oldrebel's blog

accidental overdosing

 abuse

Very seldom do I ever go to the doctor, and even less often do I have any drugs prescribed to me. I know lack of familiarity is not an excuse for stupidity, but I'll make that claim tonight for myself.

For the past while I've had a persistent cough, so I finally broke down and went to the doctor Monday afternoon when I also came down with pink eye. For the eye condition I was given drops to be applied three times a day, and for the cough I was prescribed a cough medicine, for which it was too late in the day to get before going to work for my last night of graveyard shift.  I was unable to get the script to CVS until Wednesday morning,  I  finally able got my prescription filled for relief from my hacking. Only problem... I didn't read the label.

Rather than taking the measured dose called for, both on the bottle and on the enclosed paperwork, I simply took a couple of tablespoons. After a couple of hours and a bout of renewed coughing I took another two or three "tablespoons" of the medicine. Not aware of the haze I was already entering, I took at least another triple dose (of my own measurement) before bed. Maybe even another, I simply don't remember.

Into the night I had a bout of coughing, so I somehow got out of bed, went for a glass of water and realized it was like I was almost totally drunk. I staggered. I couldn't see straight. My talking was slurred. I finally read the instructions on the bottle.

"One teaspoon by mouth every day at bedtime as needed for cough"  Did you catch that?  "One teaspoon...daily...as needed" ! I had by my muddled count taken at least nine or more tablespoons in an eight hour period. I tried to expell what was left inside of me at that point but little came out. I called the Poison Control Center @ 1-800-222-1222 for help.

Slowly I was brought out of the high degree of panic at the thought I was dying or had permanently damaged my liver, and into a realization although I was very, very stupid and negligent...I wasn't going to die or suffer lifelong effects from my mistake.

I realize I'm holding myself out for criticism by doing this blog, but it can't be any worse than the critique I'm putting on myself. Basically I wanted to share this with y'all , my friends here at GOLO, in hopes it would increase all of our awareness of proper dosages, the importance of reading the labels completely before taking...and asking questions before leaving the pharmacy with a new prescription.

Yesterday I was in a rush...they had lost my prescription to start off with because the doctor had spelled my name incorrectly, so there was a thirty minute delay. I was on the motorcycle, so I took the bottle out of the sack (with all the medicine information) and slid the bottle into my pants pocket  and threw the sack with the info away.  At home I didn't take time to read the information on the bottle intself, but just poured the same amount more or less that I'd been taking with an over the counter cough suppressant,  and swallowed it down...All of these things cascaded into a major, monumental mess up , that could have been much more serious or even deadly had it been another drug.

So tonight here I am, properly chastised by Allison at the Poison Control Center, trying to shake off the lingering effects of what feels  like a terrible hang over, and just thankful that I can share this in hopes it will help someone be a little more aware in their medications.