sleeping tablets

[bubbles4920]

if someone takes a lot of sleeping tablets in one go, what does it do to them? can it kill them? ive seen that one tablet normally gives a person approx 7 hrs sleep, so for example if they took twenty would then just not sleep for a long long time or go into a coma? dont worry im not thinking of doing this, just curious. my friend's daughter took an overdose some years ago after drinking alcohol, she was fortunately saved and had her stomach pumped. they said the alcohol had saved her as the liver absorbed the alchohol first before the tablets took hold.

[Sqad]

Depends on what type of sleeping tablets they are as to how, taking an overdose, can kill.

Commonest way is to depress the respiratory centre at the base of the brain, which stops you breathing an if CPR is not readily available, you die.

[Shakma]

Many moons ago I took an overdose. At least 30 sleeping tablets, washed down with half a bottle of Tia Maria which had several crushed paracetamol in it for good measure.

I lay down - to die - fell asleep and woke up only a couple of hours later and was extremely drowsy, as I stumbled out of bed I was so drowsy I smacked my head against a wall. I also felt extremely sick. So I went to the bathroom, to be sick, but there was just nothing there in my stomach. Then I started to hallucinate - very vividly. I'm not a drug user, never have been, I've never hallucinated before or since. So bad in fact that I woke up my housemate to tell her about these "creatures" that had infested the house. I was frightened and even phoned my parents as my housemate persuaded me not to phone Rentokill!

After a few hours these hallucinations subsided. I still felt sick for a day or two afterwards. About 2 weeks later I had a faint hallucination (the same one as after the OD) whilst sat on a bus. Then everything just resumed as before.

I don't know which part of the 'cocktail' was responsible for what, but I assume the extreme drowsiness was because of the sleeping tablets. I never had my stomach pumped, but perhaps as you said about the liver - maybe the alcohol saved me too.

[bubbles4920]

wow, so glad u r still with us shakma!

[tamborine]

Shakma...were the hallucinations that real for you to need Rentokill? If it repeated on a bus that would mean it could happen while driving a car? It's worrying as ppl do accidently OD on sleeping tablets after drinking.

Were 30tablets on one prescription?

[padanarm]

It's unlikely an individual would be killed by a chemical overdose of sleeping tablets. The most likely cause of death would be suffocation or choking on their own vomit. If alcohol is involved that risk is increased. Of course, choking, sleeping or vomiting will all affect the amount of active chemical absorbed.

The doses of such tablets and the amount supplied is controlled, that's why a GP won't give you six months supply.

Real dead bodies don't look like they do on TV. Suicides drowned in their own puke are not nice. Please tell your friend's sister not to do it.