Nicotine overdose symptoms include nausea, confusion, seizures, and coma. Treatment is available, and people at risk should seek medical attention. Overdose can occur from smoking, using cessation products incorrectly, or consuming large amounts of tobacco products. Symptoms include agitation, rapid heart rate, and high blood pressure. Hospitals take symptoms seriously and provide treatment to expel excess nicotine.
Symptoms of nicotine overdose include things like nausea, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. If left untreated, it is possible to progress to seizures and coma. Treatments are available for people who have been exposed to too much nicotine, and it’s important to get treatment as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of developing further complications. People at risk of nicotine overdose who develop the characteristic symptoms should be taken to a doctor for treatment.
People can overdose on nicotine by smoking while using smoking cessation products such as lozenges and patches, by failing to follow directions on one quit product, or by combining multiple quit products. People can also overdose from consuming large amounts of tobacco products, as can happen if a child eats tobacco out of curiosity or if someone rapidly increases their tobacco use.
Nicotine is a stimulant and the symptoms of overdose reflect this. The patient may become agitated and may have a rapid heart rate and high blood pressure before both plummet. Patients typically become agitated and confused, may have muscle twitches, and may experience stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fainting, headaches, and difficulty breathing are also symptoms of a nicotine overdose, as is salivation.
Hearing and vision problems may develop, and in a patient with a large overdose who has not received timely treatment, seizures may occur. If the patient loses consciousness, a coma may develop. A patient may have the symptoms of a nicotine overdose and not be aware of their significance or consider them normal, but if someone appears to be behaving abnormally or appears to develop an altered level of consciousness, that person needs medical attention. Things like slurred speech, combativeness, and confusion can be signs of neurological complications.
In a hospital, people will be asked about the patient’s exposure to nicotine and given treatment to help the patient expel the excess nicotine from the body. If the patient requires supportive care such as oxygen, this will also be provided until the patient is stable. Symptoms of nicotine poisoning are taken seriously and hospitals would rather see a marginal case than someone arriving too late for help. If people are unsure about the appropriateness of a hospital visit, they can call a nurse helpline to discuss the situation, and a counselor can provide help in making a decision about whether to go to the hospital.
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