Is heroin OD completely painless?

[AminoAcid]

I've come across conflicting info:

- In the affirmative I once read a first-hand report of a guy who accidentally overdosed but was resuscitated by an EMT crew. He said it was an intensely beautiful feeling and he was sort of annoyed at the people who rescued him as it felt so good.

- In the negative is a real-life story of a guy in London who found his friend dead after an overdose. He said that he had vomited up blood and had turned so deathly blue (this was after a few days) that it looked like his skin was some sort of weird leather. He also says that it looked like an incredibly painful/disturbing way to die and that he had clearly struggled.

So what's the truth? Why would someone start vomiting up blood? I thought it was just meant to shut your ventilation off, but in such a way that you weren't fully conscious of that even occurring?

Anyone here been there?
What have other people read?

 

[nsauce]

I OD'ed on tar in a $20 motel room in - im guessing it was 1999? I did a shot that was too big, passed out, and woke up with EMT's in the room. I felt no pain until the narcan kicked in. Then I was pissed off cause I still had a glob of tar but the narcan wouldnt let it work. Would not recommend.

 

[Jean-Paul]

of course the experience of a near death by OD is going to be rosy colored compared to the aftermath of actual death. standard format seems to be unconsciousness, respiration stops, heart stops. aspiration of vomit can also occur. the blood in the vomit could have been from the forcefulness of the vomiting or from regular vomiting. i do not recall the feeling before becoming unconscious on heroin to be pleasant, but more of an "oh fuck." not a horrible oh fuck, however...i'd assume that's what the start of death from OD feels like.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

It depends on the person, whether or not they have taken other drugs, and what exactly it is that causes the heroin related death. Normally with an OD the person just falls asleep, their breathing slows and then stops, (then their heart will stop if it's a fatal OD). Occasionally some people might have seizures, stomach spasms, muscle spasms/rigid muscles or vomit, but this is not the norm and I doubt they are aware of this going on or are in pain. A number of deaths attributed to heroin overdose are actually caused by aspiration of vomit by the person while unconscious. That was likely what happened in the latter case you mentioned.

With IV heroin you don't see it coming, aside from perhaps some getting that feeling of, "Shit! I did too much," after you depress the plunger. When I OD'd on heroin it was pleasant and painless. The last thing I remember before waking up with an oxygen mask on, surrounded by paramedics, was shooting up, then sitting down and nodding off right away. When I have seen others OD they did not look to be in any pain or to vomit or anything, they just passed out and I couldn't wake them, their lips turned blue and I checked their breathing to find it was very shallow/slow or they weren't breathing at all, then ran to call 911. When I have seen people after they have died of an OD they looked peaceful, like they just fell asleep and didn't wake up.

But this is not a harm reduction question.

I answered your question assuming you were just asking out of curiosity, but I really hope you aren't asking in order to know how painful it would be to commit suicide in this manner. I do know some people who have OD'd and they did not die but were in comas for a long time and had brain damage. If you are considering taking your own life please get help immediately. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Or if you are asking so you can feel better about the risks you are taking by using large doses of heroin, thinking at least if you OD it won't be painful, please get help for your addiction. It is SO not worth it to chase that perfect high and flirt with the line between super-high and dead, it's a very small margin.

If you are asking because someone you know died of an OD, you can feel some consolation in the fact that it's very unlikely they suffered.

I'm going to close this because I don't think it really belongs in BDD. Please PM me if you have any questions.