Misc What Constitutes an Overdose?

[laughingdead]

I am a heroin user who was doing up to 25 bags at a time snorting (when it was really weak), about five when it was really good stuff, and fluctuating up from there to get high. I started buying from a new source recently in Philly as opposed to Jersey. The bags have a lot more in them, but not more than five of the previous connects bags. With this new connect one bag seems to fuck me up... I mean send me into a strong nod even on top of my prescribed amphetamine RX (which I don't abuse). I was told Philly dope was better than Jersey and NEVER believed that but this guy is obviously slinging stronger product than all of the anterior ones.

Yesterday I did a bag and couldn't stop nodding until I realized my mother was on her way over to drop something off and see where I live so I had to get it together. I managed to get it together, ruin my high, and when she left I decided to snort another bag at around 12 AM. I did about 3/4ths of the bag and next thing I know I wake up at my desk with the stiff neck and body that comes from spending hours in the same position. I couldn't keep myself awake and I wake up at 6:45 am in pain against the wall having fallen from my sitting position into the wall banging my face in two places (I now have lovely bumps on my forehead and chin which are sure to bruise over) which hurt and with enormous pain in my right leg. I should also mention that I had taken .5 mg of Klonopin that afternoon for anxiety but to me that is not really anything at all and also that I have recently been prescribed an antidepressant that I take once in the morning. What I find strange is that I must have banged my face pretty hard for the bumps to form but it didn't wake me up.

This new stuff seems to send me to nod really hard and then black out and erases my memory. So my question is.... what constitutes an overdose? When I was injecting in '07 I fell out and woke up after being administered Narcan in an ambulance. Afterwards I was told that I had been dead for about 4 minutes.

What is considered an overdose medically and in your opinion especially when pertaining to something like heroin which can make your breathing progressively more shallow?

 

[f33lg00d]

An overdose is when a stronger effect than intend happens.

 

[laughingdead]

An overdose is when a stronger effect than intend happens.

Using that definition you overdose when you smoke really strong marijuana. I don't think that's a working definition.

 

[rhun]

Sounds like you just nodded really hard. But you may have been on the verge of overdose, be careful with the Klonopin. Half life is really long and it's gotten me into trouble before.

But honestly, all we can do is speculate. No is going to be able to give you a definite answer.

 

[laughingdead]

Sounds like you just nodded really hard. But you may have been on the verge of overdose, be careful with the Klonopin. Half life is really long and it's gotten me into trouble before.

But honestly, all we can do is speculate. No is going to be able to give you a definite answer.

I am not looking for a definite answer for me but more like... to talk about what someone means when they say "overdose." I had always meant death and revival. But looking through these boards people would use the term a lot more lightly. And then with something like heroin overdose usually the person sticks around for quite a while so that definition doesn't work either.

That was kind of the idea behind the post. Also thought it'd be funny to hear about other peoples stories that define their concept of the word based on their own experiences. Like today when I went to class with two bumps on the side of face and explained to a professor that I was up late studying and fell asleep and then fell over from just being tired. I think everyone has an interior definition of overdose because one crystal meth user on here considered something totally foreign to me, an overdose.

Also, since you're a moderator... I've been toying with the idea of reporting this particular stamp to the stamp safety thread because of it's potency. However, I wasn't sure I should because maybe it's just a difference between PA and NJ dope that I didn't discover until I copped next door.

 

[laughingdead]

I left out some other points about this particular stamp that alarmed me to make my post shorter.

 

[LSDiesel]

<snip> As we all know, dope is a street drug, with all kinds of additives, sometimes active ones. Benzos definetly increase the nod, but are rarely water soluable. I have come up dirty for benzos before when I was sniffing dope and did no benzos, so the only conclusion I could draw from that is that there was benzos cut in with the dope. If you shoot, the benzos don't go in the shot, but if you sniff, it certainly will get in your body.

Could be anything though really, sedatives are often added to dope.

 

[laughingdead]

LSDiesel... I tried to private message you a while ago. I couldn't get through. Remember me?

<snip>

I must have been really sedated because I didn't even wake up when I fell against the wall and banged my head.

 

[f33lg00d]

Using that definition you overdose when you smoke really strong marijuana.

That's correct, if you weren't looking for a strong experience. Overdoses don't have to be life-threatening, like your marijuana example there's no chance of a weed od being fatal just uncomfortable. Search google news for weed overdoses and you'll find plenty.

 

[rhun]

Guys, let's not speculate on what was in the dope. There's no way to know and there's a reason stamp discussion is no longer allowed.

If you have any further questions on this, please read: http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/558663
Specifically, "no pill or substance id" and "no questions resulting in endless speculative discussion."

Thanks.

@laughingdead I edited out the second part of your title to keep discussion focused on what constitutes an overdose. As for your stamp question, I would ask a mod from that forum. They can decide whether a warning is warranted and if that's the case they can post it in the stamp warning thread. I want to say Tommyboy is assigned to NASADD?

 

[keeping]

rather than argue over the semantics of an OD, an over-dose is literally self-explanatory. 'taking more than the recommended dose.'

if you begin to experience shallow breathing or chest pain, its time for an ambulance ride.

but honestly we can't diagnose you over the internet, if you think you could be in danger, go to ER now.

 

[laughingdead]

rather than argue over the semantics of an OD, an over-dose is literally self-explanatory. 'taking more than the recommended dose.'

if you begin to experience shallow breathing or chest pain, its time for an ambulance ride.

but honestly we can't diagnose you over the internet, if you think you could be in danger, go to ER now.

Im obviously not in danger as this happened days ago and I was able to write out a whole lovely post on bluelight. I am not asking to argue semantics. I understand the word just fine. I was more interested in hearing other peoples ideas about different drugs and what constitutes an overdose with them. Also about the fact that I always considered a heroin overdose to be something that meant you had to be revived. The other day I read a post about a woman saying that she had seen her husband overdose and rubbed ice all over his body to revive him and it worked. My immediate thoughts were.... then it wasn't an overdose. Yet she refers to it as such. Same thing reading about a meth user who had been to the hospital 4 times for overdoses and yet always managed to call the ambulance himself.

I provided my own experience as an example of something that is not fatal but that could potentially be considered an overdose.

 

[laughingdead]

After reading through the thread on overdoses I think that thread may be just fine to serve as a glimpse into the mind of fellow bluelighters and it has stories too!

Thanks for the replies and keeping, for the concern.

 

[rhun]

I think what f33lgood was getting at was that overdose can simply mean "an excessive dose." Where I think you're thinking of a potentially life threatening or lethal overdose, more like the definition "an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug." I don't think either one is necessarily wrong. They're just different perspectives. Which is what you get a lot here on OD

My own personal definition of a life threatening overdose varies depending on which of my main DOCs I'm referring to. For cocaine, the symptoms are typically: increased body temp, chest pain or tightness, spiked heart rate, difficulty or inability to breath, and nausea. This is just what I've personally experienced and is by no means a complete list of all overdose symptoms. For heroin, it's usually a loss of consciousness so it's difficult to know the symptoms but the ones I can remember are shallow breathing, tiny pupils, low BP/pulse, blue lips.

Would you like me to close your thread or keep it open for more replies?

 

[The Doc.]

An overdose is when any drug is taken in a larger dose than is recommend. An excessive amount of a certain drug. So in reality many of us overdose on a regular basis.

 

[keeping]

After reading through the thread on overdoses I think that thread may be just fine to serve as a glimpse into the mind of fellow bluelighters and it has stories too!

Thanks for the replies and keeping, for the concern.

ah I apologize, when I see overdose I tend to skip all the convo and go right for the harm reduction.

over-dosing on recreational drugs poses an interesting dilemma, as the doc rightly puts, from a somatic standing we probably are all overdosing every time we abuse drugs for their recreational potential.

subjectively i count a recreational over-dose as a dose that induces but is not limited to dysphoria, psychological and/or physical pain or death.

glad you are ok.

 

[laughingdead]

I think what f33lgood was getting at was that overdose can simply mean "an excessive dose." Where I think you're thinking of a potentially life threatening or lethal overdose, more like the definition "an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug." I don't think either one is necessarily wrong. They're just different perspectives. Which is what you get a lot here on OD

My own personal definition of a life threatening overdose varies depending on which of my main DOCs I'm referring to. For cocaine, the symptoms are typically: increased body temp, chest pain or tightness, spiked heart rate, difficulty or inability to breath, and nausea. This is just what I've personally experienced and is by no means a complete list of all overdose symptoms. For heroin, it's usually a loss of consciousness so it's difficult to know the symptoms but the ones I can remember are shallow breathing, tiny pupils, low BP/pulse, blue lips.

Would you like me to close your thread or keep it open for more replies?

It can be closed... I was hoping that one of the posters would answer me back as their private mailbox is full. But so far they haven't checked back.

 

[laughingdead]

ah I apologize, when I see overdose I tend to skip all the convo and go right for the harm reduction.

over-dosing on recreational drugs poses an interesting dilemma, as the doc rightly puts, from a somatic standing we probably are all overdosing every time we abuse drugs for their recreational potential.

subjectively i count a recreational over-dose as a dose that induces but is not limited to dysphoria, psychological and/or physical pain or death.

glad you are ok.

You have no reason to apologize. When I created the thread I expected any replies to be along the lines of people sharing their idea of an overdose from personal experience and or relating to my experience. However, I think that other threads have done that without intention.

Actually, I should know better now that an old experience comes to mind. I overdosed on a bottle of vodka, effexor, and some benzo. I took my medicine while drinking a large screwdriver. I don't remember anything else except taking my medicine with the drink surrounded by acquaintances at my house. The next thing I know I wake up in my bed in hospital garb and a hospital blanket. Apparently I didn't pass out, I went into a coma of rage. I was forcefully taken to the hospital and treated for an alcohol overdose.

However, in that case had I not gone to the hospital I might have died due to a dangerously high blood alcohol level and yet there was no passing out. A loss of consciousness, yes, but with eyes open. Don't remember a thing to this day.

Mammals are crazy creatures and alcohol is a hell of a drug.

 

[rhun]

Closed per OP's request.