Why do people scratch their throats open when committing suicide by sleeping pill overdose?

Question

This may sound absurdly violent,but..curiousity kills the cat and in this situation I am the cat.
Here goes: Today in Chemistry class,our teacher briefly mentioned by committing suicide through the use of sleeping pill overdose, the victims scratch the area of the Adam's apple open in the process. Why? How? Why? Why? Thirst? Hallucination? Tell me please and the points are yours.Any additional info would be very much appreciated too.

No.Excuse me if I have mislead any of you guys: I do not intend to kill myself.I am simply fascinated by this occurance.Help me out with the answer if you can! Thanks.

ADAM R: Death Investigator? Is that what they call you people these days...professional...I thought they call you $guys "Overly active imaginers"..whatever.

ADAM R: Death Investigator? Is that what they call you people these days...professional...I thought they call you guys "Overly active imaginers"..whatever.

Answer 1

Ok here you go. They die of suffication;

Doctors have a wonderfully complete understanding of how sleeping pills such as pentobarbital kill animals. These drugs bind with protein molecules called GABA receptors on the surface of nerve cells. The same protein receptor molecules bind at the same time with a neurotransmitter chemical called GABA, which gives them their name. Barbiturates and other sleeping pills accentuate the action of GABA, which is to cause the receptor molecule to allow chloride ions to enter the nerve cells. Since the chloride ions are negatively charged, they make the inside the nerve cell more negatively polarized, which in turn, makes the nerve cells less likely to fire (to generate nerve activity). When the nerve cells which stimulate the muscles of breathing are inhibited from firing action potentials by GABA and by sleeping pills, the animal stops breathing. When breathing stops, the animal dies within a few minutes from lack of oxygen in the lungs. No doubt these same mechanisms explain how barbiturates kill people who take too high a dosage, either accidentally or with suicidal intention.

Have fun!

Answer 2

"They think if they take an overdose of sleeping pills they'll just go to sleep and never wake up. Instead they wake up choking on their own vomit, and there's the emergency room and stomach pumping and brain damage, and it's the opposite of relief for their suffering. People try all sorts of things that don't work, all horrible." This is all I could find about suicide by sleeping pills, I am sorry I could not be of more help. All the sites that I went to all agreed that people take it to be relaxed and just sleep into death, but rarely (out of the 30,000 people who commit suicide each year) does that ever work or is it what those who tried it expected.

Answer 3

I've been a death investigator for more than 11 years and have investigated dozens of overdose/suicides by prescription medications, including salicylates (aspirin), acetaminophen and many others. Never once have I seen at autopsy this to occur. Not even with ingestion of anti-freeze have I seen this happen. Your instructor is "dead" wrong.

Answer 4

say what?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have never heard of it! Maybe one incident when someone thought they do not want to die and wanting to 'scratch' the pills out.

ps. My friend tried an overdose of sleeping tablets.. she just fell asleep.. no scratches.. only woke up with pipe in her stomach when hospital tried to pump the tablets out.

Your story is really strange, maybe your teacher tried to scare you because most people take tablets to commit suicide as they want to look good when they will be found dead.. imagine now, they know they have ugly bloody scratches.

Answer 5

No, they dont scratch throats bt an overdose of sleeping pills, never heard it

Answer 6

Give the points to WildBill

Answer 7

It is a reaction of the body to get air to the lungs. Your 'auto' system trying to clear the airway.

Answer 8

Mabye from all the pills they take to overdose

Answer 9

One would assume that the best method of finding the answer would be to do it yourself. I figure that knowing the answer would be of little value to you long term.

Answer 10

why??

are you going to suicide your self?
dont please!

LOL