Re: Medicine

Fortunately, with the more modern kind of sleeping pills (usually of the

Benzodiazepine group - e.g. Nitrazepam and Temazepam), the effect of taking

too many is simply to fall into a very deep sleep, from which individuals

will eventually waken little the worse for the experience!

The older kind of sleeping pills (usually Barbiturates) are much more

dangerous. Overdosage has severe effects on blood pressure and breathing,

both of which are depressed, kidneys, blood chemistry, and body

temperature. This can be a  very serious and life-threatening condition,

and even with prompt treatment, can lead to death.

However, irrespective of the kind of pills, the most important question at

the end of the day is WHY someone took too many, the answer to which may

give important clues about whether the person is suffering from a serious

mental illness which would need treating, such as depression.