Accidental Overdose

I just got released from the hospital at 7:00 tonight after spending two days in the ICU for an accidental overdose.


I had been really stressed out the night of the 4th of July, and i took some tylenol to help a headache. I fell asleep, and woke up a half hour later with the headache still. So i took a few more tylenol. When my headache still didnt go away an hour later i thought it would be okay to take a couple more pills. After that i went to bed.

The next morning i woke up and the headache hadnt gotten any better. So i took 3 excedrine migraines. I then went and ran a few errands, and when i returned home took 3 more excedrine migraines because my headache still hadnt gone away.

An hour after taking the last excedrine i started to hyperventilate and my body started to have muscle spasms. At that point i got a hold of my mother and told her how much medicine i thought i might have taken. She contacted poison control, and then i was rushed to the hospital.

After the doctors did some emergency blood tests to see how much tylenol was in my liver, they discovered i had a life threatening toxicity level in my liver. Basically, if they didnt start treatment right away my liver and kidneys could fail. Tylenol becomes lethal at a level above a 9, and my levels were at a 17. This was 18 hours after i had taken the tylenol. The doctors still dont know how i survived the night before i went into the hospital.

The treatment worked, and my liver isnt considered toxic anymore. I am extremely lucky that i survived, because my toxicity level was well beyound the lethal dose way after i took the medication.

I wasnt aware of exactly how much tylenol i had taken (the doctors estimated that i took around 14 pills in a 2 hour time period), but i never thought that tylenol could affect my life so much. Alot of people would realize that it is unhealthy to take that much of any medicine, but then there are those who, like me, think it wont hurt anything.

I just wanted people to know that it is important to be aware of how much medication you are putting into your body, and be aware of the possible health complications. I was just trying to cure a terrible migraine, but it turned into an accidental overdose that could have been deadly. Just be careful, and be aware.

 

quote: around 14 pills in a 2 hour time period

Thats an overdose of anything,probably even Flintstones vitamins

glad you lived and learned

 

Glad you survived to tell the tale! Acetaminaphine are freaking dangerous if you take too many. Get the story out there so people will realize! Just because a drug is common doesn't make it completly safe!

 

uh, yeah... glad you lived through that. '

I don't have anything else nice to say so I'll keep it to myself.

 

Wow.. Im glad your okay.. that sucks.. I never take any headache medicine unless I absolutly have to.. .It makes my kidneys hurt

 

Wow...glad you came out alright from that.

 

hahaha!?

Yeah. . . thats REALLY funny. . . keep killing yourself, for entertainments sake!

WTF!

 

Umm, wow. 50 tylenol and 24 benedryls...in 30 minutes? That sounds like you were trying to OD.

I was trying to get rid of a headache... and never thought tylenol was life threatening. I found out the hard way that it is. But i also found out that the hospital sees more cases of adults taking too much medicine trying to relieve a headache or some other muscle pain without even knowing the medicine could be fatal. I guess some people just don't think.

But taking over 70 pills in 30 minutes sounds like you were trying to OD.

 

You are only supposed to take 2-3 Acetaminaphine pills every FOUR hours, the levels you and the doctor are talking about are CRAAAAAAAZY, im very shocked you lived through that... Ive never heard someone taking so much.

Just so you know, more meds wont help anymore if the problem persists, theres only so much over the counter meds can do, anything more then what that can take care of, needs to be discussed with a doctor. Glad to hear you ended up ok... =)

 

Don't take more than your supposed to.

 

God your stupid. And lucky. Never heard of aspirin.

 

maybe you had a migraine?

 

Yeah, i went to the doctor a few days ago and they ran some tests. They determined that i get extreme migraines. They had some name for it, but the point is that yes i do get migraines. But then again, i didnt need a doctor to tell me that i get them. Atleast now they gave me some preventative medicine.

 

gah...she comes on here and says her story, and tries to help others, but instead we get some rude asses on here telling her how stupid she is and stuff..such immaturity..and a 13 year old who makes fun of her and says she took how many pills? now that's rediculous. sheesh.

 

Thank you BlackVelvet. I appreciate your understanding of why i shared my story.

I havent taken any of the "youre stupid" comments to heart. I know it is completely ridiculous to take that much medicine, but i also knows what it is like to feel like your brain is going to explode inside your head. And i also know that more people than alot would expect lose touch with reality when they get these extremem migraines and think "a few more wont hurt, the medicine has to kick in at some point."

If my story ends up educating just one person it was totally worth all the comments about how stupid i am. And eh, i wouldnt consider being in the top 1% in scores for both the ACT and SATs stupid... my decisions are sometimes just rather, well, thoughtless.

 

I did the same thing once, only it was with ibuprofen and I was 14. I had a horrible headache, took 4 (the max dose) pills, then a couple hours later....hey, I could probably take more. :: takes more :: Later....2 more. And then I started to feel horrible, like I was in a bubble and rain was falling down on the outisde of the bubble. My insides hurt and I felt so depressed, I just wanted to die but at the same time was so scared i was going to die. I told my mom I felt bad...she told me to take ibuprofen and go to sleep! lol. I finally fell asleep and thus ended that sucky incident.

Tylenol is a lot more harmful though...I've heard of babies who od'd on it and needed new livers as a result...

 

I am sorry that happened to you. I guess I can understand. But, aside from you warning other people you should take your own words into consideration. When you have a headache like that, and nothing you take is helping (after maybe 3)...you maybe should've taken either something stronger or went to the doctor anyways. I am not the best person on giving advice...or whatever...but I just thought that might could inspire you to take a different approach on it next time.


And for those assholes on this post...
You are so fucking rude, if this had happened to you...you wouldn't be laughing and making fun. This is a extremely important issue. At least she didn't do it on purpose, unlike most people. You should really consider what you say to or about people. You are so immature and should look into getting a life.


Peace....

 

Yeah, i agree i should have talked to my mom or a doctor instead of taking more tylenol. I learned, the hard way.

 

im really sorry that happened ive heard stories like this so im always real careful to read the bottle and not OD thank you for trying to help and im sorry you had to hear these jerks

 

babyfreak..... thanks for being super inconsiderate... she comes onto this forum for advice.. and you joke about it... immature...

goddess... im glad you are okay!!