Suicide by antibotics ?

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

I had a 23 year pt who tried to commit suicide by ordering fish antibotics and taking 500 cipro and cephalosporins... I have never heard of this before , what is this new fascination with fish antibotics ? And he was very ill when he was in our ICU from all these antibotics... But he was upgraded and now in med surg As a legal patient for a psych hospital... Can antibotics kill you ? I have never heard of this type of trying to kill yourself and what is the deal with fish antibotics? Thank you in advance for your input ! I have to admit I'm stumped !

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I have to say that is a new one on me...and that is tough to do.

Cipro can cause renal issues and cephalosporins can cause seizures and brain toxicity so yes...it is possible to OD on antibiotics. If he figured out that these could be toxic and realized he could get them off the-internet without a prescription I'd call that a serious attempt with premeditation.

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.

Neurotoxic effects associated with antibiotic use: management considerations

Fluoroquinolones: The Deadliest Antibiotics in the Market?

Obviously the second article might be biased, but a high enough dosage/concentration of nearly any drug can kill you. I didn't realize they even prescribed antibiotics to fish, but whatever. I don't think it matters who was supposed to take them; they were taken improperly.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

I thought fish antibotics? Really ? My fish got sick I dumped them in the toliet , I'd never give them antibotics ... That's cray cray

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

If you are anaphylactic allergic they can most definitely kill you.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Wow. I wonder if you really CAN kill yourself with fish antibiotics, or if all you'll accomplish is making yourself feel lousy enough that you wish you were dead.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

thank you for the interesting articles , I never thought of antibotics as a drug that can kill you ... He took over 500 antibotics and it really almost killed him... His immune system is trashed !

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

Yeah he was pretty sick .. In report I was shocked .. Fish antibotics?? Sayyyyy whattttt? How do the fish swallow them?

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Specializes in ER.

Fish antibiotics used to be the poor man's option back in the day. They used to come in identical capsules as human antibiotics. It was a way to treat a nasty UTI without a prescription.

You were supposed to open the capsule into your tank. But if you were too poor for a doctor, you could head down to the pet store and self-prescibe. I confess, I resorted to this once when I was broke.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

[h=3]Overdose[/h] Overdose of ciprofloxacin may result in reversible renal toxicity. Treatment of overdose includes emptying of the stomach by induced vomiting or gastric lavage, as well as administration of magnesium-, aluminum-, or calcium-containing antacids to reduce drug absorption. Renal function and urinary pH should be monitored. Important support includes adequate hydration and urine acidification if necessary to prevent crystalluria. Hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis can only remove less than 10% of ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin may be quantified in plasma or serum to monitor for drug accumulation in patients with hepatic dysfunction or to confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in acute overdose victims

TOXNET

NEUROTOXICITY, SUCH AS HEADACHE, TINNITUS, ATAXIA, & DIPLOPIA, SOMETIMES DEVELOP; THESE EFFECTS ARE REVERSIBLE. CHANGES IN INTESTINAL & lady partsL FLORA MAY OCCUR; MONILIASIS IS OCCASIONAL, & OVER GROWTH BY PS AERUGINOSA HAS BEEN REPORTED.

CEPHALEXIN - National Library of Medicine HSDB Database

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I thought fish antibotics? Really ? My fish got sick I dumped them in the toliet , I'd never give them antibotics ... That's cray cray

LOL I have never tried to take a fishes temp...LOL

But many antibiotics are toxic even at therapeutic levels...this guy did his homework...hence serious attempt.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

Thank you I've never heard fish needed them .. Emergent you gotta do what you gotta do at least you didn't take 500 and I'm sure a lot of people do it that can't afford a dr .. I just never knew about them .. It's very interesting ,, thank you for posting hugs

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