# Most painful way to die via a "liquid" injection?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 4, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345 "2009-05-04T21:18:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/21 "2009-05-05T05:38:19Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> Injecting an acetaminophen (paracetamol) solution of sufficient concentration will result in a slow, painful, agonizing death from liver failure.
That seems similar to how [Bruce Ivins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_E._Ivins#Death), the alleged anthrax attacker, supposedly committed suicide.
You would think a scientist would devise a less painful way to die.
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### Author:  [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/22 "2009-05-05T05:58:01Z")
> [@Mongo\_Ponton](#):
>
> Years ago a local motorcycle organization near here shot some guy up with a bunch of battery acid.
>
> This was after they shot and stabbed him several times but before they dumped him into a quarry.
>
> The dude lived!
>
> I don’t know if this is an indication of a tougher constitution than most people have or that battery acid isn’t the best thing to use for your situation.
Battery acid seems to be popular without good reason. Bunch of blokes near me tried to do the battery acid injection thing, then set fire to the victim. Who _still_ survived.
> **[QCA01-359.pdf](https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2001/QCA01-359.pdf)**
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/23 "2009-05-05T06:19:59Z")
[Polonium 210](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium_210#Isotopes) - [took 3 weeks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko_poisoning) but radiation sickness is an unpleasant way to die.
Si
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/24 "2009-05-05T06:37:47Z")
D’ye think the MRSA is more painful than a syringe of ebola zaire?
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### Author:  [@The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Seventh_Deadly_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/25 "2009-05-05T08:14:10Z")
Anybody who’s ever gotten lemon juice on an open cut might think that an injection of it would be agonizing. It’s not, though, at least not if it goes into a vein. I’m guessing that the stream of blood immediately dilutes it. In any case, it doesn’t hurt. Maybe battery acid is a similar deal.
I suspect an IM injection of either would be a whole different story, though.
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### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/26 "2009-05-05T08:36:59Z")
> [@USCDiver](#):
>
> It’d probably take longer than a week.
Depends on the dosage. The final stage of paracetamol toxicity kicks in at 3 to 5 days following administration; how long this stage lasts (and whether it ends in recovery or death) depends on how much of the drug was administered. I’m sure that with a properly calibrated dose you could fix the time to death at one week, plus or minus some measurable margin of error.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/27 "2009-05-05T10:55:09Z")
> [@USCDiver](#):
>
> > [@psychonaut](#):
> >
> > Injecting an acetaminophen (paracetamol) solution of sufficient concentration will result in a slow, painful, agonizing death from liver failure
>
> It’d probably take longer than a week.
Nope, 3-5 days is typical. Of course, a _really_ massive dose will do the job faster.
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/28 "2009-05-05T11:26:59Z")
Battery acid is a rather weak solution. Actually household toilet cleaners have a bigger acid concentration than battery acid.
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### Author:  [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/29 "2009-05-05T11:46:46Z")
Not speedy but perhaps in the right “vein” (heh-heh)
I read a short story where a terrorist was about to be released for political reasons, so in the guise of injecting ‘truth serum’ they also injected him with rabies. They let him go a little later without, of course, telling him. That must have been unpleasant.
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### Author:  [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/30 "2009-05-05T12:07:54Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#):
>
> potassium chloride
Potassium chloride is the primary drug used to cause death in the lethal injection: they inject sodium thiopental to anesthetize the prisoner, pancuronium bromide to paralyze them (that’s the one human rights groups object to) and potassium chloride to kill them by stopping the heart from beating. I know it’s sometimes claimed that lethal injections sometimes take longer than the authorities say they do, but they’re talking on the order of minutes, not days!
> [@](#):
>
> Air
Doesn’t that cause death fairly quickly by embolism?
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### Author:  [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/31 "2009-05-05T14:07:37Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#):
>
> Potassium chloride is the primary drug used to cause death in the lethal injection: they inject sodium thiopental to anesthetize the prisoner, pancuronium bromide to paralyze them (that’s the one human rights groups object to) and potassium chloride to kill them by stopping the heart from beating. I know it’s sometimes claimed that lethal injections sometimes take longer than the authorities say they do, but they’re talking on the order of minutes, not days!
Yes, but it’s quite painfull. I didn’t realize the OP wanted it to make sure it lasted a long time.
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/32 "2009-05-05T18:04:41Z")
For anybody referencing cookie cutters from _The Diamond Age_:
The OP specified **painful**. Cookie cutters would pulp you so fast, I wouldn’t imagine there would be time for pain. Physical pain, anyway–you’d probably be in a decent amount of mental anguish if you were aware of what was in store.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/33 "2009-05-05T18:11:45Z")
> [@thetruewheel](#):
>
> Anybody who’s ever gotten lemon juice on an open cut might think that an injection of it would be agonizing. It’s not, though, at least not if it goes into a vein. I’m guessing that the stream of blood immediately dilutes it. In any case, it doesn’t hurt. Maybe battery acid is a similar deal.
>
> I suspect an IM injection of either would be a whole different story, though.
How the heck do you know this? You actually injected yourself with lemon juice?
Why?
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/34 "2009-05-05T18:17:29Z")
Lemon juice doesn’t hurt when you put it on your bare skin. Would it be a strong enough acid to damage the lining of whatever blood vessel it was injected into?
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### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/35 "2009-05-05T18:31:40Z")
> [@Livardo](#):
>
> I was just thinking to myself the other day.. What could you inject into somebody that will cause the most agonizing, horrible, gruesome way to die, under a week? It has to be a liquid that you can injet into someone via an IV type needle. Some kind of acid? Something that will slowly freeze your blood, cause it to expand until you blow up?
>
> thoughts?
Milk
Alot of Distilled water.
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/36 "2009-05-05T18:34:22Z")
Drano and hot sauce.
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### Author:  [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/37 "2009-05-05T21:10:44Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> For anybody referencing cookie cutters from _The Diamond Age_:
>
> The OP specified **painful**. Cookie cutters would pulp you so fast, I wouldn’t imagine there would be time for pain. Physical pain, anyway–you’d probably be in a decent amount of mental anguish if you were aware of what was in store.
Oh, but imagine a set of cookie cutters programmed to go off one at a time, every ten seconds, for a week or so.
Wait, forget that I even contemplated that. I am not that devious.
Seriously, the worst thing I can think of is still bacteria. I might lean toward meningococcus now, since blinding headaches while your hands and feet rot off is something I can’t stand to think of.
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### Author:  [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-painful-way-to-die-via-a-liquid-injection/495345/38 "2009-05-05T21:21:04Z")
I’m gonna throw my vote in for the infectious agents, too.
Pain + gross + horrifying = win.
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