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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Why do peope OD while asleep?

oxymoron310

oxymoron310

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
288
Location
Boston
Why do people OD while asleep? I hear everyone say the "trick" is to stay awake... I feel like people use staying awake as an excuse to use more.
 
Respiratory depression.

If you fall asleep, the drug still peaks, still affects you.
Many times people who nod off right away are still coming up, or what have you.

When you sleep you bodies Respiratory Rate and just normal functioning goes down, hence "resting state".

Sometimes, people will stop breathing all together. Not being awake you cannot be aware of your breathing.
 
No problem

Staying awake, people are generally more aware of their breathing and can do everything in their power to sustain it.
 
There's also the whole "choking on your own vomit" thing that can happen while you're asleep.

Opiates have never made me puke, but once in a while, in the middle of the night, a little bit of spittle races to the top and is pretty gross.

It only seems to happen if (big surprise) I had a large dinner that night, so it's another good reason to "play" on an empty stomach (aside from the obvious fact that, at least in my experoemce, opiates come on stronger with no food in my system).
 
I can't speak to other drugs, but is it even possible to stay awake once you've OD'd on an opiate? I would think it would knock you out before you stopped breathing, and all the willpower in the world wouldn't help you. To me that's kind of the definition of an OD. I'd think if you are able to force yourself to stay awake then you haven't really OD'd.
 
How do you have a "mild" overdose? I mean it's all semantics I suppose, but technically pretty much everyone on this forums intentionally overdoses all the time. That is if you define it as taking more than a therapeutic dose. If you are in the habit of dosing drugs over the reccomended limit, what would you consider an OD? In my mind it's when you exceed what you are capable of.

A lot of people who use narcotics like the nod. That implies you've taken enough that you are right on the verge of uncontrollable sleep. That's not an overdose if your goal is to nod. You might consider it a mild overdose if you pass out, since that's the next incremental step.

Anyhow, that's just my 2 cents. Again, I'm no expert.
 
SPC123 said:
I can't speak to other drugs, but is it even possible to stay awake once you've OD'd on an opiate? I would think it would knock you out before you stopped breathing, and all the willpower in the world wouldn't help you. To me that's kind of the definition of an OD. I'd think if you are able to force yourself to stay awake then you haven't really OD'd.
Click to expand...

I remember my overdose extremely well

I was getting off opiates... i had weened down over 2 monthsI ended i was fed up with the opiates, i was done.

Well I had gotten off, and my ex whom i have 2 children with well... we had broken up, It destroyed me.

I ended up takign a methadone wafer, and not feeling it i took another 2 hours later.

Now remember I had been weening down to nothing... over 2 months.

I was like let's go for a drive, then i realized i couldnt.

My friend, well actually just a kid that lived in my neighborhood (as most of you know opiate addicts (or even drug addicts in general) are rather needy so i didn't know him really but he was someoen to hang with.) he ended up leaving to get something (dunno what it was) well when that happened, i started to notice myself stumbling, wheezing, lips were colder, fingers blue... I couldnt see straight for the life of me. I remember trying to make a phone call to my ex, and she ignored my call.

I felt totally crushed, i was so high, i knew i was going to stop breathing. I laid down on the couch, fallign on the floor, sprawled out not moving and stopping breathing and giving up.

Next thing, i hear them saying it worked, he's breathing he's responsive.

(I'm actually tearing up pretty bad remembering this (it's been a year) i just shut it out and this is reallyt he first time i thought about the whole thing.)

I guess that kid i barely knew had come back, saw me and dialed 911.

He saved my life.



It's been a year, and i just feel that the drugs burnt me out a bit... like, nothing is rewarding anymore (barely anything) and it tears me apart.
I started medication, adhd meds ( was diagnosed multiple times ), they gave me my life back again... i don't get all stimulated or anything anymore, been on them for about 1 1/2 months. But my quality of life, has improved significantly.

I have my children and she doesn't, I work full time and am actually excelling in my job.
I can't believe I was so dumb to do all that, nothing i can do abotu it now but change the future.

Opiates for me... Were the true devil, I gained everything and lost it all 10 times over. Alot of things to rebuild in my life, I got off them without help, I managed to stay sober aside from a few lapses which I caught early on.

Sorry to ramble but, It just needed to be said.

It saddens me but all of that crap is over now. Only way I can get better is to help myself and put it all behind me.

it's been 1 year and 15 days since that incident

it changed my life
 
Your story makes me want to stop taking Percocets. Sure at first I took them b/c I really need them for my legs, but now I take them for my legs AND b/c I want the buzz. It's becoming increasingly more and when I think of my babies and knowing they need me here, well lets just say I've been considering going clean for awhile now. I think my biggest issue right now though is benzos. I stop taking Xanax for one day and I feel it and it feels bad.

Keep working at it, you're doing a great job! :)
 
switch to valium


and with the opiates, that's a sign of the wrong path... really proceed with caution if you continue taking them
 
Oh and forgot to mention, your story is similar to mine except I haven't OD'd. I just separated from my husband of 5 yrs (his choice to leave for another) and he has taken the children with him. We have 2 in our marriage, the rest are from my previous relationship. I can't get them back without going to court b/c we both have legal custody. *sigh* Not to go into my personal life details but I see myself headed down that road and I want to put a stop to it now before I do end up in a horrible place.

As much as it hurts, no one is ever worth it. No one.
 
Nexius said:
switch to valium


and with the opiates, that's a sign of the wrong path... really proceed with caution if you continue taking them
Click to expand...

I've been thinking of asking my dr for Valium or Kpins, but I think Valium would be safer for me. I ran out of Xanax last week and it was a horrible 4 days. I finally called my dr, fibbed and got him to pre-authorize an early refill. I don't want to become *that* person, but I already have. I never thought I'd be going through benzo withdrawals, or any for that matter. I was one of those thinkers that oh this will never happen to me. Yeah right. So much for that.

My dr prescribes Percocets to me on an on going basis so I think I'm going to taper myself down and only use when I really hurt and only the amt prescribed. I don't want to go down this road and yet I'm halfway there.
 
SPC123 said:
I can't speak to other drugs, but is it even possible to stay awake once you've OD'd on an opiate? I would think it would knock you out before you stopped breathing, and all the willpower in the world wouldn't help you. To me that's kind of the definition of an OD. I'd think if you are able to force yourself to stay awake then you haven't really OD'd.
Click to expand...

It is possible to tell when you are going off the deep end, and therefore take measures to keep from danger (possibly):

Cannot focus eyes for longer than 5 seconds without them rolling back in head; lungs are not functioning properly (taking breaths every 30 or so seconds); vomiting; sudden loss of coordination; fading out of consciousness.

....

So get outside and focus on breathing. This just so you have a better chance of being found during the critical period between respiratory failure and death.
 
Thanks ^.^

Yeah I am very lucky, I'm lucky that I can be here for my kids, my family and to be able to live my life now!
 
BabyGurl3171 said:
Your story makes me want to stop taking Percocets. Sure at first I took them b/c I really need them for my legs, but now I take them for my legs AND b/c I want the buzz. It's becoming increasingly more and when I think of my babies and knowing they need me here, well lets just say I've been considering going clean for awhile now. I think my biggest issue right now though is benzos. I stop taking Xanax for one day and I feel it and it feels bad.

Keep working at it, you're doing a great job! :)
Click to expand...

I hope to god you've already had the babies and aren't taking percocets while pregnant...
 
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