Expert: Jacqui - 11/26/2009

Question
So my friend was drugged a few weeks ago at a party. I tried to get her to get some help, but she said that there is nothing doctors can do when drugs are in your system. I find this hard to believe. In a case where you are experiencing many negative side effects, possibly even because of an overdose...what can be done? I understand you may not be able to give medical advice, but is there something doctors can do in an overdose situation? If so, what?

Answer
HI Britney,

I guess I would prefer if your friend contacted me directly, but since she hasn't ...

Whilst Rohypnol has a reputation for being used in 'druggings', this is largely based on very little evidence.  The most common drug to be used to "drug" people is alcohol.  A large study was done in Australia that found that this was the case.  Often people assume it is a tablet like rohypnol, or sometimes people take them, don't want their friends to know because they think they will judge them, so they say someone gave it to them in a drink.

Anyway, in the case of a benzodiazepine overdose (which if she had a few weeks ago, she would be fine now), the best thing to do is to seek medical advice.  If the person refuses this, then you need to make sure that their airway is supported.  Benzos on their own are probably not the most lethal thing on the planet, but in combination with too much alcohol or opiates, they can be very dangerous.  The best way to do this is to put someone in the "recovery position" and monitor their airway.  If they loose consciousness, it doesn't matter whether they want a doctor or not, you just have to call 911 (or 000 or 999 depending where you are).

If she could speak to you the whole time, it sounded like there wasn't a huge drama.  It is when people start NOT to respond that there is a problem.

Finally, sorry for taking so long to get back to you!  These messages get sent to my work email and I was home with a cold!

Kind regards and stay safe,

Jacqui