About Jim Henderson, CRNA Expertise I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with fifteen years of
clinical anesthesia experience. I will be glad to offer my assistance on
matters of concern about clinical anesthesia or about pursuing a career as a
CRNA.
Expert: Jim Henderson, CRNA Date: 9/22/2004 Subject: Valium Overdose
Question I know this may be somewhat out of your realm, but I cannot find a veterinarian who can (or will?) answer my question with 100% certainty, so I figured I'd try a human practicioner.
My question is: Is is possible for a valium overdose to be lethal? If so, approximately how much?
(No, I'm not trying to kill anyone......The reason I ask is that my 100 lb, 9 year old rottweiler was prescribed 120 mg of valium by a vetrinary emergency clinic, and died within 4 hours of it's administration. Several vets I have spoken with say that is way too much, and that is my gut feeling as well. I can't sleep at night now, feeling as though I let her down by not questioning this first. Two vets I have spoken to tell me that it is impossible to die from a valium overdose, unless the patient is already otherwise compromised, or unless there are other drugs already on board.
While I am not at all for lawsuits, I do want to be sure that this does not happen to anyone else's beloved pet.
I would appreciate any imput you could give me on this.
Thank you so much for your time!
Kelly Psiuk
Answer Dear Kelly,
This would represent a gross overdose for a 100lb human, however I cannot say what is or is not an appropriate dose for a dog. I do know that pharmcokinetics and pharmacodynamics are quite different from one species to another. My recommendation to you is to consult a specialist in veterinary pharmacology at a major university. Auburn University in Alabama might be one source.
