Dec

14

2011

Can you overdose on Dramamine?

all questions / health questions / little shop of horrors  Posted by / 0 comments

This is THE question of the weekend!
On Friday, I took a flight to and from Nantucket, MA on a tiny 9-seater plane. I also consumed about 5 Dramamines in 6 hours. Driving home, I got super dizzy and pulled over. When I woke up on the side of the road, I couldn’t feel a thing and was slurring like a drunkard. So.. I’d like to learn a little more.

According to Drugs.com, a Dimenhydrinate overdose causes: Rapid heartbeat (mine was 103, medicine.net says the normal resting adult heart beats regularly at an average rate of 60 times per minute), Drowsiness (duh), Nervousness(yes), Hallucinations (not so much), Disorientation (for sure), Delirium (god, yes), Unsteadiness, Seizures, Convulsions, etc.

Luckily for me, a nice police man pulled over to help me out (aka check to see how drunk I was), and called an
ambulance. I didn’t need to go much further, I even checked myself out of the ER early, but here’s what comes afterwards (according to drugs.com):

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient’s vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

The patient may receive:

  • Medicines to treat symptoms
  • Medicines to make the person throw up
  • Activated charcoal
  • A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)

Outlook (Prognosis)

If the patient survives the first 24 hours, a good recovery is likely. Few patients actually die from an antihistamine overdose.

According to revolutionhealth.com, when taking Dramamine, use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Dimenhydrinate may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision, avoid these activities. Do not take with alcohol. Do not take more than 400mg in one day. Each tablet is usually 50 mg. (I only took 5, but it was within about 6 hours.. geesh, only just thought of the timing now..)

CHEERS to following directions from now on!