An Unusual Method of Suicide: Fluoride Toxicity Due to Toothpaste Ingestion

[ShatteredSerenity]

Apparently it's possible to OD on toothpaste. I don't think I'd recommend it, but it's interesting that such a widely available product can be lethal. The decedent was a 44 year old woman with bipolar disorder. She also included some of her psychiatric meds in the OD cocktail, but the fluoride is a particlarly toxic addition to the mix. It is directly cardiotoxic in large quantities through dysrhythmias, causes respiratory paralysis, and can lead to multiorgan failure.

At autopsy, examination of her gastric contents revealed approximately 200 mL of gray-brown, semi-digested liquid and multiple clumps of white, light-blue, green, minty-smelling material weighing 72 g in aggregate. The light-colored material was grossly identified as toothpaste. Toxicologic analysis of the decedent's femoral blood revealed toxic concentrations of quetiapine, topiramate, and diphenhydramine. The identification of toothpaste among the gastric contents spurred a request for specialty testing for fluoride of the submitted samples. A concentration of 230.0 mg/L was quantified in a femoral blood sample (normal reference range .01–.2 mg/L). Cause of death was certified as "acute toxicity due to the combined effects of fluoride, quetiapine, topiramate and diphenhydramine," and her manner of death was certified as suicide.

Source: An Unusual Method of Suicide: Fluoride Toxicity Due to Toothpaste Ingestion

I found another case of suicide by consuming fluoride directly from a bottle:

A 21-year-old female presented to the ED via emergency medical services (EMS) transport. Her father found the patient unresponsive in a local park, after reportedly consuming a 226 g bottle of 99.9% NaF powder in a suicide attempt. The EMS found the patient in the field with a depressed mental status and intermittent vomiting,
[...]
In this case, intentional NaF ingestion resulted in rapid clinical deterioration and fatal cardiac dysrhythmia.

Source: Intentional Toxic Ingestion of Sodium Fluoride: A Case Report

 

[L'absent]

Even with epsom salts. 140 grams can cause cardiac arrest in an hour or two.

 

[babouflo201223]

Même avec du sel d'Epsom, 140 grammes peuvent provoquer un arrêt cardiaque en une heure ou deux.

Are you sure of that ? As effects, I only find diarrhea and liver problem if taken in big quantity. But it's true you say it can but not it will.

 

[Forever Sleep]

That's interesting. I always remember being told not to swallow toothpaste or mouthwash but I (stupidly,) never fully questioned why. I guess there must be ways to concentrate it or, buy it in stronger concentrations (via prescription apparently.)

Still, I hate it that it's all basically winging it. How about this chemical or that? I know it's all we've got. I guess it's how things like SN become more established but, it just sickens me we have to turn ourselves into guinea pigs effectively. I'm afraid I don't have the guts for obscure methods. I'm not convinced I have the guts for SN! Which I know at least sometimes, maybe most times works. It's interesting though. Sonetimes it amazes me the lengths people go to. But then, it shouldn't really. I also feel like- if I start the process one day, it really musn't fail.

 

[TheHolySword]

Interesting, I don't know how reliable fluoride poisoning is or how peaceful it may be but it might be worth looking into

 

[L'absent]

Are you sure of that ? As effects, I only find diarrhea and liver problem if taken in big quantity. But it's true you say it can but not it will.

With continued use over time at high (non-fatal) doses it can cause liver damage. However, even with normal doses they can cause diarrhea because it is an osmotic laxative (it attracts water into the intestine). But in the order of 15/20 grams. 140 grams can be lethal, but it is very subjective. A person could die with far fewer grams or need more grams, or lead to permanent damage to the kidneys, heart, risk of coma and even neurological problems. High doses lead to electrolyte alterations and possible cardiac arrest.


While death from fluoride could (theoretically) occur even without the combination with other drugs. The blood level was significantly elevated (230.0 mg/L, compared to the normal range of 0.01–0.2 mg/L). Fluoride in high concentrations can cause cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory paralysis and multiple organ failure.

 

[theshund]

Fluoride overdose Information | Mount Sinai - New York

Learn about Fluoride overdose or find a doctor at Mount Sinai Health System.

www.mountsinai.org

Not a good way to ctb. Pretty sure you'd permanently wreck yourself rather than see the pearly gates.

There's probably a precedent for vulnerability if you have pre existing conditions. Maybe as part of a cocktail of other substances.

 

[maniac116]

Flourosis is nothing to mess with!
Kidney & other organ damage is much more likely than death.
I personally wouldn't consider it.
Any kind of OD is extremely unreliable & prone to failure (about 98% failure rate)

 

[MyTimeIsUp]

She included her meds into the cocktail. Sounds like the toothpaste didn't kill her.. likely the meds.

This is yet another ridiculous post. What are we going to have next - can I kill myself with moisturiser? Fuck me. You can't kill yourself with everything. You are more likely to fuck your organs up. Things are tested for a REASON. Wake up people, wake up!!!

Jeeze. This is making this website an absolute joke. Sounds very juvenile: 'kill myself with toothpaste'. Grow up, suicide isn't a joke.

 

[Autumn_Stars]

Apparently it's possible to OD on toothpaste. I don't think I'd recommend it, but it's interesting that such a widely available product can be lethal. The decedent was a 44 year old woman with bipolar disorder. She also included some of her psychiatric meds in the OD cocktail, but the fluoride is a particlarly toxic addition to the mix. It is directly cardiotoxic in large quantities through dysrhythmias, causes respiratory paralysis, and can lead to multiorgan failure.

As a bipolar woman in her 40s I just want to high five this woman for freeing herself from the humiliation, hopelessness, pain, and depression of this illness. I know the psych meds probably didn't do it so it must have actually been the toothpaste. ?

 

[NoPoint2Life]

Well there's another method out the window for me. I literally gag every time I brush my teeth. It's gotten worse the past few weeks.

 

[ShatteredSerenity]

As a bipolar woman in her 40s I just want to high five this woman for freeing herself from the humiliation, hopelessness, pain, and depression of this illness. I know the psych meds probably didn't do it so it must have actually been the toothpaste. ?

As a bipolar man in my 40's I was admiring her ingenuity when I found this article. It's a horrible nightmare of an illness, and there are good reasons it has one of the highest suicide rates of all psychiatric disorders.

The article didn't specify the amounts of her other meds, so it's hard to say what role they played, but the toothpaste was probably the main cause of death. It's hard to OD on those meds, but I found a few articles on OD with fluoride alone. It would probably be a painful death with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain due to hydrofluoric acid formation in the stomach. Hopefully she didn't suffer too much, the quetiapine may have helped her pass out sooner.

 

[Forveleth]

Dang, and here I am throwing out all the Colgate coupons I keep getting!

 

[ShatteredSerenity]

I found another case of toothpaste suicide, this time it was a 51 year old man with bipolar disorder. They found 230 grams of toothpaste in his stomach.

Source: A Brush With Death: Suicidal Ingestion of Toothpaste

 

[NegevChina]

I found another case of toothpaste suicide, this time it was a 51 year old man with bipolar disorder. They found 230 grams of toothpaste in his stomach.

Source: A Brush With Death: Suicidal Ingestion of Toothpaste

Better not consider it. Unfortunately its very unpeaceful:
"The HF causes adverse effects reported in large ingestions, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis."
There was a time I thought to myself why not just drink a glass of sea water. But that would be a real torture.

 

[lionetta12]

Apparently it's possible to OD on toothpaste. I don't think I'd recommend it, but it's interesting that such a widely available product can be lethal. The decedent was a 44 year old woman with bipolar disorder. She also included some of her psychiatric meds in the OD cocktail, but the fluoride is a particlarly toxic addition to the mix. It is directly cardiotoxic in large quantities through dysrhythmias, causes respiratory paralysis, and can lead to multiorgan failure.

Source: An Unusual Method of Suicide: Fluoride Toxicity Due to Toothpaste Ingestion

I found another case of suicide by consuming fluoride directly from a bottle:

Source: Intentional Toxic Ingestion of Sodium Fluoride: A Case Report

I cannot imagine how nasty it would be to vomit up a bunch of toothpaste and how that would traumatize me from ever tasting toothpaste ever again.