ELI5: Why Do Overdoses Work For Only Some People?

[maka]

Sorry if this was already asked.

Just a question I had run across recently. In the media, you hear of stars dying from overdoses all the time. However, as I've been doing research, most of you guys and others say that an overdose is the most ineffective method. Why is that? What determines whether an overdose works or not? Why does it work for some people, but rarely for normies like us?

 

[Sailfisher]

Maybe because different livers process in different ways?

 

[Robbyna]

Better, stronger, and purer drugs.

 

[NOT]

Stars do not overdose with over the counter drugs.
Also, they probably have multiple overodoses with heavy drugs until they hit the jackpot.

 

[ScaredOfLife]

I've tried to commit suicide a couple of times - both by medication overdose. All it did was land me in the mental hospital. Now my plan is to use nitrogen. I learned that overdoses don't work for me, and I won't try illegal drugs.

 

[Halo13]

Stars have star power: doctors will prescribe anything they ask for and they have the money and accessibility to the heavy, hard drugs illegally also. If you read past what the media reports, the autopsies report toxicity levels of drugs most people can't get. Example:

Brittany Murphy had Carbamazepine, an anti-convulsant, Methylprednisolone, an anti-inflammatory treatment, Propranolol, a heart drug, Klonopin and Ativan, both anti-anxiety drugs, Topamax, an anti-seizure medication, the antibiotic Biaxin, pain reliever Vicoprofen, anti-deressant Fluoxetine and Hydrocodone, another pain killer.

The combination of the painkillers and not one but TWO benzos plus the anticonvulsants plus the rest would never be prescribed together to everyday folks because of the risk of death. (For clarification, I used Brittany's information because it is far more recent than say Elvis or Marilyn Monroe in correlation to currently prescribed medications, whether or not she was using it to ctb.)

 

[fister]

Failures of overdose is mostly due to poor judgment. Using a non lethal agent, not administering enough, something like this.

 

[Sick Boy]

I have consider to overdose on H and opioids pills, but i always remember the story of Aron Rubin,he overdosed on pills in a party but he was "rescued"by his friends and sadly he ended up with irreversible braind damage

 

[NOT]

You do it in a forest people.
In a tent, or in a sleeping bag.
Not in a party.

 

[Asacschrader33]

You do it in a forest people.
In a tent, or in a sleeping bag.
Not in a party.

And you use N.

 

[CursedForDisaster]

Different drugs, different tolerances, different body masses (dosage), different genetics and body health I'm sure take part as well

 

[GeorgeJL]

I would OD on heroin over OTC medicines any day of the week. Just have to make sure you don't have a tolerance to opiates.