from childhood. Let's take a closer look at the types of drugs that you need to be careful with.

Types of dangerous drugs

This applies to elderly people who are fighting for their lives by all means, this also applies to chronically ill people of any age. And often such patients violate medical recommendations, expecting to receive best effect from a higher dose. Old people sometimes simply forget that just recently they were already taking medication.

An overdose of which pills can cause death? Doctors name several types of especially dangerous medications:

Sleeping pills.
Cardiological.
Neurotropic.
Painkillers.

Sleeping pills

Derivatives of barbituric acid (Pentobarbital, Phenobarbital, etc.) were widely used as sedatives and sleeping pills. Over time, their unsafety was proven, and therapeutic use has narrowed significantly.

In addition, doctors prescribe non-barbituric drugs (Lorazepam, Noctek, etc.) with caution, because they also provoke pronounced side effects:

breathing disorder;
impaired muscle motility (ataxia);
decrease in heart rate;
paralysis of the eye muscles;
confusion.

If a person takes 2-3 times more of these tablets than the recommended amount, then intoxication is guaranteed. And in the case of a 10-fold excess of the therapeutic dosage, death occurs.

Cardiological

Improving performance cardiovascular system worries many older people. It is after 50-60 years that problems with blood pressure, vascular tone and heart function most often begin.

As aids Doctors recommend drugs based on glycosides - compounds of natural origin. If the therapeutic dosage is observed, they significantly prolong the life of elderly patients.

But if you exceed the number of tablets by at least 10 times, the patient will experience the following symptoms:

intestinal disorders (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting);
nervous disorders(delusions, hallucinations, agitation);
headache;
convulsions;
violation heart rate.

Not every person's heart can withstand such a load. And in case long-term illness and weakening of the main muscle of the body, there is every chance of a myocardial infarction.

In addition, potassium intoxication, whose ions are involved in metabolic processes cells, regulation of heart contractions, maintenance of water-salt homeostasis and transmission of nerve impulses through neurons.

Accidental overdose of this chemical element provokes arrhythmia, disorientation and decreased blood pressure. And if you introduce 14 g of pure potassium into the body, the heart will stop. By the way, this feature has been adopted by the US authorities: in recent decades, executions have been carried out by lethal injection of potassium.

Neurotropic

In psychiatric practice they usually resort to drug treatment, which consists of the use of tranquilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants. Doctors have different views on this therapy. Some consider it advisable to use such means, others prefer more humane ways of helping the patient.

Medicines in this group act on the central nervous system either depressingly or stimulatingly. It all depends on the purpose of treatment. For example, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) increase the concentration of compounds such as serotonin, dopamine and several others.

These substances directly affect the formation of a person’s mood. However, exceeding the dosage causes such strong excitement that the risk of clinical death (coma) increases significantly.

Intoxication sometimes becomes noticeable only a day after the drug is abused, and if help is not provided to the patient, death is quite possible.

Just 100 years ago, cocaine was considered a safe stimulant of the nervous system and was sold in pharmacies without a prescription. Today it is rarely used in medical practice. There are so many cases of deaths from cocaine overdose that the UN added the compound to the prohibited list in 1963.

And yet this does not interfere" former medicine"remain the most popular drug in the world. It is known that long-term use of cocaine provokes the development of psychosis and hallucinations. If you take more than 1.2 g of white powder at one time, your heart will not be able to cope with the load and will stop.

A similar danger comes from tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Stelazine, etc.). These drugs are considered reliable means for suppressing anxiety, but almost every representative of this group causes the following symptoms in case of overdose:

weakness;
decreased blood pressure;
hallucinations;
anxious delirium (madness, delirium);
fever.

Death in most cases occurs due to heart rhythm disturbances. And if toxic dose Amitriptyline is considered 500 mg, then lethal - 1200 mg.

Painkillers

Although this group belongs large number medications, narcotic analgesics deserve special attention: morphine, heroin, codeine, methadone and the like. In medical practice, these drugs are used to relieve severe pain.

There are many reasons for such serious treatment, but in each case the medicine is prescribed exclusively by a doctor.

And if the dosage is exceeded, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

constricted pupils;
nausea and vomiting;
breathing disorder;
clouding of consciousness up to hallucinations;
convulsions.

As a result of intoxication narcotic analgesics the person often falls into a coma. If the maximum dosage is exceeded clinical death the matter is not limited to - death occurs.

Some people see a kind of high in the symptoms of side effects. They are called drug addicts. They become addicted to such drugs after only 2-3 uses, and sometimes it is impossible to get off the needle.

Lethal dose of heroin for an adult intravenous administration- 75 mg, morphine - 200 mg. However, for experienced drug addicts, such an amount will only bring pleasure. By the way, long-term use of these drugs significantly reduces the body’s sensitivity to chemical compounds.

And when a disease occurs, doctors simply throw up their hands out of helplessness: they do not act on the patient necessary funds due to existing drug addiction.

Popular drugs

On pharmaceutical market There are many over-the-counter medications available that do not require a doctor's prescription. And patients do not always go to the hospital for consultation. Everyone already knows: if you have a headache, Aspirin or Analgin will help, and if you have a fever, Paracetamol will help.

But such popular medications are fraught with danger, which neither doctors nor pharmacy workers warn about. An overdose of which pills can cause rapid death? Let's look at the most popular drugs.

Paracetamol Currently, Paracetamol is produced by almost 30 companies. Medicines are supplied under various trademarks, but the active connection is the same everywhere. Preparations based on it are used to reduce body temperature. Some patients believe that if they take 2-3 types sequentially medicinal tea(Coldrex, Fervex, etc.), and if you take a tablet with the same substance, the effect will be more pronounced.

Of course, the temperature will drop. And at the same time, intoxication will occur, as a result of which the liver will first suffer. But there is also a risk of destruction of brain cells. Maximum daily dose Paracetamol - 4 g. Consumption of at least 15 g per day provokes intoxication, and over 20 g - death. Statistics show that in the USA and European countries Paracetamol leads in the number of poisonings, incl. and with fatal outcome.

Aspirin is on the list of essential medications. Given chemical compound It has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects, which is why it is very popular. Back in 1982, the authors of the discovery were awarded Nobel Prize for giving the world such a miraculous medicine!

A few years later, doctors began to notice the development of Reye's syndrome in children taking Aspirin, even in prescribed doses. This disease is characterized by the destruction of liver cells, and although it occurs very rarely, it is sometimes impossible to save the patient. In addition, the drug thins the blood, which doctors call stomach bleeding.

In light of the popularity of Aspirin, pharmacists forget to warn people: exceeding the therapeutic dose by 10 times leads to intoxication, and consumption of 30-40 g leads to death.

Analgin As a safe pain reliever, domestic doctors often recommend Analgin - metamizole sodium. The medicine acts relatively quickly: in just half an hour the patient will feel relief.

However, in a number of countries (USA, Japan, Sweden, etc.), metamizole sodium is banned due to its ability to cause agranulocytosis, which is characterized by a decrease in the level of leukocytes in the blood and, as a result, an increase in susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.

Maximum daily dosage Analgin is 3 g, and exceeding it leads to the following side effects:

nausea and vomiting;
decrease in blood pressure;
tachycardia;
dyspnea;
respiratory muscle paralysis;
disturbance of consciousness, delirium;
convulsions;
hemorrhagic syndrome.

As can be seen from this list, there are plenty of reasons for concern. If the patient’s body is weak initially, then overcoming the symptoms of an overdose without medical help will be problematic. And if you consume more than 20 grams of Analgin, death cannot be avoided.

Iodine After the Chernobyl disaster, authorities disseminated information that iodine reduces the effects of radiation exposure. Yes, that's true. There is even scientific evidence. However, some people sometimes treat iodine irresponsibly, either not knowing or forgetting about the danger this poses. chemical element.

If you consume more than 500 mg of the drug per day, a person will develop characteristic symptoms:

increase in goiter;
protrusion of the eyes;
tachycardia;
decreased muscle tone;
indigestion.

These symptoms will seem insignificant if the dosage is increased to 2 g. Iodine will simply provoke protein denaturation, which will naturally lead to cell death. But before that, a person will feel a strong pain syndrome due to burns of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, larynx, stomach and intestines.

This chemical element will be absorbed into the blood, the central nervous system will malfunction, and the heartbeat will slow down sharply. Death from an iodine overdose will be painful.

Vitamins Various vitamin preparations taken to strengthen the immune system and improve the health of the body, they are considered to be beneficial and do not cause any harm. However, an excess of vitamins can lead to dire consequences.

Vitamin D is necessary for the body to grow bone tissue. Its deficiency leads to rickets in early age. To prevent the development of this disease, caring mothers regularly feed their children double and triple doses of vitamin D. The result is often the death of the child due to excessive mineralization and ossification of the skull.

Vitamin C activates immune protection, therefore it is rightfully considered one of the most important compounds. The daily dose of pure substance for an adult is 90 mg. But if you consume more than 500 mg of vitamin C daily, the human DNA will begin to mutate - instead of normal cells, cancer cells will appear.

In addition, anemia often develops, which in itself is dangerous due to the risk of premature tissue death. And yet this does not stop some pharmaceutical companies produce complexes in which ascorbic acid contained 2-5 times higher than normal.

Vitamin A is required for good vision, growth and development of the body. It is part of the structure cell membranes and provides antioxidant protection. The permissible daily dose of vitamin A for an adult is 10,000 IU or 3 mg. However, one-time consumption of more than 25,000 IU per 1 kg of weight provokes acute poisoning, which is characterized by convulsions and paralysis. If you don't provide medical care, then death is possible.

In turn, daily intake of 4000 IU of vitamin A for 6-15 months causes chronic overdose. In this case, a person’s vision is impaired, the liver becomes enlarged, and the pressure inside the skull increases with all the ensuing consequences. In addition, with a constant excess of this compound, there are frequent cases of bone fractures without significant load.

First aid for drug overdose

What first aid should be given to a person who has been poisoned by drugs?

A person who has been poisoned by medications requires urgent hospitalization. Only doctors will provide qualified assistance, if, of course, they have time. And for the situation to be clear from the beginning, doctors need to know the name of the tablets.

Anyone who finds a victim should immediately call an ambulance and carefully search empty packs from drugs. Perhaps they were the cause of intoxication.

What to do first in case of drug poisoning?

And while the medical team is on the way, it is recommended to rinse the patient’s stomach with salt water (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water). After drinking 5-6 glasses of this solution, you need to induce vomiting. For greater reliability, the victim should be given 4-5 tablets activated carbon.

Specialty: general practitioner

Almost every instruction for the use of a particular drug contains an “Overdose” clause, which indicates the consequences that threaten the patient if the drug is “too much.”

As a rule, it is not indicated there lethal dose tablets. However, it is necessary to know about this, if only so that in case of accidental ingestion, you can correctly identify the symptoms of poisoning and provide first aid.

There are interesting statistics, albeit for America, but this is not the point. In this country, literally every 19 minutes, one person dies due to “overdoing” on medications.

The problem of taking lethal doses of pills is quite common today. After all, for poisoning to occur, you need a dose only 10 times higher than normal. Thus, the lethal dose of Phenazepam tablets, a popular tranquilizer, is 10 mg.

The figure for children and the elderly is two times less.

There are a number of reasons for overdoses, among which an important one is people’s love for self-medication. This is also predisposed by the fact that many medications - and by no means harmless ones - are sold in pharmacies without a prescription.

A person can take lethal pills consciously, wanting to commit suicide. But more often it happens that this happens either due to absent-mindedness, or in case of non-compliance with the recommended rules of administration. A similar nuisance can happen to a child who discovers a package of pills and decides to try them like candy. Be that as it may, the person must be saved and done as quickly as possible.

How to determine an overdose?

If the patient has taken an increased dose of tablets, then the body’s reaction will not be unambiguous: it depends on various factors, including gender and age. The disease for which a particular drug is prescribed, as well as possible concomitant ailments, also play a role.

Of course, the symptoms will depend on the type of taken pills, – what properties and mechanism of action they have. Among the brightest and most frequently encountered are the following:

the patient may feel dizzy;
often the condition is aggravated by abdominal pain and stool upset;
the appearance of seizures is observed;
poisoning of this kind threatens depression and respiratory arrest;
vision is impaired;
Hallucinations occur.

Video: Dose Required to Death

Such reactions, in particular, can be caused by paracetamol, a very popular antipyretic and analgesic medicine. The lethal dose of paracetamol in tablets, according to various sources, ranges from 50 to 75 pieces. If we express this in grams, then the figure will be: 10–15 g. But even when taking more than 20 tablets, they are guaranteed big trouble. Thus, to the reactions described above we can also add the occurrence of acute liver failure. In such a situation, if you do not immediately consult a doctor, the only way to save the person within 24 hours is with a liver transplant.

The whole body, as a result of “overdosing” on paracetamol, slowly but surely decomposes, and after a week and a half it can be stated: an overdose of tablets has occurred with a fatal outcome.

The very first aid

Help provided “hot on the heels” can literally save a person’s life. But, nevertheless, if an overdose of pills occurs, what to do before starting any action is to first call an ambulance or call a poison control center and get advice. To do this, you need to know the name of the medicine that the patient took, when approximately this happened, as well as the age of the victim.

First aid for an overdose of tablets before the ambulance arrives will be to rinse the victim’s stomach, causing him to vomit, and thereby preventing the drug from being absorbed into the mucous membranes. This measure is applicable, of course, if the patient is not unconscious, and is especially effective in the first half hour after taking a large dose of medication, but not more than two hours.
In any case, after gastric lavage, an overdose will not interfere with activated carbon - an excellent adsorbent that can quickly neutralize the medication. Charcoal tablets You must first grind it and dilute four tablespoons of powder in a glass of water. To neutralize a lethal dose of pills for humans, in particular, aspirin or sleeping pills, 10 grams of activated carbon is enough.
To combat the effects of sleeping pills or sedatives, you can use regular tea, which contains substances that excite the nervous system.

How to induce vomiting?

Although the symptoms of an overdose of some drugs include vomiting, you should not wait for this to happen on its own, since the drug will already have time to be absorbed, and rinsing in this case is unlikely to help.

Vomiting can be induced in several ways.

An effective solution of dry mustard or salt is to drink at least three glasses, diluting two teaspoons of powder or salt per glass.
You can give the victim a soap solution to drink.
Pressing your palm on the upper abdomen can also cause vomiting.
And the classic version is “two fingers in the mouth”, i.e. put your finger down the throat of an overdose victim.

We must remember, so to speak, about safety precautions: so that the patient does not choke on vomit, vomiting must be induced by laying him on his side or sitting him down with his head tilted forward.

Video: TOP 5 Lethal Doses of Common Substances

Poisoning can be avoided

I want to once again cite a familiar phrase from the instructions for using medications: store in a place inaccessible to children. And since we are talking about children, it makes sense to remind necessary measures precautions.

Be sure to check whether you are giving the right drug to your child. After all, by any chance in the packaging from the necessary tablets may turn out to be completely different.
It is strictly not recommended to call it delicious candy when persuading a child to take a pill.
To children's medications liquid form As a rule, a pipette or measuring spoon is included. You need to use only them, then the possibility of an overdose will simply be excluded.

Video: TOP 10 UNSUCCESSFUL SUICIDES - Interesting facts

To the question: “which pills can cause death overdose?” – didn’t arise at all, we need to take into account several simple rules. So,

Before you start taking prescribed medications, you should definitely read the contents of the package insert, paying attention to special attention for side effects.
Follow the recommendations of the doctor who prescribed this or that medicine.
If you have received a prescription from different specialists, you should consult with your therapist regarding the compatibility of the prescribed medications. In case of uncertainty or uncertainty, it is better to stop at some safe analogue.
If more than one medication is prescribed, then different tablets Each one is taken individually, and not all in one handful.
No economic considerations should force you to take expired medications.
Observe the rules and storage conditions: temperature, light, moisture, etc. In particular, it is not recommended to keep pills in the bathroom cabinet, no matter how ideally designed it is for this purpose.

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Drug poisoning is very common in our country. The fact is that Russians are accustomed to self-medication, which modern world often leads to poisoning.

Medicines cannot always help. This happens when they are not taken as directed. Not everyone knows what to do in case of poisoning, however, first aid can save the patient’s life.

Absolutely all medications affect the body. However, they do not always only cure. The fact is that each medicine has a certain dosage and a limited dosage. If you do not follow the rules for taking the drug, poisoning may occur.

There are drugs that can be taken in any dose and together with other drugs, but often these drugs are placebos. That is, they simply do not affect the body and are treated through suggestion.

Reasons why drug poisoning may occur:

The most common cause of poisoning with any pills or other drugs is an overdose. For example, a child may be prescribed an adult dose. Or, a girl who suffers from anorexia and weighs only 40 kilograms took a dose of the drug for an adult man. Overdose occurs quite often. The fact is that drug manufacturers very often do not indicate the dosage per kilogram of live weight in the instructions. Most of them use the abstract concept of dosage for adults and children. But, the dose of almost every drug must be calculated taking into account the patient’s weight;
very often, when a person takes a drug, he does not pay attention to his other diseases. The fact is that all drugs are eliminated by the liver and kidneys. If these organs are not working properly, then the medicine will not be completely eliminated and will have a detrimental effect on health;
There are cases when the drug cannot be taken together with other medications or combined with certain foods. Before taking the medicine, you need to consult your doctor and find out what you should not take the medicine with;
One of the causes of drug poisoning may be absent-mindedness. This often occurs in older people. They do not always control how much and what they use for medicinal purposes;
Well, another reason for poisoning may be accessibility to children. To date, many cases have been recorded where small child had access to medicine and perceived it as something tasty and attractive. It is worth noting that drug poisoning is very difficult for a child to tolerate.

What drugs can cause poisoning?

The most common drugs used by people are anti-inflammatory. The most popular of them are: analgin, aspirin, paracetamol, papazole, nimide. Having consumed extra pill, you can get poisoned.

The fact is that their main goal is to relieve pain, that is, drugs are used when something really hurts.

But modern man does not always calculate the dosage of these medications and use them according to the severity of the pain, with the principle “The more it hurts, the more pills you need to take.”

But few people know that an overdose of such pills is life-threatening; before taking them, you need to read the instructions and calculate the dose for your body’s capabilities.

Also, today cases of tea poisoning due to colds have spread. Such famous teas as: Theraflu, Flucold, etc. They can lead to very severe consequences. If you drink 6 bags of this “Harmless” tea, you can simply die.

If, nevertheless, after tea poisoning, it is possible to save a person, then his health will be undermined for the rest of his life. You need to drink this tea strictly according to the instructions (no more than three bags per day).

Symptoms of drug poisoning

signs of severe poisoning medicines very easy to calculate. In case of poisoning with painkillers, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. If you consume too much, your vision may deteriorate, your extremities may become cold and you may experience severe shortness of breath;
if you are poisoned by glycosides for the heart, then it is possible delusional disorders, vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of consciousness. It is worth noting that some drug poisonings can be eliminated at home, but poisoning with such drugs can only be eliminated in a hospital;
if poisoning occurs with drugs that excrete the kidneys, then acute renal failure. The kidneys suddenly stop performing their functional functions. If you take drugs that are excreted by the liver, liver failure occurs. In such cases, the person has pain precisely in the places where these organs are located. The pain is very strong and unbearable;
Very often, when poisoning with drugs, the breath smells very unpleasant. This usually occurs due to an overdose;
if you are poisoned by morphine, heroin and others similar drugs, then the patient’s pupils constrict.

It is worth remembering that the symptoms of poisoning are different for each drug.

What you need to do to avoid drug poisoning:

Each drug must be kept out of reach of children;
Before taking any drug, read the instructions thoroughly. You need to know its contraindications, instructions for use and side effects. If everything is studied, then drug poisoning will not happen;
reception medicine- This complex procedure. When you are being treated, you should not drink alcohol and certain foods that are indicated in the instructions.

What to do when you have already been poisoned by medications:

After an overdose of drugs, you need to rinse the stomach and try to remove the substance from the body yourself. This is very simple to do - you need to drink warm water and induce forced vomiting. In total, when washing, you need to consume at least two liters warm water(more the better). First urgent Care in case of drug poisoning, it can save the life of the victim;
in case of severe overdose, you can use a laxative so that the drugs are eliminated as quickly as possible, but naturally;
at the first symptoms you need to call urgently urgent help. While she's driving, it's worth rinsing. It is worth noting that it is imperative to save the packaging of the drug that poisoned the victim;
at very severe poisoning, the victim may lose consciousness and his heart rate drops sharply. In such cases, I haven’t arrived yet ambulance, worth pursuing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. First aid for drug poisoning must be mandatory.

What you should never do in case of drug poisoning:

In case of an overdose of medications, it is not always necessary to induce vomiting. If a person begins to lose consciousness, then such a process may cause the victim to simply choke;
People with cardiac diseases do not tolerate vomiting well. If you forcibly provoke vomiting in case of drug poisoning in such patients, then they may develop ischemic disease, which in turn provokes a heart attack;
Do not provoke vomiting in pregnant women and children under 5 years of age;
sparkling water is contraindicated if poisoning is caused by medications;
In case of ordinary poisoning, you can drink milk. However, if the victim has been poisoned by medications, then milk is contraindicated, because its structure, on the contrary, will affect the absorption of medications.

Medicines- this is something that can help a person get rid of a particular disease. They simulate immunity to fight diseases and help you recover quickly.

However, taking them incorrectly can be very harmful to your health.

Sometimes, failure to follow simple instructions can lead to death. You need to take medications correctly, refrain from self-medication. Drug poisoning is very dangerous.

Drug poisoning is the most common type of intoxication in the body. It can be caused by improper use of medications, their overdose, or self-prescription of drugs without prior consultation with the attending physician.

Intoxication can occur in acute or chronic form. The first is characterized by a pronounced manifestation of symptoms for some time after the onset of poisoning. The chronic form is characterized for long periods remission and temporary exacerbation of pathology.

Any medicine can provoke poisoning, but most often intoxication is caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, among which the most popular are Analgin and Paracetamol. This is due to the fact that these medications are taken independently without a doctor’s prescription and without his supervision in order to relieve pain or normalize body temperature. In most cases, patients violate the dosage of medications, neglect the instructions for medications and mistakenly rely on their harmlessness and safety.

Causes of drug poisoning

Several factors can trigger the development of drug poisoning:

Symptoms of drug poisoning

Signs of drug poisoning are similar to any type of intoxication, which in some cases complicates diagnosis and does not allow a correct diagnosis. In addition, many patients hide the fact of taking unauthorized medications, not considering it important to inform the attending physician or emergency physicians. Symptoms of drug poisoning depend on which group of drugs the person abused. Let's look at the most common and common options.

When poisoned with aspirin, a person suffers severe sharp pains in the abdominal area, there is abundant (regardless of the food and liquid consumed) and upset stool (most often). The patient suffers from shortness of breath and hypothermia. With a severe degree of poisoning, vision decreases and the functioning of the cardiovascular system is disrupted, which threatens the development of heart failure and other more dangerous diseases.

When poisoning with heart medications, similar symptoms occur (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain), but characteristic signs is headache, severely slow pulse and heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia or). At severe intoxication a person may experience delirium, and in some cases (more often in older people) cardiac arrest occurs.

If poisoning is caused by drugs of the sulfonamide group, the patient experiences severe renal colic, which is accompanied by sharp pain in the lumbar region. In some cases, urinary retention occurs. Often appears allergic reaction in the form of skin rashes, severe itching, redness skin and fever. In the absence of timely assistance, kidney failure develops.

In case of an overdose of a drug that contains penicillin, the patient develops bad smell horse sweat. In case of atropine poisoning or boric acid Redness of the skin occurs, which is provoked by a strong rush of blood. And pale skin indicates intoxication of the body with iodine. Barbiturate poisoning causes skin peeling.

Very often, drug overdose has a negative impact on a person’s behavior. A striking example is an oversaturation of the body with barbiturates, which leads to impaired coordination of movement.

How to recognize drug poisoning

Quite often, drug poisoning is extremely difficult to diagnose (especially chronic form illnesses). This is due to the fact that the main symptoms are similar to those of another disease. For precise setting diagnosis, a thorough history is taken, and the doctor is interested in the presence of chronic and hereditary diseases,
and also what medications were accepted into lately, for what purpose and in what quantity. Laboratory tests, in particular toxicology tests, are required.

The doctor conducts a thorough examination of the patient, measuring his blood pressure, pulse, temperature and listening to the heartbeat. Evaluated general condition the patient and his neurological status. If there are problems with the kidneys, ultrasound of the organs and scintigraphy are performed. In case of disruption of the functioning of the cardiovascular system, it is performed.

Treatment of drug poisoning

Used to treat drug poisoning integrated approach. First of all, it is important to ensure that the body is detoxified. For this purpose it is necessary to derive toxic substances from the body and prevent their further absorption into the blood. To do this, gastric lavage and artificial induction of vomiting are performed. For more quick cleansing blood is given as a drip infusion. If it is reliably established what medicine a person was poisoned with, he is given an antidote. In particular difficult cases or if life-threatening complications develop, hemodialysis is performed - blood purification.

To eliminate symptoms and prevent the development of complications, it is used symptomatic treatment, which must be prescribed by a doctor. Self-medication can only make the situation worse.

Prevention of poisoning

In order to avoid the development of drug poisoning, you must adhere to simple rules for taking medications:

It is much easier to avoid drug poisoning than to treat the consequences later. Recommendations must be followed carefully World Organization Health care and before taking medications, you should always consult your doctor.

Lethal drugs for humans are not necessarily contained in a bottle labeled “poison”, as in ancient times. The modern pharmaceutical industry produces a huge variety of drugs that can cause fatal poisoning, and often these are completely harmless at first glance drugs that we take to improve our health.

How is it that the same drugs carry both healing and death, representing potentially dangerous drugs? It's all about the factors that determine the characteristics of taking medications:

drug overdose - intentional or accidental,
age (there are medications that children should absolutely not take),
unacceptable combination with other drugs (some drugs repeatedly enhance the effect of each other or form compounds that are toxic to the body),
simultaneous use of alcohol with treatment,
health status: there are medications that are prohibited for diabetic patients, bronchial asthma, heart failure, during pregnancy, etc.
increased individual reaction of the body, hypersensitivity to certain medications (which a person may not be aware of).

What drugs can cause poisoning?

Tablets that cause death can be divided into two large groups:

available with a doctor's prescription;
sold freely, without a prescription.

Drugs from the first group are, naturally, much more dangerous, and there are more deaths due to them, although people are capable of causing harm to themselves even with seemingly relatively harmless over-the-counter medications.

However, prescription drugs pose the greatest danger. An overdose of which pills can cause death?

Narcotic analgesic drugs (painkillers) from the group of opiates and cocaine, as well as those based on morphine and heroin. They are used to relieve severe pain; only a doctor prescribes and gives such medications, because these are powerful drugs. In this case, it is very easy to exceed the permissible dose, because it is very small due to the high intensity of the effect of the drugs on the body. In case of an overdose, the pupils narrow, breathing problems occur, consciousness is lost partially or completely, disruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system and breathing occur, up to cardiac arrest, convulsions occur and often coma, followed by death. Moreover, sometimes everything happens so quickly that it is impossible to provide help. An overdose of these drugs can be accidental, especially in people with drug addiction, but it can also be provoked intentionally - that’s why strict accounting and control is carried out for such drugs: these are the ones potent pills, from which you can die. But just a century ago, cocaine was freely sold in pharmacies, and morphine was widely used in medical institutions and was considered a relatively safe pain reliever!
Sleeping pills. They are also available strictly by prescription, but death often occurs from an accidental overdose (especially in the elderly, who may not remember whether they have already taken the medicine, as well as in small children, who can easily eat the entire contents of the medicine box), or in the case of suicide, when a person deliberately takes pills to " easy death" - from sleeping pills die in their sleep. When taking an increased dose of sleeping pills, disturbances of consciousness, blood circulation and breathing occur, a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, and development of coma, and a tenfold increase in dose almost always leads to death.
Antidepressants are prescribed to calm people down, but with an overdose the effect is the opposite: a drop in blood pressure, restlessness and anxiety are observed. delusional states, hallucinations, and most importantly, suicidal readiness increases sharply. Therefore, it is against the background long-term use of antidepressants or multiple increases in their dose, many suicides occur (and sometimes an atypical reaction occurs, and aggression is directed not at oneself, but at others - this explains the shocking murders, often massive, in recent years often shocking even the most prosperous societies, where people appear as criminals, long time taking antidepressants). However, the real cause of death in case of an overdose of antidepressants is irregular heart rhythm and cardiac arrest.
Central nervous system stimulants based or cocaine are used either as doping agents in big sport(which is strictly prohibited, but sometimes ignored), or as stimulants of the body’s capabilities (at the same time, its resources are mercilessly exploited, because all organs and systems are working to the limit). Taking psychostimulants allows you to greatly increase your performance, endurance, and go without sleep or food for a long time (which is why, by the way, those who want to lose weight often become victims of stimulants). Also, these drugs are the most popular drugs in the world and are definitely addictive, almost all of them from the very first dose. An overdose easily occurs in a state where a drug addict or a person obsessed with a specific goal has already taken the drug and wants to “increase the effect.” In this case, there is hyperexcitation, hallucinations, psychosis, cardiac arrhythmia, which is often the cause of death, or a drug-induced coma from which one cannot recover. Therefore, if we talk about a lethal dose of tablets, the list should open with psychostimulants as the substances most often and almost guaranteed to cause death.
Hallucinogenic drugs (they are also called psychedelic drugs) are used in the field of psychiatry, in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and some other diseases. They are also used by drug addicts for a narcotic change in consciousness - the so-called “expansion”, transformation of the perception of reality. In case of overdose, they cause hallucinations, loss of orientation in space and sensitivity to pain, lack of control over events (helplessness), convulsions and coma. A fatal effect can also occur when joint use with alcohol.

An overdose of which pills can cause death, if we talk about a group of drugs sold in pharmacies without a prescription? Their safety is only apparent. It is the availability of these drugs that leads to the fact that they are often the cause fatal poisonings. What pills can you die from if you mistakenly think they are safe?

Preparations based on aspirin, which a couple of decades ago was considered a universal cure for everything, and its creators even received a Nobel Prize in the early 80s of the last century, are extremely dangerous for children, causing them Reye's syndrome (destruction of liver cells), causing asthmatic syndrome or stomach bleeding due to blood thinning.
Drugs containing paracetamol, in large overdoses, cause severe liver damage and death of brain cells.
“Light” analgin-based painkillers with a large overdose cause a drop in pressure, shortness of breath and tachycardia, convulsions and even paralysis of the respiratory centers, hemorrhagic syndrome and impaired consciousness. In severe cases, death is possible.
Vitamins can also be deadly - and here children are primarily at risk, since careless adults often leave vitamins unattended, believing that there can be no harm from them. This is a dangerous misconception, since the excess is maximum permissible doses some vitamins, especially repeated doses, can provoke internal bleeding or stroke, increase intracranial pressure, liver damage, and some vitamins large doses are carcinogens because they disrupt DNA and provoke the formation of tumors. Therefore, no vitamins should be taken uncontrolled; one should not naively believe that “the more, the better.” And even more so, they should not be left unattended in a house where there are small children. Like any medicine, vitamins can be both medicine and poison, sometimes very potent.
“Heart” drugs are drugs intended for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases () - they have saved many lives. But in case of overdose, they lower blood pressure, cause convulsions, disorders of the nervous system (hallucinations, overexcitation), suppress respiratory centers and the rhythm of the heart is disrupted, which can be fatal.
Iodine-containing drugs began to be sold en masse in pharmacies after the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant as protection against radiation. The sad experience of those years shows that even a slight overdose of iodine in the body is an extremely unpleasant thing, fraught with a decrease in muscle tone, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system and heart (tachycardia and slowing down the rhythm of contractions until it stops). Well, if the dose is greatly exceeded, it causes denaturation of proteins in the body and its irreversible death.

What to do if you overdose on pills?

If you are faced with the need to urgently provide first aid first aid If you have suffered an overdose, it is important to know the following:

The first thing you need to do is call an ambulance immediately.
Before her arrival, if the person is unconscious, turn him on his side - many drugs can provoke vomiting, and it is necessary to ensure the safety of the respiratory system so that the person does not choke on vomit.
Inspect the scene of the incident, hand over to doctors or criminologists all the found drug packaging - this will make it easier to make a diagnosis and allow you to administer the necessary antidote.
If the victim is conscious, urgent gastric lavage is necessary (give more liquid and press on the root of the tongue), and then take it (activated carbon, polysorb, etc.) to at least partially bind and remove toxins.

Preventive measures and prophylaxis

Drug overdose is a condition that is much easier to prevent than to cure, so it is important to remember and be sure to adhere to simple rules prevention of severe and fatal poisoning:

Self-medication often ends tragically, especially if your health is not excellent and there is some kind of chronic serious disorder. Any new drug, which you want to “try”, or the medicine that “helped your neighbor well” may not be compatible with your diagnosis, or even be completely contraindicated: without knowledge in the field of medicine, you may not even know about it. Therefore, there is no amateur activity; before using any medications, you must consult a doctor. In this sense, in Western countries a very thoughtful approach: without prescriptions in Europe and the USA there are only bandages and cotton wool, and that’s right. We draw your attention to the fact that a “consultation with a doctor” is precisely a consultation with a certified physician, and preferably with your doctor, knowledgeable about the features your condition. Ask the girl pharmacist at the pharmacy: “Do you think this medicine will suit me?” - this is NOT a consultation with a doctor, but frivolity, because she simply does not have enough qualifications to be responsible for your life.
If it is impossible to get advice for some reason, read the instructions very carefully, especially the part that is devoted to contraindications, compatibility with other drugs and the consequences of an overdose of tablets. Every word there is written by someone’s real suffering, and even lives - please do not ignore this information! It’s not the pharmaceutical company that’s playing it safe, it’s real people had exactly the same as described in the annotation, unpleasant consequences, and there is no guarantee that you won’t find yourself in their place.
Never try to treat children, especially very young children, with medications intended for adults. If you divide the tablet into several parts, this does not mean at all that the issue is resolved. Babies may not have the enzymes that regulate the absorption of the drug, as is the case with aspirin, which is strictly prohibited for use by children in any doses. Also, in addition to aspirin, there is a long series of drugs that are never prescribed to children under at least 5-6 years of age: this must be written in the annotation for the drug, and this point should in no case be ignored. Moreover, all processes in children's body occur rapidly, much faster and more intensely than in adults, and you may not even have time to provide help.
Don't ignore doctor's orders! The order of taking medications and the time of prescription are not the whims of doctors, so if they have prescribed a treatment regimen for you, strictly adhere to it. It would seem - what relation can a death have to taking, say, antihistamines? Is it possible to get seriously poisoned by taking pills for some harmless allergy? It turns out that death is quite possible if you violate the order not to drive while taking these drugs: they cause drowsiness and significantly reduce the reaction rate, which can end tragically while driving.
Do not keep medications that you bought a long time ago in your medicine cabinet, and periodically audit it, throwing out everything that is expired. All medications have an expiration date, which was also invented for a reason: even if the active substance does not change its properties over time and does not become toxic, it simply becomes much less effective, and we are tempted to increase the dose so that it finally helps ( Moreover, the medicine seems to be familiar and has never caused problems). This is especially dangerous in the case of potent drugs, where the lethal dose of tablets is not so high.
All tablets are washed down with regular clean water. Neither juices (containing acids) nor milk (often neutralizing active ingredients), much less coffee or alcohol with their properties that stimulate the nervous system are not suitable for this. The same goes for strong tea(containing tannin and caffeine, which stimulate the nervous system and stress the heart), and any sweet carbonated drinks containing a whole chemical laboratory in their composition: preservatives, dyes, flavor enhancers, etc.
Never combine the use of any, especially potent and sedatives, with the use of alcohol: alcoholic drinks, even what you think are “harmless” (in fact, they simply do not exist) can provoke cardiac dysfunction, respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness - sometimes even death.