Do you know that more than 70 million of the total population of America suffers from the problem of sleeplessness? It then goes without saying that more than 4% of the country’s population looks forward to the use of medication to get a good sleep at night. Millions of people from all over the globe make use of hypnotic drugs that helps them achieve good sleep cycle every night. But there are also times when things go beyond the regular dosage and this is when the problem arises. Did you ever wonder as to what happens if you take 10 or more sleeping pills at once?
The sleeping pills that most of us use to get a good night’s sleep can range from highly powerful prescriptions to those that are easily available over the counter. Physicians often prescribe different drugs to different patients based on their health condition and these drugs help fight insomnia. Also, sedatives as well as antidepressants too have the same effect but regular use of those drugs can lead to dependence or addiction.
Sleep is necessary for every human being and is a natural biological function. But people nowadays going to different lengths to make sure they get the sleep they need. This at times means misusing the drugs or the medication that is created to help us with the process. As there are a number of cases of abuse, it makes it important to know it all about the dangers or the sleeping pills side effects that come along with you take these pills and one of such dangers can be overdose too.
What Happens If You Take 10 or More Sleeping Pills?
Normally when you visit a doctor and explain to him about your sleeplessness, he/she would prescribe you a medication or sleeping pills for adults that strictly have to be taken as per the dose mentioned. Taking more than the prescribed dosage is called as Drug Abuse and this is very common when it comes to sleeping pills.
Certain people who are suffering from depression often come to a conclusion that they can end their life by taking about 10-20 sleeping pills, but the fact remains that overdose of sleeping pills does not always cause death.
The number of pills taken and the dosage of the drug taken often decide as to what would happen if you take more than 10 sleeping pills at a time. Tolerance to drugs varies from one person to another, and hence what might cause unconsciousness in a person can cause death in the other person. The same law applies to the sleeping pills too and it is not uncommon to see people in the intensive care unit who took a very high dosage of sleeping pills but are still alive.
This is also one of the reasons why doctors consider the age and the overall health condition of the patient before suggesting them a sleeping pill. Mostly adults and teens get very standard doses, and children and elders get very low doses.
Taking any amount of the prescribed sleeping pills which is more than the recommended dosage can cause a trouble or a fatality in many cases. Sleeping pills actually depress the CNS and this in turn depresses various other aspects that help with the body functioning. In some cases, when there is a sleeping pill overdose, the shutdown of the respiratory centre in the brain occurs and this in turn ceases the breathing. This is what causes death in the patient when he/she has a sleeping pill overdose.
When taken in small doses, these medications are good enough to induce sleep and this does not cause a lot of CNS depression and hence there is not much a problem. But when high doses are taken, there is already enough of sleeping pill within the blood that is enough to cause sedation and any extra dosage can lead to fatal side effects and even death times. Those who have been taking high doses of sleeping pills are always at a risk of “Life Changing Deformity” and organ damage is one of them.
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Treatment For Sleeping Pills Overdose
If you are of those who are addicted to taking sleeping pills, it is time you go visit your doctor immediately. As mentioned, sleeping pills overdose can be fatal at times and hence you might need the help of treatment that includes a counteractive procedure.
Patients can at times develop seizure symptoms, and when large doses of sleeping pills are taken, the medication is taken out using a stomach pump. Though this might not sound to be quite appealing, it helps save a number of lives, every day in every country across the globe.
In a case where the dosage is limited and the patient is suffering from addiction and overdose problem, the doctor might suggest some medications to reverse the sedation. These medications help to bring the patient back to their normal routine and also helps improve their sleep pattern.
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Conclusion
From the information provided in this post, it is understood clearly that sleeping pills overdose should not be neglected. If you have been wondering as to what happens if you take 10 or more sleeping pills, you might have found the answer by now. It is important for people to be careful and anyone using sleeping pills need to read the label provided and also follow their doctor’s advice.
In case you suffer from insomnia, remember that there are a number of other ways that help you deal with the condition and help you get that good night’s sleep.
But, if you are one of those who wish to purposefully administer a high dosage to end your life, it is time you rethink your decision. You can take help from counselling sessions and never resort to such extreme measures. Remember that life provides you with enough chances and there is a bright side until you stay alive for another day. So, do take care!
Medically Reviewed By
Maanasi specializes in health topics including diet and nutrition. A mother of an untiring seven year old, she enjoys nurturing her love affair with English. She is often found nestled with a book, plopped against a dozen pillows, smiling away at the brink of finishing yet another book of the many dozens, that adorn the shelves of her Mini Library!
