Scene 1: My annoying headache refuses to go away, so I’ll just take an extra painkiller – after all what harm could one tablet cause?
Scene 2: Nowadays I don’t have time to eat a proper meal, so I should start having more multivitamin and supplement capsules.
Scene 3: Tomorrow’s big exam requires a night-out, so let me try the magic tablets that increase a person’s focus and learning speed.
Scene 4: I am very nervous about the presentation tomorrow, should I consider taking an anti-anxiety medication to calm my nerves?
Scene 5: Its 1 am and sleep is nowhere in sight, perhaps a couple of sleeping pills will do the trick.
Have you experienced any or all of the above scenarios? Individually, each circumstance can lead to the harmful slippery slope of random over-medication and combined these situations may have dangerous results.
The term “popping pills” refers to the accidental or intentional intake of more-than-recommended dose of a drug. A drug is a chemical substance that changes the way a body functions and is used for medical (treat diseases), performance enhancing (modify physical features) or recreational (alter mental behavior) purpose. The most frequently overused or abused drugs include over-the-counter or prescribed painkillers, anti-depressants, vitamins, supplements, weight loss aids and performance enhancing drugs.
Why is over-medication a problem?A person’s ability to “handle” any medication depends on his or her weight and health status as well as the strength of the drug. All medications have a limit in terms of the amounts in which they can be consumed over a given period of time. Overdosing occurs when a person takes one or more drugs in quantities that the body is unable to process and may lead to fatal disruption in the functioning of the brain or heart and other side effects.
Accidental medication overdose in children is tragic and often preventable.
The table below outlines commonly over-used drugs and their serious side-effects.
| Type of Drug/Medication | Overdose Symptoms |
| Painkillers (acetaminophen, hydrocodone) | High-level drowsiness, unable to concentrate, low energy, cold and clammy skin, constricted pupils, constipation, nausea, trouble in breathing, convulsions |
| Antidepressants (sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping-inducing pills popularly known as ‘sleeping pills’) | Slow breathing, low blood pressure, vomiting, irregular heart rate, confusion, lethargy, seizures, loss of consciousness, shock, death |
| Narcotics (popularly known as ‘drugs’ e.g. opiates such as heroin, morphine, codeine) | Pinpoint pupils, sleepiness, low blood pressure, reduced heart rate and breathing |
| Vitamins and Supplements | Specific to the vitamin or supplement, for example, bleeding (vitamin E), diarrhoea (vitamin C, zinc), nausea, blurred vision, dizziness (vitamin A), hair loss, nerve damage (selenium) |
| Psychostimulants (used to treat attention deficit disorders e.g. Ritalin) | Abdominal cramps, aggressiveness, confusion, depression, fatigue, hallucinations, high fever, irregular blood pressure and heartbeat, nausea, panic, rapid breathing, restlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting, tremor, convulsions or coma |
| Performance enhancing drugs (steroids, growth hormones, creatine) | Severe dehydration, abnormal physical growth, emotional instability, liver damage, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke |
| Diet Pills | Tremors, convulsions, confusion, hallucinations, breathing problems, kidney failure, heart attack |
| Birth control pills or oral contraceptives (prescription medicines to prevent pregnancy) | Tenderness in the breast, change in urine color, sleepiness, extreme vaginal bleeding, headache, disturbed mind, nausea and rashes. |
If you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms stop taking the pills and immediately contact a medical care professional.
How is drug over-dosage diagnosed?
Diagnosis involves a careful evaluation of the patient’s medical and personal history in terms of health conditions, list of medications, diet and lifestyle habits. Often medications taken in combination with alcohol or certain foods increase the level of damage. Blood and screening tests are performed to determine the level of drugs present in the body, changes in critical elements such as calcium and potassium as well as the extent of injury to the liver and kidney.
How is drug over-dosage treated?
Immediate course of treatment includes removing the drug from the patient’s body. Vomiting is induced – only in a conscious patient – to eliminate remaining drug from the stomach. Activated charcoal may be applied to soak-up the left over drug. The patient’s stomach may be “pumped”, that is, the contents are removed via a tube and the stomach is rinsed with salt water. Faster clearance of the drug from the body is aided by inducing urination or defecation.
Other emergency actions include restoring breathing and blood pressure. Intravenous (IV) fluids such as saline (salt water), dextrose (sugar water) and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate solution) are given to re-establish the body’s fluid and mineral balance. Hemodialysis, filtering of the blood through a machine, may be performed to remove drugs from the blood – especially if there is extensive damage to the kidneys.
Antidotes, medications that neutralize or reduce effects of the overdosed drug, are specific to the overdosed drugs. Some examples of antidotes are N-acetylcysteine for acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose and Naloxone for narcotic (heroin, morphine, codeine) poisoning.
The patient also requires a psychological assessment to determine underlying mental conditions that may have resulted in excessive use of medications.
Community-based awareness and education programs are essential in the prevention of (accidental or intentional) medication overdose. Overuse of medications and supplements can be stopped by building an understanding of how drugs affect the body plus safe approaches to increasing mental and physical well-being.
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