Posted by Elizabeth on January 18, 1999, at 8:17:38
In reply to cogentin overdose, posted by barbara on January 9, 1999, at 21:43:17
> my son is recovering 1 week in hospital from cogentin overdose. he's also on resperidol. need more imformation on the medical risks of this overdose.
Hi Barbara. I'm really sorry to hear about your son - I hope he's doing okay.
Cogentin is an anticholinergic (like atropine and other belladonna alkaloids) and also an antihistamine, and can be very toxic in overdose. In overdose, it can cause delirium (some people even abuse anticholinergics for this effect!), very rapid heart rate, visual disturbances, nausea, fever, convulsions, shock, respiratory and cardiac arrest, and coma, among other things. (A common description of anticholinergic poisoning is: "hot as a hare, red as a beet, blind as a bat, and mad as a wet hen."
Physostygmine (Antilirium (TM)) and neostygmine (Prostygmin (TM)) are specific antidotes to anticholinergic poisoning.
I can't say for sure (not a doctor or anthing) but I think that if your son got past the initial effects of the overdose, he should be fine (maybe some persisting constipation, photosensitivity, muscle weakness, etc.). One thing to watch for is glaucoma. Cogentin is pretty long-lasting so these effects may persist for a while. There is also a possibility, as with most drug overdoses, of liver damage; he is probably being monitored for signs of this. Anyway, I wish you well...I'd like to hear how he's doing. And I hope you will be okay, too; that's got to be terribly hard for you. Take care.
poster:Elizabeth
thread:2228
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990101/msgs/2485.html