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Overdose
Barbiturate/Benzodiazepine
Overdose
Barbiturate
or benzodiazepine overdose can occur due to increased tolerance
in addicts (who increase their dose seeking euphoria and go
too far.) New abusers may simply take too many pills in a
foolish attempt to get "high." It is also fairly
common for a tranquilizer abuser to take some medication,
forget he or she has taken it, and then take more. Some overdoses
are attempted suicides. A very common way that overdose occurs
with barbiturates or benzodiazepines is by mixing the drugs
with alcohol, which is especially deadly, or with other drugs.
Overdose can lead to coma and death.
Symptoms
include:
- Lethargy
- Low
body temperature
- Decreased
pupil response to light
- Rapid
eye movements
- Crossed
eyes or "walleyes (barbiturates)
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Blurred
vision (benzodiazepines)
- Slurred
speech
- Staggering
- Decreased
deep tendon reflexes (barbiturates)
- Poor
muscle tone (benzodiazepines)
- Hallucinations
(benzodiazepines)
- Unresponsiveness
(benzodiazepines)
- Memory
disturbances
- Poor
judgment
- Limited
attention span
- Irritability
- Anxiety
(benzodiazepines)
- Amnesia
(benzodiazepines)
- Combativeness
(barbiturates)
- Paranoia
- Respiratory
depression
- Apnea
(interruptions in breathing)
- Lack
of oxygen in body tissues
- Either
rapid or very slow heart rate
- Dangerously
low blood pressure
- Heavy
sweating
- Shock
- Decreased
bowel sounds (barbiturates)
- Barbiturate
blisters on the hands, buttocks, and knees
- Coma
- Death
due to respiratory failure
Opioid
Overdose
Opioid
overdoses occur in some of the same ways as barbiturate and
benzodiazepine overdoses. Most typically, they are due to
addicts increasing their doses in response to increasing tolerance.
Some abusers just take many pills all at once, thinking they’ll
get extra "high." Others take opioids with alcohol
or other drugs, which can kill easily. Overdose can lead to
coma and death.
Symptoms
include:
- Cold
clammy skin
- Slow
and shallow respiration
- Rapid
pulse
- Pinpoint
pupils
- Staggering
- Loss
of consciousness
- Circulatory
collapse
- Coma
- Death
due to respiratory failure
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