An overdose of sleeping pills can be fatal

Healthy sleep at night is considered an important component of the well-being of any person, therefore, if it is disturbed, various diseases and nervous disorders can develop. There are many ways to speed up and facilitate the process of falling asleep, but often the easiest way is to take sleeping pills.

An overdose of sleeping pills is a common phenomenon; it often occurs in older people due to their inattention, as well as in people with an unstable psyche and suicidal tendencies who drink many pills at once in order to die a non-painful death.

Groups of sleeping pills

In pharmacology, hypnotics are not classified as a separate group. Different medications have this effect, and accordingly, they will have different mechanisms of action and their own side effects.

Relatively harmless sleeping pills that are available without a prescription are herbal preparations and combined herbal remedies. These include:

1. "Corvalol";
2. "Novopassit";
3. "Valocordin";
4. "Dormiplant";
5. Valerian tincture;
6. motherwort tincture.

These drugs are prescribed for sleep disorders due to increased anxiety, irritability, and nervousness. Their action is mild, based on a sedative effect.

Next, we present a modern classification of sleeping pills, which are far from so harmless in their side effects.

1. GABA antagonists are drugs that act on benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. This group includes benzodiazepines themselves (“Librium”, “Phenazepam”, “Diazepam”, “Nozepam” and others) and drugs of various chemical structures - “Zaleplon”, “Zolpidem”, “Zopiclone”.
2. Barbiturates: phenobarbital, sodium etaminal.
3. Anesthesia: chloral hydrate, sodium hydroxybutyrate.
4. Histamine receptor blockers: Diphenhydramine, Doxylamine.
5. Sleep hormone analogues: melatonin (Melaxen) or melatonin receptor antagonists (Ramelteon, Tasimelteon).

There is also a conditional division of drugs into first-generation sleeping pills (barbiturates, bromides, antihistamines), second (benzodiazepines) and third (melatonin drugs, new drugs of different groups).

Humanity has not yet invented it, so doctors are forced in each specific case to select a drug with maximum benefit for the patient and minimal side effects.

Let us dwell in more detail on the frequently used or dangerous representatives of the “sleeping pills kingdom”.

Additional Information

Since the drug is sold without a prescription, you must monitor the dosage yourself. Therefore, you should not exceed the recommended dose. Moreover, if you take more tablets at one time, a more pronounced effect will not occur, but on the contrary, symptoms of an overdose will occur. And when such symptoms occur, it is necessary to take immediate action.

Melaxen should not be combined with alcohol. In this case, breathing will be difficult and there is a risk of stopping breathing during sleep.

Do not forget that problems with sleep, nightmares, apathy and a state of weakness are a serious reason to consult a doctor, so before taking pills you should consult a doctor to establish a diagnosis and prescribe medications. If the drug was purchased without a doctor’s prescription and did not give any results, then it is also worth consulting at the clinic.

When a medicine is taken as prescribed by a doctor and does not cause the desired result, or due to its use individual intolerance and an allergic reaction have occurred, then it is worth informing the treating specialist about this so that the drug can be replaced with a more effective and harmless composition.

Barbiturate overdose

The sad first place in the number of deaths is taken by an overdose of sleeping pills from the group of barbiturates:

• "Barbital";
• "Phenobarbital";
• "Barbital sodium";
• "Etaminal sodium";
• "Cyclobarbital";
• "Barbamil";
• "Hexobarbital."

Barbiturates disrupt the activity of nerve cells, resulting in a depressant effect on the central nervous system. They not only slow down the mental activity of the brain, causing drowsiness and reducing anxiety, but also have anticonvulsant properties and cause muscle relaxation.

Barbiturate-induced sleep differs from natural sleep. Often patients are haunted by nightmares, the structure of sleep itself changes - the ratio of fast and slow phases.

Common side effects from barbiturate use include:

• hiccups;
  interrupted sleep;
• daytime sleepiness;
• inhibited reaction;
• visual impairment;
• muscle twitching;
• hiccups

In high doses, the drug causes respiratory and cardiovascular depression, which leads to a risk of death. The lethal dose of a barbiturate sleeping pill is only ten times higher than the therapeutic dose. But if timely medical care is provided, there is a good chance of saving the patient even with a hundredfold overdose.

Acute barbiturate poisoning is classified into four stages.

1. depression

   Mild form of poisoning. Within 10–15 hours, the victim exhibits drowsiness, weakness, lack of coordination, incoherent speech, and increased salivation.

2. Superficial coma stage. Deep sleep, pupillary and tendon reflexes are reduced. Breathing is impaired, the tongue may sink, and increased salivation is noted. The victim does not regain consciousness. This stage lasts for 1–2 days.
3. In the severe stage, a deep coma develops, the pupils do not react to light, the skin becomes cold, breathing is impaired, blood pressure decreases and body temperature drops. Respiratory arrest, pulmonary and cerebral edema are possible. This period can last 3–5 days.
4. The fourth stage is post-comatose. Characterized by depression, mental disorders, and lack of coordination.

First aid and body recovery

If the fact of poisoning with donormil is established, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance and immediately begin to provide first aid. It consists of removing the drug from the body as quickly as possible using simple means. To do this, you need to rinse the stomach: make the patient drink 1 liter of warm boiled water and induce artificial vomiting by pressing your fingers on the root of the tongue.

After cleansing the stomach, you need to drink activated carbon - at least 20 tablets (50 g). If you are nervous, you should not give sedatives; they will only enhance the effect of the drug.

Before the ambulance arrives, the patient must be placed in a quiet place, a calm environment created, and covered with a blanket.

In the hospital, the patient is given medicinal treatment: detoxification of the body, normalization of breathing and cardiac activity, diuretics, anticonvulsants and M-cholinomimetics are administered, restoring the activity of nerve receptors (ameridine, aceclidine, pilocarpine).

After being removed from a dangerous state, neuropsychiatric disorders often remain, which may require professional help from a psychologist.

Benzodiazepine overdose

Benzodiazepines are similar in their mechanism of action to barbiturates - they also act on GABA receptors. They also disrupt normal sleep architecture and have a number of side effects:

• muscle relaxation;
• lethargy;
• mental disorder.

Poisoning with sleeping pills of this drug group most often occurs during suicide attempts. The difference from a therapeutic dose to a lethal one is quite large - even exceeding a single dose tens of times entails not very severe poisoning. The toxic effect is enhanced when taken together with alcohol.

The most acute reaction occurs with an overdose of the following drugs:

• "Diazepam";
• "Relanium";
• "Sibazon";
• "Relium".

Midazolam and Zolpidem can be included in this group, as they have similar characteristics.

In case of benzodiazepine poisoning, the following develops:

• increased heart rate

  lethargy;

• slurred speech;
• imbalance;
• decreased reflexes;
• constriction of the pupils;
• increased heart rate;
• drop in blood pressure;
• decrease in body temperature.

Coma and difficulty breathing are rare, mainly when the effect of sleeping pills is enhanced by taking alcohol or other drugs that depress the central nervous system.

Consequences

The use of strong sleeping pills does not always lead to the rapid death of a person. There are a number of complications that the patient will have to live with:

• inflammatory processes in lung tissue;
• humans are affected by necrotic and trophic disorders;
• septic lesions;
• chronicization of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels with migration to the kidneys, liver and many other internal organs of the patient.

The most serious complication is death.

Bromide overdose

potassium bromide

This group of sleeping pills includes:

• "Brominated";
• sodium or potassium bromide.

These medications enhance inhibition processes in the cerebral cortex and have a calming effect.

Side effects include:

• irritability;
• speech disorder;
• with prolonged use, symptoms of bromism appear - runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis, general weakness, skin rash.

An overdose of sleeping pills from the bromide group is accompanied by impaired coordination of movements, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate.

Poisoning with the sleeping pill “Bromizal”, possibly due to its ingestion in an amount of 20 grams. Strong inhibition of the central nervous system develops, the respiratory center is depressed. Blood circulation is disrupted, the level of oxygen in the blood drops. Intestinal paresis, kidney and lung damage may occur.

Lethal doses

Exceeding the dosage can lead to human death. What pills can kill you?

You need to be careful when using the following medications:

• for a healthy person, the lethal dose of Donormil starts at 30 mg;
• A 10-fold excess of the required dose is considered fatal;
• The lethal dose of Barboval is 5 bottles at a time.

Sleeping pill poisoning is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Every minute is important; damage may not lead to death, but to the development of irreversible complications.

Overdose of antihistamines

Drugs belonging to this group block histamine receptors. As a result, histamine, which is a “wakefulness mediator,” loses its ability to affect the central nervous system. This group includes first generation antihistamines:

• Diphenhydramine (diphenhydramine);
• "Donormil" (doxylamine);
• "Suprastin";
• "Fenkarol".

These medications are available at pharmacies without a prescription. They help you fall asleep quickly, but do not increase the duration of sleep. Side effects include drowsiness and daytime lethargy.

In case of an overdose of sleeping pills of this group, the consequences can be expressed in dizziness, dry mouth, muscle tremors, blurred vision, nausea and increased sensitivity to light.

Reviews

Melaxen has been well received by many patients. Reviews say that the drug is good

perceived. With its help, sleep is normalized, morning awakening is improved, and there is no getting up at night. But along with this, some patients report lethargy, apathy, insomnia, depressed mood, and delayed reactions. In this case, the drug was not suitable for patients, and its side effects appeared.

You can often find in reviews that the drug helped cure insomnia in one course of treatment. And those who have difficulty falling asleep on the weekend and waking up for work on Monday also note the effect of taking the medicine.

People who, due to their duties, are often forced to travel on business, regularly use the drug and note this ability to solve the gaps that arise with flights and time zone differences.

Some note that a dose of one tablet is large for them, and half a tablet is the best option.

The price of the drug is affordable. It goes on sale without a prescription, which allows many people to try it. Therefore, it is worth trying the drug if it suits your severe symptoms.

Melaxen overdose is quite common. With constant use of medication, addiction occurs. A person can no longer fall asleep without sleeping pills, and in order to improve the quality of rest, he increases the dose of the drug.

In elderly and weakened people, this can lead to cardiac dysfunction and even death.

Melaxen is a synthetic analogue of melatonin. Used to restore disrupted circadian rhythm. It has adaptogenic, sedative and hypnotic properties. When used as prescribed by a doctor, it is effective and safe.

New generation of sleeping pills

Currently, to normalize sleep, it is preferable to use new generation drugs developed at the end of the 20th century. These include:

• cyclopyrrolon derivatives - Zopiclone (imovan);
• imidazopyridine derivatives (“Zolpidem”);
• pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives (“Zaleplon”).

A practically harmless sleeping pill is Melaxen (melatonin). This drug is able to normalize the stage of falling asleep, and the duration of sleep is regulated by the natural production of melatonin. It does not have a negative effect on the structure of sleep, maintaining all phases in a natural ratio. During the day, it does not affect your well-being, as it is quickly eliminated from the body. Even a significant overdose of Melaxen does not lead to any serious consequences.

Basic information

Sedatives are a group of drugs (psycholeptics) of herbal or chemical origin, the action of which is aimed at reducing emotional stress (calming) without a hypnotic effect. In comparison with stronger tranquilizers or antidepressants, sedatives do not have a pronounced antiphobic effect, and also do not cause muscle relaxation (myorelaxation) and chaotic heterogeneous muscle contractions (ataxia). This type of medication is successfully and safely used to treat mental disorders in elderly and senile patients.

Indications for the use of sleeping pills

Why are sleeping pills needed? They are prescribed for sleep disorders. There are two main varieties:

• sleep disturbance;
• disturbance in sleep duration, frequent waking up.

The answer to the question: “are sleeping pills harmful or not?” can only be given by the attending physician. Of course, these drugs themselves have many negative aspects - addiction, disruption of brain activity, residual effects. According to WHO recommendations, to normalize sleep, it is advisable to use non-drug methods - normalizing mental activity, relieving anxiety, working with a psychologist. But there are cases when the use of drugs is simply necessary and the harm from sleeping pills is insignificant, but the benefits are enormous.

Last dream

Sleeping pills are often chosen as an easy way to die. The reasons for this are different: from incurable diseases, accompanied by excruciating pain or depriving a person of living normally, to mental trauma caused by the death of a loved one, separation, etc. Such people in a stressful situation should be carefully monitored and, at the first suspicion of sleeping pill poisoning, call a doctor .

It is necessary to differentiate true suicide attempts from so-called provocative suicide. Teenagers often resort to this method, and the goal of such an event is not to die, but to attract attention, to punish, to make them experience pangs of conscience - in a word - manipulation. In this case, no one sets the goal of committing suicide. On the contrary, they hint about their intention in advance. For example, they leave empty packaging of sleeping pills in a visible place.

But this does not mean that there is no need to save the person in this case: teenagers in a hyper-emotional state may not even remember how many pills they swallowed.

Price

The average cost per package of the drug with one blister is 550 rubles. The average price of a pack of 24 tablets (2 blisters) is 650 rubles. Below are the prices for sleep tablets Melaxen from the catalog of pharmacies in Moscow, excluding delivery costs:

special instructions

In accordance with the instructions for use, Melaxen tablets have their own characteristics.
The medication is considered undesirable for use when planning pregnancy because it has a weak contraceptive effect. The drug is also incompatible with alcohol. This is explained by the fact that ethanol reduces the level of positive effects of the drug on the body. Not only Melaxen, but also any drugs of the melatonin category should not be taken with alcohol. It is also not recommended to take sunbathing during the treatment process, since the main active ingredient of the medicine can degrade under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Among other things, you must stop driving while taking this medication.

According to studies, this medication enhances the effect of benzodiazel and non-benzodiazel sedatives. When used in combination with drugs that affect the nervous system, no pharmacokinetic interaction was detected. Nevertheless, such a combination leads to the following reactions:

• Increased sense of calm.
• Difficulties with the speed of processing information.

The presented medication is prohibited from being used in combination with glucocorticosteroids, MAO inhibitors and Cyclosporine. The simultaneous use of this medication in combination with the following drugs is not recommended:

• With a class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• With hormonal pharmacological agents.
• With medications that depress the nervous system.
• With beta blockers.

If there is a need to combine these drugs with Melaxen, you must consult a specialist.

conclusions

Remember that if an acute allergic reaction to Melaxen occurs, you should urgently call an ambulance. Before doctors arrive, you can give the victim an antihistamine.

Melaxenne is a hormonal drug that has a hypnotic effect. Its active component melatonin regulates biological processes in the body.

And the older a person gets, the less this important component is produced in his body. Doctors prescribe this remedy to older people to improve the quality of sleep and get rid of insomnia. Consumption in increased quantities may cause an overdose. If it appears, you need to provide first aid to the victim and call doctors.

Melaxen should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor. Self-medication, exceeding the dose and duration of use is strictly prohibited! The drug must be stored in places where children cannot find it, because they can often be poisoned by the medicine due to their curiosity.

Side effects

According to the annotation for the drug, Melaxen can cause the following side effects:

• Headache and morning drowsiness - from the central nervous system;
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea - from the digestive system;
• Swelling (most often in the first week of use).

In addition, if there is hypersensitivity or intolerance to one or another component of the drug, allergic reactions may develop.

If the recommended dosage is exceeded, the severity of side effects may increase, as well as disorientation, prolonged sleep, and anterograde memory loss. In case of overdose, gastric lavage should be done and, if necessary, symptomatic treatment.

Description

The product is produced in tablet form. The active component is melatonin. This substance helps regulate the circadian rhythm and also normalizes sleep - improves its duration and quality.

Melatonin is naturally produced in the human body by the pituitary gland.

Elderly people do not produce melatonin in sufficient quantities. With its deficiency, sleep is disturbed, a person cannot sleep normally, and insomnia develops.

Doctors recommend melatonin to patients over 60 years of age who have problems with the duration and quality of sleep, or who suffer from insomnia. Under no circumstances should you self-prescribe this remedy. The decision to use it is made by the attending physician after determining the cause of the sleep disorder.

Typically the therapeutic course lasts 14-21 days. For maximum effectiveness, doctors advise taking the drug after dinner, a couple of hours before bedtime. The duration of therapy in some cases may be increased. It depends on how the patient responds to the treatment.