# What prescription or OTC drug should my character overdose on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2008, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708 "2008-04-17T11:15:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/21 "2008-04-17T23:26:31Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] This is looking too much like a “how to kill oneself using readily-available drugs” thread for my taste. I’m sorry I even mentioned Tylenol, even though its dangerousness is well-publicized. [/QUOTE] I think most suicidal people want something a little faster-acting and less painful than acetaminophen, though, and the other listed drugs are more or less prescription only. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/22 "2008-04-17T23:31:59Z")
The advice of giving it a fictional name is good, but as the writer will probably be describing its effects as the character dies, it is better writing to have something specific in mind and disguise it with a fictional name. Otherwise, you could end up talking about something completely implausible, or listing symptoms that nothing could account for. ---
**Author:** ![cookeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@cookeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cookeze)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/23 "2008-04-17T23:40:18Z")
There was a show recently (Law & Order?) that had a Dr. Death-like character. He committed suicide on the witness stand by taking a bottle of propranolol (Inderal) an hour before. Slowed his heart down. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/24 "2008-04-17T23:46:00Z")
Anything in suppository form, as long as you’re writing a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/25 "2008-04-18T01:32:55Z")
[QUOTE=whitetho] Why don’t you just make something up like “Florexum”. That way, you have a drug that works exactly the way you want, without worrying how depressed people might use the information. [/QUOTE] While giving the drug a made up name isn’t a bad idea, as **Le Ministre de l’au-delà** said, I don’t want to come up with something that’s entirely implasuble, either. I didn’t think to mention it this morning, but this character has also been an alcoholic for 40 years (never got over the loss of one of his kids) so he has the health issues that come with drowning your sorrows for that long, too. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/26 "2008-04-18T04:01:52Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] I didn’t think to mention it this morning, but this character has also been an alcoholic for 40 years (never got over the loss of one of his kids) so he has the health issues that come with drowning your sorrows for that long, too. [/QUOTE] Then, ISTM that you’d want to go with something that taxes the liver like Tylenol. What prescription drugs tax the liver? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/27 "2008-04-18T05:15:58Z")
You won’t get that rapid onset from any liver damage, it seems to me; what about nitroglycerin? Hypotension will kill quickly, if it kills at all. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/28 "2008-04-18T06:28:37Z")
Just about any antidepressant will work. And you know how we 60-somethings pop them like candy, to forget about the impending grim reaper on our heels. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/29 "2008-04-18T10:35:50Z")
How about an overdose of insulin, would that be possible ? ---
**Author:** ![Downtowner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@Downtowner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Downtowner)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708/30 "2008-04-19T06:20:11Z")
I agree with insulin. A big dose would give your diabetic character a few minutes to talk first, but not much… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prescription-or-otc-drug-should-my-character-overdose-on/445708.md?page=1)