Guidelines on How to Prevent Myself from Drug Overdose

Drugs are chemical concoctions or refined natural products that are used for specific purposes ranging from relieving headaches to stopping the heart. Most are supplied under control, either by doctors’ prescriptions, or by government-controlled sale. Some, however, are illegal and pose a danger to users.

All drugs, even non-prescription drugs, are dangerous when taken as an overdose. Many people have suffered severe renal and kidney impairment from ingesting an overdose of what they considered to be an innocuous drug.

Some signs & Symptoms of Overdose are :

  • Altered level of consciousness
  • slurred speech
  • depressed respirations
  • slow pulse, or alternatively, rapid, weak pulse
  • irrational behavior
  • ‘pin-point’ pupils (narcotics)
  • injection (`track’) marks on arms, behind knees, thighs, and groin
  • unconsciousness
  • respiratory/cardiac arrest
  • headache, nausea , vomiting
  • numb fingers and toes

Guides to prevent from Drug overdose:

  • Never take medicine in the dark. Always turn your lights on when necessary
  • Wear reading glasses if needed, especially for the elders
  • Read the label each time to check the dosage.
  • Examine the medicine before taking it, checking for capsules or tablets that differ from others in the bottle.
  • Follow directions carefully, including special instructions such as “Do not take with grapefruit” or “Take two hours before or after meals.”
  • Dispose of unidentified and out-of-date medications as instructed by your pharmacist.
  • Always tell your physician about all medications you are taking from any source.
  • Never use another person’s medication without any medical supervision, unauthorized sharing should be 100% prohibited
  • Elderly people are at risk of accidental overdose due to memory lapses
  • Patients who take drugs for chronic pain will become addicted to them. As drug addiction are difficult to control, addicted people are at high risk for drug overdose
  • Another risk factor for overdose could be sleep apnoea. Patients at risk for sleep apnoea should be evaluated before they are prescribed ‘opioids’. The addition of a Valium-like drug together with ‘opioids’ appears to confer greater risk of life-threatening sleep apnoea.
  • Use containers to separate each day’s dose so that I will not accidentally take a second dose.
  • Keep all drugs and poisons locked away in a safe secure place.
  • avoid using other drugs, especially sedatives or alcohol, on the same day.

Lately, Actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that included painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Brokeback Mountain,” died in his New York City apartment Jan. 22. He was 28.

About 500,000 cases of overdose of Tricyclic antidepressants ( TCA ) are reported in the United States each year, and this number keep on increasing over the recent years. This is a worrying fact. Many of these victims may have been still alive by now if they paid a little more attention to details, & carry with them some additional cautiousness with drugs abuse.