The dangers of overdose

Jan 07, 2025Leave a message

Overdosing on drugs can cause a variety of harms, which are described in detail below:
Damage to body organs
Liver damage: The liver is the body's main detoxification organ. Many drugs need to be metabolized in the liver, and overdose can overburden the liver. For example, when acetaminophen is taken in excess, its metabolites accumulate in large quantities in the liver, leading to liver cell necrosis and, in severe cases, acute liver failure.
Kidney damage: The kidneys are responsible for filtering and excreting drugs and their metabolites. Excessive drugs can increase the filtration burden on the kidneys and may lead to conditions such as tubular necrosis. For example, long-term overdose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) can reduce blood flow to the kidneys, causing damage to the tiny blood vessels and tubules of the kidneys, and thus affecting the normal function of the kidneys.
Drug poisoning
Central nervous system toxicity: Excessive use of certain drugs can have toxic effects on the central nervous system. For example, overdosing on sleeping pills (such as diazepam) can cause respiratory depression, coma, and even be life-threatening. Overdoses of some stimulants can cause symptoms such as convulsions and delirium because the drugs interfere with the brain's normal neurotransmitter balance.
Cardiovascular system toxicity: Excessive drugs can cause serious harm to the cardiovascular system. For example, excessive use of digitalis drugs (such as digoxin) can lead to arrhythmias, including ventricular premature beat, ventricular tachycardia, etc., which is due to the abnormal effect of the drug on the electrophysiological activity of cardiac muscle cells.
Allergic reactions and immune system abnormalities
Exacerbation of allergic reactions: A drug that may cause only a mild allergic reaction at normal doses may be dramatically aggravated when taken in excess. For example, penicillin overdose can lead to severe anaphylactic shock, characterized by difficulty breathing, a sharp drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, etc., because the excess drug triggers an overreaction of the body's immune system.
Immune system suppression or disorder: Overdoses of some medications can interfere with the normal functioning of the immune system. Long-term overuse of glucocorticoids, for example, can suppress the activity of the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections, while also potentially triggering autoimmune diseases such as lupus-like syndrome.
Drug tolerance and dependence
Increased tolerance: Overdosing on a drug can cause the body to develop a tolerance to the drug. For example, long-term overuse of antibiotics, bacteria will gradually adapt to the drug environment, resistance, which makes the subsequent treatment of the same disease, the efficacy of the drug will be greatly reduced, the need to use higher doses or higher grades of antibiotics to achieve the therapeutic effect.
Drug dependence: Overdose of certain drugs can easily lead to dependence. For example, after the overdose of opioids (such as morphine), the body will produce physical and psychological dependence on it, once the drug is stopped, there will be withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, anxiety, etc., which seriously affect physical health and quality of life.

Send Inquiry

home

phone

Email

Inquiry