How Is Drug Toxicity Treated

How Is Drug Toxicity Treated Addiction Drug Use Print How Is Drug Toxicity Treated? By Nancy Schimelpfening Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. Nancy has a lifetime of experience with depression, experiencing firsthand how devastating this illness can be. Learn about our editorial policy Nancy Schimelpfening Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 Getty Images   More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Toxicity refers to how poisonous or harmful a substance can be.  In the context of pharmacology, drug toxicity occurs when a person has accumulated too much of a drug in his bloodstream, leading to adverse effects on the body.?? Drug toxicity may occur when the dose is given is too high or the liver or kidneys are unable to remove the drug from the bloodstream, allowing it to accumulate in the body.?? Occurrence Drug toxicity can occur as a result of the over-ingestion of a medicationâ€"having too much of a drug in a persons system at once. This can happen if the dose taken exceeds the prescribed dose, either intentionally or accidentally. With certain medications, drug toxicity can also occur as an adverse drug reaction (ADR). In this case, the normally given therapeutic dose of the drug can cause unintentional, harmful and unwanted side effects. In some cases, such as with the drug lithium, the threshold between what is an effective dose and what is a toxic dose is very narrow. A therapeutic dose for one person might be toxic to another person.?? Drugs with a longer half-life can build up in a persons bloodstream and increase over time. Additionally, factors such as age, kidney function, and hydration can affect how quickly your body is able to clear a medication from your system.??  This is why medications such as lithium require frequent blood testing to keep track of the levels of the drug in your bloodstream. Signs and Symptoms The signs and symptoms of toxicity differ depending on the medication. In the case of lithium, different symptoms can occur depending on whether the toxicity is acute (one-time ingestion by someone who has not been taking it) or chronic (the effect of a slow buildup of the medication to toxic levels by someone who is taking it as prescribed). Possible mild symptoms of acute lithium toxicity include diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, stomach pains, vomiting, and weakness. More severe symptoms can include hand tremors,  ataxia, muscle twitches, slurred speech,  nystagmus, seizures, coma and, in rare cases, heart problems. Chronic lithium toxicity displays different symptoms, including  slurred speech, tremors, and increased reflexes.?? Read medication labels and ask your doctor about the signs and symptoms of drug toxicity for any medication that you are taking. Diagnosis Acute toxicity is more easily diagnosed, as the symptoms will follow the one-time administration of medication. Blood tests can also screen for levels of the medication in the persons bloodstream. Chronic toxicity is harder to diagnose. Stopping the medication and then re-challenging it, later on, is one method of testing whether the symptoms are caused by the medication. This method can be problematic, however, if the medication is essential and doesnt have an equivalent substitute. Treatment There are several ways in which drug toxicity may be treated. If the toxicity is the result of an acute overdose, then a person may undergo stomach pumping to remove drugs that have not yet been absorbed.  Activated charcoal may be given to bind the drugs and prevent them from being absorbed into the blood (instead, it is eliminated from the body through stool). Other medications may also be given as an antidote. If you believe that you or someone else has symptoms of drug toxicity or overdose, contact medical services immediately. Quick treatment can result in few complications.