saving someone from an overdose

[beentheredonethatagain]

I had a science teacher who talked about burnt toast having saved the lives of people who have overdosed on cocaine. He said that the burnt toast has activated charcoal in it, and by inserting it into a OD 's victum's anus it could have a saved their life. We always laugh and thought the guy was weird, but is he right? and would it only work on cocaine od ?

[Paracelsus]

Activated charcoal helps in absorbing toxins from the GI tract. Cocaine is usually insufflated and most is absorbed into the bloodstream (some may enter the GI tract through the throat but cocaine is less effective orally). Charcoal can't absorb anything from the bloodstream. Especially if it's stuck up the ass (how could anyone do that).

Maybe your teacher meant this: "Don't do cocaine, otherwise you may end up with burnt toast in your ass."

[Nagognog2]

Maybe, as a sideline, he sold faulty toasters.

[beentheredonethatagain]

Activated Charcoal Universal Antidote

Activated charcoal is considered to be medicine's most powerful absorbent and as such, it readily works to absorb many toxins and poisons, rendering them harmless.
What is activated charcoal?
Activated charcoal is simply burnt wood that has had all the oxygen removed through controlled oxidation and or processing by steam. Before the nineteenth century plain burnt wood was used in the same way activated charcoal is used today. Activated charcoal has up to four times the absorption power of plain burnt wood. Although charcoal briquettes, burned toast, burned meat or any burned food can be harmful carcinogens or cancer producers, activated charcoal is an important health aid. Activated charcoal is most commonly produced from hardwood trees or coconut shells.
How is activated charcoal used as an antidote?
As an antidote, activated charcoal is mainly known both for its use in drug overdoses and chemical poisonings. Charcoal acts to purify and cleanse the body due to its amazing ability to attract poisons to itself. Charcoal has a wide range of absorption. Heavy metals, viruses, bacterial and fungal toxins, etc. are all absorbed effectively. Activated charcoal often absorbs more than its own weight of injurious materials.

[Frivolous248]

I heard that when you go to the hospital for a drug OD then they have you drink a buncha charcoal. If you can make charcoal from bread, it wouldn't hurt to have one of your buddies eat a burnt piece of toast when they OD.

[tayo]

yeah activated charcoal can't hurt anyone really, works best if someone has something still absorbing in the stomach,

but for general things on...
"Saving Someone Fom an Overdose"...

these are notes SWIM has around in case he's gotta take someone to the e.r. and the doc's are confused or not prepared...
or just things to have handy

some things that would work
dopamine related overdose = seroquel (quetiapine)
serotonin related (psychedelic) overdose = seroquel (quetiapine)
anti-cholinergics (datura) = pilocarpus
opiods = naloxone
benzodiazepines = flumazenil/romazicon, possibly thujone in wormwood (experimental but GABA agonist seems to overpower most benzos)

[Nacumen]

A note about the thujone - one shouldn't take it as a last resort if it's only available in the form of Absinthe, as the alcohol therein would probably offset any benefit brought by the presence of the thujone by potentiating the effects of the benzodiazepine.

[tayo]

right, a wormwood extract or capsules or tea would be best, although could define "bitter" it might save a life... not in alcohol though

[beentheredonethatagain]

I am pleased to have postings that may help keep one party member alive. seroquel 's new to me ,what would a dose for a 175 lb man be, if he was over on oxi contin oral, or is that question too open?

[tayo]

naloxone is for opiates (oxycontin), not seroquel. don't know what the dose would be exactly, a patient

from medscape's drug info for "naloxone injection"...

for "opiate toxicity"

inject 1 milliliter (0.4 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed
inject 1 milliliter (0.4 mg) by intramuscular route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed
inject 1 milliliter (0.4 mg) by subcutaneous route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed
inject 2 milliliters (2 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed
inject 2 milliliters (2 mg) by intramuscular route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed
inject 2 milliliters (2 mg) by subcutaneous route x1 dose, may be repeated at 2 to 3 minute intervals as needed

and for "opiate induced respiratory depression"

inject 0.25 milliliter (0.1 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, at 2 to 3 minute intervals to the desired degree of reversal
inject 0.5 milliliter (0.2 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, at 2 to 3 minute intervals to the desired degree of reversal
infuse 1 milliliter (0.4 mg) by intravenous route once as needed to reverse sedation
inject 0.1 milliliter (0.1 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, at 2 to 3 minute intervals to the desired degree of reversal
inject 0.2 milliliter (0.2 mg) by intravenous route x1 dose, at 2 to 3 minute intervals to the desired degree of reversal

[Jatelka]

Once again: For psychedelic overdoses high dose benzodiazepines are the the way forward. If one uses antipsychotics and one happens to have a DOx compound there is a risk of hypertensive reactions.

Flumazenil (at least where SWIJ lives) is only indicated for the treatment of iatrogenic (medical) oversedation. If one gives flumazenil to someone who uses benzodiazepines chronically then there is a risk of inducing benzodiazepine withdrawal seizures.

And if SWIY is concerned enough to want to "save someone from an overdose" then shouldn't they have dialled 999 (or 911, for our US friends) already?

[tayo]

Originally Posted by Jatelka

Once again: For psychedelic overdoses high dose benzodiazepines are the the way forward. If one uses antipsychotics and one happens to have a DOx compound there is a risk of hypertensive reactions.

Flumazenil (at least where SWIJ lives) is only indicated for the treatment of iatrogenic (medical) oversedation. If one gives flumazenil to someone who uses benzodiazepines chronically then there is a risk of inducing benzodiazepine withdrawal seizures.

And if SWIY is concerned enough to want to "save someone from an overdose" then shouldn't they have dialled 999 (or 911, for our US friends) already?

agreed, swim hopes that anyone who remotely has a plan to obtain and possibly use any of these things themselves would have done extensive research on them. Jatelka hit a few key notes but there are definitely more to be found. 911 is the way to go, but since not all the paramedics specialize in certain overdoses, it's always good to point them in the right direction so they don't have to research "what to do in an opiate overdose?" if they are the only E.R. doctor, and not an opiate overdose specialist in the middle of the night, might have a problem. If SWIM was ODing and needed medical attention would say on phone to 911, "i've overdosed on opiates, tell paramedics to bring naloxone injection, i repeat naloxone injection it's the antidote." something like that, since time can be such a factor, might not make the ride to the hospital w/o having injections ready in ambulance... you get the idea.

did you know that in World War I some lucky soldiers carried Atropine Injections, in the event of a SARIN Gas attack, it is the antidote. Chlorine Gas = cholinergic. Atropine (one of the alkaloids in datura. a tropane and belladona alkaloid) = anti-cholinergic. just a little fact.

[Salvinorin A]

So actiaved charcoal absorbs all the bad stuff....but then what do u do with it?

If you eat burnt toast, and all the toast in your stomach absorbs the drug, won't you just reabsorb the drug again when the bread digests?

someone elaborate please...that's always been confusing me.

Sal-A

[tayo]

it would absorb into the toast and therefore the body would have to breakdown the toast to extract it, so it would mean slower absorption, that's the idea i think

[Pondlife]

Originally Posted by tayo

did you know that in World War I some lucky soldiers carried Atropine Injections, in the event of a Chlorine Gas attack, it is the antidote.

I think that Atropine is the antidote for nerve gas, not chlorine. Nerve gasses act by blocking the acetylcholinesterase enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. This causes a build up of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter which prevents the muscles from relaxing.

Atropine blocks the action of acetylcholine. This is normally a bad thing, but in the case of nerve gas poisoning it's exactly what is needed.