Suicide by antibotics ?

Wrench Party · Oct 12, 2014

Aquarium hobbyists use these to treat their fancy, expensive breeding fish in isolation tanks. Add the antibiotic, antifungal, whatever to the water, let it circulate and treat the fish, take fish back out and put back into the community tank. You treat separately outside of

the tank, because you can kill all the beneficial microorganisms that are already established as part of the tank's biofiltration, and you'd have a much bigger issue at hand.

(I'm an inactive scientist. The nerdiness doesn't go away with nursing.)

But yeah, anyone who ODs on fish abx, not the smartest and surest way to leave this world.

HarryTheCat, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2014

I confess I've taken horse antibiotics for bronchitis and UTIs. They aren't terribly difficult to obtain. Fish is a new one. I agree it sounds serious, but surely there are easier ways than taking 500 pills...

LOL...I've taken them too, as well as bute. They're often the same exact meds that you get at CVS or Walgreens, but they're a whole lot cheaper when you get 'em from the vet. I once had a horse that needed metronidazole, but the vet was out and I didn't want to wait for him to reorder. I took a prescription to CVS, and after a whole lot of explaining to the pharmacist, they wanted to charge me over $900 for about half of the quantity that I regularly got from the vet for just under $100. After a phone call to "headquarters" they got permission to sell them to me at their wholesale price. It was an eye opening lesson on the retail mark-ups for pharmaceuticals.

RainMom · Oct 13, 2014

When glucosamine first became so popular, the doc I used to work for would recommend buying it from the vet or feed store. Pharmaceutical grade powder in 1-5 gallon buckets for the price of a month's supply of capsules. Never thought about antibiotics.

Mind boggling the amount of money people will spend on a pet but never do the same for themselves (or their kids sometimes).

firstinfamily, RN · Oct 13, 2014

One can overdose from any medication, any medication can be toxic. I had a home patient who tried to commit suicide by overdosing on her B/P meds, went into the hospital with a heart rate of 46! She was also a nurse and knew what she was doing. My son had an allergic reaction after being on an antibiotic for over a week, it took that long for it to really buld up in his system. Tylenol overdose can cause liver damage---so potentially could also be used as a call to suicide. AS far as Fish Antibiotics, I really haven't heard of this but there are several fish farms throughout the country and most likely they treat with antibiotics just like the farmers for beef and pork etc.

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Oct 13, 2014

Well I guess now I know what to do when my fish gets the sniffles or a cough Lmao. But first I'll actually have to buy a fish! Lol

Altra, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2014

Even if the patient survives with any intact neuro status, he has probably blown out his kidneys.

If I were going to appropriate meds prescribed for another species, I wouldn't pick one with a body weight 1/1000th of mine ... pretty inefficient. Just saying.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Oct 14, 2014

Sometimes the best education on why one should not attempt suicide is those who are now living at a whole lot less function because of the attempt. Eye opening.

The OP's example, this young man has a long road. From digestive issues....now instead of going out and grabbing a bite to eat, one will have to have all sorts of diet considerations in order to actually eat something and be able to digest it, possible dialysis due to kidney failure, some antibiotics can cause cardiac issues...the list goes on and on.

Some will take what they know they are allergic to. Others will attempt to what they will assume will poison themselves....it just goes on and on.

Very sad situation.