Top 15 Drugs People Commonly Overdose and Die From
A drug overdose refers to the ingestion of some kind of chemical substance to
amounts that exceed the intended prescription dose. Often, the term drug
overdose is used to describe becoming more than likely violently ill and in many
cases dying, from taking more of a chemical substance than is generally
intended.
‘Overdose’ of course suggests that there is a safe dosage for the drug being
taken, so the term is not used for poisons or any substance that is not intended
for human consumption. A drug overdose can happen as an accident and often
certain medications like prescription tranquilizers in the class of drugs called
benzodiazepines cause patients to frequently forget about taking their
medication and take another one effectively doubling up on their intended dosage.
In some cases certain patients do this multiple times and there have been
reported situations where patients took so many pills, and they almost
unintentionally committed suicide. Other times, an overdose may take place when
somebody attempts to take their own life. Most overdoses occur
accidentally and they can lead to permanent damage to the body. With illegal,
illicit street drugs death occurs much more frequently during an overdose. We have collected the 15 most
dangerous drugs that are particularly dangerous because they cause many people
to overdose and even die.
15) Vitamin D
Vitamin overdoses are not the most common incident in medicine and death
from a vitamin overdose is extremely rare. That doesn't mean they don't occur
and deaths from Vitamin D overdoses, yes the same Vitamin D that we typically
absorb from sunlight, are drastically more common. This kind of vitamin is stored in the body
as calcidiol, and most official recordings of vitamin D overdoses occurred due
to manufacturing and industrial factors. Overexposure to vitamin D was
reported by 284 people in the United States in 2004, and in that year one person
died because of a vitamin D overdose.
The reason why vitamin D is toxic is because of how the body stores it. When there is
an overexposure to vitamin D, the afflicted individual will have extremely high
levels of calcium in his blood causing a spike in blood pressure. Vitamin D
overdoses can also
result in nausea with accompanied vomiting and dizziness. Further through the
overdose comes excessive urine production, increased thirst, nervousness,
itchiness and weakness.
14) Opioids
An opioid is a form of psychoactive chemical that is, in terms of the effect
on the body, similar to morphine. An opioid drug works by binding itself to the
opioid receptors in the body, which can be found in the nervous system. Opioids
are often considered to be the same as opiates, but this is not the case.
Opiates are only the alkaloids that can be found within the opium poppy. The
term opioid, however, refers to all synthetic substances that are chemicals
similar to opiates.
Intranasal Naloxone is Administered to Bring Addicts "Out"
and Save Their Lives:
An opioid overdose refers to when somebody has taken too many pain medication
or does too much heroin and their life is in danger. There are numerous symptoms of this kind of problem, which first
of all include a reduced consciousness. Somebody suffering from an opioid
overdose will drift in and out of consciousness and their pupils will become
smaller. Breathing begins to slow down and oftentimes it can totally stop,
meaning that the individual will be in serious danger of dying. Blue lips, nails
and fingers are also common, given that the blood will stop getting all of the
oxygen it needs.
13) Sedative-Hypnotic
Benzodiazepines
Sedative-hypnotic drugs are chemicals that are used to make patients relax and
are central nervous system tranquilizers. This may be for the sake of reducing
excitement or in many cases are taken because of a panic attack. These drugs are chemically tailored to bring some individual down and
ultimately back into control. Tranquilizers are often used on animals by animal
control personnel, veterinarians, and zoo staff in order to handle or perform
medical procedures much more easily and with much less trauma to the animal. It may also be a drug used for reducing irritability or stress
and many elderly people are given valium prescriptions to help them with mood
swings that are a result of agitation. There are two major classes of drugs that
represent sedatives and they are benzodiazepines and barbiturates. Higher doses
of these kinds of drugs will result in slurred speech and many times somebody
who has taken too many benzodiazepines or barbiturates is mistaken for being
drunk. They will have impaired judgment and their reflexes will be sloppy which
are all too familiar to having too much to drink.
Bottle of Generic Valium - Valium or Diazepam is Commonly
Prescribed for Panic Attacks:
By Literaturegeek
via Wikimedia Commons
Drugs from the benzodiazepine and barbiturates class can also be used as
sleep aids based on the dosing instructions and type of medication used. For the
most part benzodiazepines are not the best fit for long-term sleep assistance
due to chemical dependency issues. When an individual takes too much of a
sedative, most likely they will be rendered unconscious and unfortunately too
often this marks the first step towards the grave. Today sedatives, or downers
as their known on the street, are more likely from the family of drugs called
benzodiazepines. Drugs like ativan, xanax, and valium are all common
benzodiazepines.
A sedative overdose may happen intentionally or unintentionally, but it is
simply the process of taking more than what has been prescribed. Some people use
sedatives when they are trying to commit suicide. Studies have shown that around
one quarter of all suicides occur as a result of purposely ingesting large
quantities of either benzodiazepines or barbiturates.
Brand Name Xanax:
Overdose deaths occur not just as a result of ingesting too many
benzodiazepines, but often other prescriptions like pain medications or speed
are often taken all at once. Alcohol use while on a benzodiazepine is extremely
common, and unfortunately mixing alcohol with them is also extremely dangerous. Most deaths from sedative medication occur when
they are mixed
with Oxycontin, heroin or alcohol. The symptoms of an overdose include fainting spells, difficulty breathing, vomiting and not being
able to think rationally. A feeling of shock can quickly be induced, and a coma
is often likely unless the person receives immediate medical assistance.
12) Pesticides
It might not sound like the most common thing in the world, but pesticide
poisoning and overdoses can result in an extremely health threatening situation. Pesticide poisoning
occurs when the chemicals that are used to control pests affect those that the
chemicals were not intended to harm. In these cases we are talking about human
beings being harmed by chemicals that were originally intended to only harm
insects and other disease-causing organisms. For instance, pesticide poisoning can affect not only
humans, but also animals and bees.
Pesticide poisoning happens most frequently in countries like Sri Lanka and other
developing countries. Overdoses are most common when people are exposed to a
large amount of pesticides over time and exposure mostly occurs as a result of farming. This results in acute poisoning. In
developed countries, systems are in place to ensure that the chances of
being poisoned are minimized. For instanced, acute poisoning is totally
controlled, meaning that the problem of pesticide overdose is entirely different
than in developing countries. In the modern world, there is the concern of
long-term exposure to pesticides.
As we do not know the long-term effects of many of the chemical pesticides
that we use today, there is a great deal of speculation that we systematically
exposing ourselves
to too many dangerous chemicals. That is why many Americans are demanding
organic food as a means to decrease the likelihood of ingesting pesticides or
any other unhealthy chemical that could be used in the process of cultivating
their food.
11) Amphetamine
An amphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant. Central nervous system
stimulants are often used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy, and a new sleep disorder called
shift-work disorder. Central nervous system stimulants and particularly
amphetamine, are often abused. Recently there has also been an increase among
college-aged young adults where many are abusing them to study or to go to
classes while under the influence of medications like Adderall, and then later
in the evening drinking large quantities of alcohol.
Prescription Amphetamine Adderall:
When an individual takes a large amount of amphetamine, over time that
initial increase in cognitive abilities and coordination begins to fade as users
suffer from what is just like sleep depravation where the brain is exerted to
the point of exhaustion. Just like sleep depravation, poor judgment, issues with
equilibrium and muscle breakdown occur.
Amphetamine dependence generally occurs after frequent, abusive use. Very rarely
does strict prescription use result in a strong physical addiction among
patients who are taking prescriptions like Adderall correctly.
Amphetamine overdoses are not especially life threatening, especially if the
one who is suffering from one gets medical attention as soon as possible. With
amphetamine overdoses it is imperative that medical attention be sought
immediately. The longer one waits the more likely the overdose will cause
permanent damage or result in a fatality. Moderate overdoses will result in symptoms like confusion, agitation
and myalgia, among a number of other symptoms that are not by any means life
threatening. A large
overdose can be much worse and causes anuria, cardiogenic shock and even
circulatory collapse. Hyperthermia can kick in as well as renal failure,
serotonin syndrome, stereotypy and a range of other symptoms extreme symptoms.
Cardiovascular Complications are the Most Serious Immediate
Overdose Symptoms:
When a person suffers from a fatal overdose of amphetamines, there will often
be serious convulsions involved and many patients ultimately slip into a coma.
Prescription Drug Desoxyn:
10) Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant, and crystal
methamphetamine or crystal meth is an extremely potent completely illegal street
form of methamphetamine. Strong
variants of the drug are generally sold for recreational purposes like crystal meth, but the medication Ritalin is formulated from a drug very similar to
methamphetamine called methylphenidate. Ritalin is prescribed for the very same
purposes that Adderall is, and Ritalin represents the first of the original
modern ADD/ADHD medications that gained sweeping popularity as well as
notoriety.
With methamphetamine an overdose can be classified as either acute or chronic, which mean
sudden or long-term, respectively. With an acute overdose an individual will
either intentionally or accidentally ingest too much of the drug, which can put their life at risk. With a chronic methamphetamine overdose, a person
may suffer a number of health effects as a result of using the drug on a regular
basis for an extended period of time.
If a person takes a large amount of methamphetamine all at once, they
will experience dangerous side effects. They will at first become agitated and
this will then lead to chest pain, paranoia, seizures, stomach pain, difficulty
in breathing, heart attack in extreme cases and even coma.
Kidney damage can also be a common symptom. Long-term use of this kind of drug
will often result in insomnia, mood swings and paranoia. Many patients taking
Ritalin or Adderall who have been on them since grade school, are physically
addicted for life to these drugs and after years of taking them simply cannot
function without the drugs. When a person has an acute overdose, the
emergency treatment will involve pumping fluids through the veins and providing
medication to calm the person down. There will also be checks for heart damage
and a number of blood and urine tests while a patient is being prescribed
Ritalin.
9) Nicotine
Nicotine is the chemical that smokers become addicted to, and many
people do not realize that it is possible to overdose on the chemical.
Nicotine overdoses, or poisoning, refers to the symptoms that appear when the
toxic effects of the chemical kick in. Throughout history, most deaths from a nicotine overdose occurred when nicotine was used as an
insecticide.
The lethal overdose of nicotine is thought to be anywhere between 40 and 60
milligrams, which is roughly the amount found in two cigarettes. When a
cigarette is smoked, most of the nicotine contained in it does not become
absorbed into the body, so smoking something like two cigarettes isn't dangerous
for adults. Children, however, can become ill from
smoking just one cigarette, as 1 milligram can be dangerous for young bodies.
When somebody is suffering from nicotine poisoning, they will first experience nausea and vomiting.
Then they will experience excessive
salivation followed by sweating, pallor, pain in the stomach and even
tremors and dizziness. Seizures will often occur and a number
of new side effects kick in. The later effects will include depression of the
central nervous system, a coma or general muscle weakness. In extreme cases it
will also lead to total respiratory failure.
8) Crack Cocaine
Crack cocaine is a particularly strong form of cocaine that comes from the same coca
plants in South America that regular cocaine does. One of the key ingredients in
crack cocaine is traditional cocaine. It’s estimated that roughly 75% of all the cocaine in
the United States comes from Guatemala. The manufacturers of crack cocaine will
mix the cocaine with water and later add baking soda or ammonia.
Smoking Crack is as American as Apple Pie:
These chemicals get rid of the hydrochloric acid that is found naturally in cocaine. This
makes the drug 99% pure, making crack cocaine incredibly strong and nearly pure
compared to street powdered cocaine. This kind of cocaine is generally smoked in
a glass pipe which means that the drug will hit the brain quicker. A rush as a
result of the faster onset of crack cocaine even has its own terminology among
the crack smoking community. This is referred to as a "bell ringer"
and the person smoking is overpowered by a hit of crack to the point where their
ears start ringing.
Just Add Household
Items to Powdered Cocaine and You Get Crack Cocaine:
An overdose of crack cocaine will result in agitation, cold sweats, fever,
slowing down of the heart rate, itchiness, fainting, violence, hallucinations
and general confusion. If you suspect somebody you know is experiencing an
overdose, it is important to take them to the hospital immediately. If they do
not get medical care immediately, they may lose their pulse have seizures or
slip into a coma.
7) Aspirin
Aspirin overdoses can be acute or chronic in that a person may take too much at
any one time (acute overdose), or simply suffer from physiological side effects
resulting from taking too much of a substance over a long period of
time (chronic overdose). Each form of overdose will have an adverse affect on your kidneys and
if you think you may be experiencing an aspirin overdose or have a friend who is,
then a trip to the nearest hospital should be the next step for whoever is
afflicted. Aspirin can be found in a number of over-the-counter
drugs including anacin, bayer, bufferin, ecotrin, Excedrin, fiorinal and
Percodan.
Taking too much of any of these drugs will result in nausea, vomiting,
fatigue, fevers, confusion or collapse. A large overdose can also result in
hyperactivity or drowsiness, can cause seizures and slip the patient into a coma.
6) Paracetamol
Paracetamol is an over-the-counter drug that is used to combat pain. Many
people use paracetamol and aspirin for very unintended purposes: they take these
pain relievers to commit suicide. Large doses of paracetamol are extremely
toxic. Many, however, simply do not realize that they have taken more of the
drug than they should have. It is essential for anyone who takes this drug to keep track of how much they have taken
for each day, and how long ago they took their last dose.
If a person were to take more of the recommended dosage, then they will begin
to suffer from a number of
symptoms. It is common for somebody to vomit if they have taken a
substantial amount of the drug, but much later if they are left untreated then
those overdosing from paracetamol will suffer from jaundice. Jaundice refers to
the yellowing of the whites of the eyes as well as the
skin, and jaundice is a direct result of kidney damage.
Patients with jaundice also have issues with low blood sugar where trembling
and sweating are common symptoms when jaundice patients' bodies begin to have
much lower blood sugar levels.
5) Alcohol
An overdose from consuming too many alcoholic beverages is commonly referred
to as alcohol poisoning. This
condition will not be fixed with a cup of coffee, and sticking your fingers down
your throat at the crack of dawn in true hero fashion can't save you either. A
true case of alcohol poisoning can only be helped by immediate medical assistance
that often results in temporary isolation in a medical or detox facility. This
is so the individual whose face is still vibrating, is absolutely sure there
will not be any permanent side effects caused by the detox. Even if there are
any complications, medical professionals will be close by to deal with them in
an appropriate manner.
Total Recorded Alcohol Per Capita Consumption in Liters of
Pure Alcohol:
By Sbw01f
via Wikimedia Commons
It’s important to remember that while alcohol can be drank in moderation and
it is largely enjoyed by many non alcoholics every single day (often as the
perfect addition to a lovely meal), alcohol
is in fact a deadly poison. Your body is only able to process around one unit of
alcohol every hour. This is why drinkers get more inebriated when they drink
much larger quantities over shorter periods of time. If you drink too much, then alcohol can slow down
your brain functions and stop you from being able to balance yourself - at least
on your feet. Alcohol has many other dangerous side effects but a big one is the
way it hinders the human gag
reflex. The scenario where someone who is suffering from alcohol poisoning
chokes on their own vomit and dies is based precisely on the way the gag reflex
is affected by a lethal dose of alcohol.
Alcohol May be Legal but is Just as Harmful Than Most
Street Drugs - Drunk Drivers!
There are many signs of alcohol poisoning, and you can look out for these
signs if you
are drinking with somebody who you feel may have had too much to drink. The first things to
look out for are confusion and loss of coordination. This will then move to
vomiting and seizures that are soon accompanied with irregular breathing patterns.
A person who is suffering from alcohol poisoning will notice their skin will
either become pale or slightly blue, and symptoms of the early stages of hypothermia begin to set in.
Unconsciousness is one of the final stages of alcohol poisoning and if it is
already at this
point, it’s incredibly important to get your friend to the hospital as soon as
humanly possible. Any unnecessary delay can have lasting effects on the victim
of alcohol poisoning's brain and stomach where some alcohol poisoning patients
hit the final stage and unconsciousness sets in for good.
In the United Kingdom alone more than 36,000 people were admitted to hospital
between 2011 and 2013 because of alcohol poisoning. In 2011, 360 people in
England died because of alcohol poisoning. The numbers are significantly higher
for the United States both due to population differences as well as drinking
habitual differences between the American and British societies.
4) Drug Cocktails Drug cocktails refer to a combination of numerous illegal and dangerous
drugs that are taken all at once. Using too many drugs of a similar variety can often cause an overdose.
Many people fail to understand that even though the drugs are different, the
body can still experience symptoms associated with a drug overdose.
A common drug cocktail is a speedball, which is a term often used to describe
a combination of morphine, heroin and cocaine. This combination of drugs will be
put in the same syringe, and the combination will be injected into the body. In
some instances, people will use two syringes when injecting the drug, and inject
one syringe into each arm. To the right is powdered cocaine which represents the
first essential building block when making the drug cocktail known as a
speedball.
The term speedball might also refer to a combination of opioids and
benzodiazepines. These drug cocktails don’t just create incredible addictions,
but also easily result in fatal overdoses. Often when people take the drugs and
experience an overdose they will be reluctant to go to hospital or take the
person experiencing the overdose to hospital, as they fear being caught by the
police.
Piles of Heroin - Second Ingredient in a Speedball:
This is incredibly dangerous and will almost certainly lead to the death
of the individual. Some information specific to speedballs is that the
actor/comedian Chris Farley as well as actor/comedian John Belushi, both died
from overdoses achieved by shooting speedballs.
3) Cocaine
Cocaine is generally used recreationally and has become synonymous with the
drug of choice for partying like a rock star. It is a drug that is generally snorted though can be
ingested in other ways including intravenous syringe as well as simple oral
consumption. Signs that a person has been using cocaine include
enthusiasm and speed when talking as well as a general excitableness that
doesn't quit. Overall physical activity is
also increased and earlier on in a cocaine addict's addiction there is a period
where the addict seems to have endless energy. An easy way to spot someone who
has been doing cocaine all night is to look at their pupils to see if they are
enormously dilated. These highs can last anywhere between 30 minutes and a
number of hours depending on the potency of the drugs consumed as well as the
quantity and the total time of ingestion.
Finding Rolled up Bills Stored in Someone's Things is a
Giveaway for Cocaine Use:
When somebody experiences a cocaine overdose, they will experience a number
of symptoms. The most basic of symptoms will include nausea, vomiting and
tremors. In some cases if a cocaine overdose is left untreated, then more severe symptoms
can begin to torment the drug user. Somebody
suffering from an overdose will begin to experience irregular breathing
patterns, an increased temperature and a constantly increasing heart rate to the
point of heart palpitations.
Cocaine Packs Confiscated by the US DEA - Scorpion Logo is
a Cartel Brand:
Chest pain, seizures and potentially, death are the most extreme overdose
symptoms. If somebody experiences these symptoms, it is necessary to take them
to a hospital immediately if there will still be any hope of them rounding the
corner. The treatment provided will include supportive care, medical
monitoring and ventilation. There will be medical treatment for seizures and
agitation, and a saline solution is provided to ensure that the body remains
hydrated.
2) Methadone
Methadone is a strong painkiller that was originally developed to help
patients who are withdrawing from heroin, but lately methadone has become a very
popular pain management drug. This kind of drug can be prescribed legally but
with all drugs that can be attained with a prescription, seeing a doctor to be
able to get a drug doesn't make it any safer than the drugs that are bought and
sold on the streets. Methadone overdoses are fairly common and occur when people take too much
methadone in a given amount of time. The drug can be found in a
number of other drugs, including eptadone, methadose, physeptone and dolophine.
Common 10 mg Methadone Tablet:
The first sign of a methadone overdose will include pinpoint pupils and this
will later transform into nausea, spasms and projectile vomiting. Blood pressure will begin to
decrease and the person's pulse gets weaker which results in the person
overdoses being generally weak and fatigued. One's ability to breath on their
own decreases dramatically and if a methadone overdose is left untreated, sufferers become drowsy
making slipping into a coma likely. People may well be afraid of potential consequences
of abusing drugs, but
the important thing when somebody is suffering from an overdose is getting them
the medical help they desperately need. It’s important also if you ever experience somebody
overdosing on methadone that you do not make that person vomit unless a health
care professional tells you to do this specifically.
In the hospital, the individual experiencing overdose symptoms will be given
a breathing tube and fluids intravenously. The sufferer will also be given a
strong laxative and activated charcoal as well as antidotes like intranasal
naloxone. Naloxone is one of the chemicals that is in the medication
Suboxone and acts as an opioid channel blocker.
Suboxone is Used to Get Heroin Addicts Clean Where
Methadone Fell Short:
In opiod overdoses which do include heroin overdoses, naloxone effectively
stops the sedative and dangerous breathing changes that are caused by opiod
medications like methadone right in its tracks. The chemical becomes no longer
dangerous due to naloxone's opiod blocking properties. Sadly, when many addicts
are pulled out of their deadly drag with their life effectively saved by
attending medical staff, they are never appreciative and often often become
violent and scream at the people who just saved their life. The addict is simply
angry because by saving their life, all of the dope and drugs they consumed that
day were effectively wasted in an instant by naloxone.
1) Heroin
Heroin overdoses are at the top of our list of the 15 drugs that can kill you
because it is such a dangerous drug. In 2012, the number one cause of death across
17 states America was drug abuse. In 2010, nearly 40,000 deaths occurred as a
result of drug overdoses. In Scotland, more than 50% of all drug fatalities
between 2010 and 2011 were caused by heroin.
Heroin is an illegal drug sold on the street that is one of the most
addictive a person can use. The drug is a form of morphine, which is of course
the legal version of the drug that is used in medical scenarios. Both drugs are
made from Asian poppy plants, and are a form of opium. Heroin is often referred
to as ‘smack’ or ‘junk’ on the street, and the amount of people becoming
involved with the trade and use of heroin in the United States is becoming a
problem. Across the world, doctors are prescribing drugs like methadone in an
attempt to help people finally get clean and start building their lives back up
again.
Black Tar Heroin:
Symptoms of a heroin overdose include shallow breathing or quickly becoming
totally incapable of breathing all together. Other common symptoms are dry mouth,
tiny pupils and discoloration of the tongue. Blood pressure will also decrease,
resulting in weakness, fatigue and dizziness. Without medical treatment, the
person who is slowly suffering form a heroin overdose will most likely perish
during their opiod ordeal.
Conclusion
Drug addiction is a problem in near enough every nation on earth, and drug
overdoses is incredibly common. Every day at least three Australians will die
from an overdose. In the United Kingdom during 2011, the amount of overdoses
that resulted in death outnumbered the total amount of deaths caused by car
collisions and murderous motorists.
There is all sorts of different information out there about illicit and
dangerous prescription drugs, but to keep things very simple just try your
hardest to have a policy ou should be sure to avoid illegal drugs all together.
By abstaining from drugs completely you are minimizing the chances of dying as a
result of a drug overdose or from an accident or crime that was directly caused
by selling drugs or drug use.
Drug cocktails refer to a combination of numerous illegal and dangerous
drugs that are taken all at once. Using too many drugs of a similar variety can often cause an overdose.
Many people fail to understand that even though the drugs are different, the
body can still experience symptoms associated with a drug overdose.
