Could my 54 year old husband have had his drink spiked tonight

[MadKitty]

Just that really. He went for drinks after work with a colleague. We don’t drink much in general, maybe a couple of units a month. I picked him up from the station at 11pm, all the other passengers left and I could see on my phone that he was still on the platform. Called him and he was barely coherent. Saw him staggering down the platform holding onto a railing.

After 10 mins he gets in the car, he’s soiled himself, grey and uncommunicative. Talking weird and not making sense. Walked in the house and literally dropped to the floor. I know, I know….. you’re thinking he’s been on a bender. He’s had less than a bottle of wine, maybe 3 glasses from what I’m gathering. This is the opposite of who he is and how he drinks.

Nearly 3 hours later he’s still lying on the floor with his head in a bowl. He’s so confused and unlike him. 111 tell me he’s just drunk. I’m hoping in the next hour I can get him standing so I can get him in the shower. He said this came on suddenly during the 20 min train journey. Could this be spiking?

Anyone around who might have some insight?

In a small (quite affluent) town locally there are a couple of bars and pubs which have seen several unpleasant drink spiking incidents happening to random customers.. the inside opinion is that someone unscrupulous is trying to affect trade (by putting people’s health at risk!!).

Honestly, spiking can happen anywhere to anyone.

They don’t routinely test for “spiking” unless the police ask for it - usually the chemical has gone quite quickly

Any likelihood of recreational drug taking?

I would really push him to get an urgent check up (as in Out of hours GP this wkend) it's still possible he had a heart attack and needs treatment or follow up. They can still check ECG and cardiac enzymes so it's well worth doing, at least to rule it out.

Yes me too, my first thought was neurological not alcohol, I would take him to a&e or better still call an ambulance, tell them he's collapsed, reduced consciousness and vomiting, all will ring alarm bells

A few years ago my husband and I went bowling with my cousin and her husband. We were 43 I think but my cousin was late 20s and stunningly beautiful.

we had 2 pints of lager each and burger and chips. Nothing major and far less than what we’d normally drink.

we left to catch the bus and suddenly my husband went really strange, it was like he’d been on a bender, started walking on the main road, couldn’t string 2 words together, just really strange. I’m in a wheelchair and he was meant to be pushing me but he just left me. (Not something that he’d ever do). Thankfully the bus stop wasn’t far and the bus drivers know me so they helped me to get him home.

he spent the night on the bathroom floor being sick, unable to speak. It was awful.

we could only think that someone tried to spike my cousin and got the wrong drink (which is scary in itself)

🤦‍♀️

No, I don’t think he should turn up at his nearest A&E, tell them that he got drunk the night before and ask if they’d mind giving him a brain scan to rule out a stroke. I thought that was obvious, but apparently not.

I do think he should go to his GP, along with his wife, tell them that he went from being happily tipsy and fully alert on the train to barely conscious, barely able to stand and soiling himself only minutes later, his pallor was grey and he was showing signs of confusion, and asking if they would mind looking at his pupils, taking his blood pressure and checking his reactions to rule out something medical. Do I think he’s an idiot if he, a 50 year old, doesn’t do that? Yes, absolutely. And as you’ll see from the thread, I’m not the only one.

Glad he's getting better. I would have called an ambulance and considered a posterior circulation stroke if he wasn't drunk and was staggering and ataxic.

@Halftermtired

do you shit yourself when you have a skinful and let your hair down? I don’t!

My friend had a stroke and because he was drinking a bit just before it was hard to get medical help for him but it wasn’t the drink, it was a stroke. I would take him to A&E and say just that
(he’s alright now)

While we're throwing unlikely but not impossible theories around, there's something called Alpha Gal syndrome which causes an extreme allergy to red meat. It's transmitted by certain varieties of tick - it's becoming common in the US but is still quite rare in Europe. We do have a tick that transmits it, though.

Onset is often soon after the tick bite but can be delayed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-gal_syndrome

I suppose you'd find this out next time he eats red meat. Whatever the cause, I'm sorry you both had such a horrible night and glad he's getting better.

Is he on any medication which may have interacted in a bad way with alcohol? I would take him to hospital

I once took someone for testing in a professional capacity. I think, if I recall correctly, we had 48 hours. It's quite possible there is something new that clears faster being used for spiking now though. It was a good few years ago.

@Lostsadandconfused I'm sure I'm the umpteenth person saying this but no ,it not rare it's rife

It's one of the most sinster and dangerous crimes there is

I worked in ED up until a few years ago now , the amount of people that came in with the parents insisting that they had been spiked was a little worrying - I think GHB is gone in 12 hours. I think the thing is to always watch your drink , people do get spiked , but mostly they are just hammered - I will grant that it is worrying though

@ThisNeedsToWork in deeply concerned about this mine goes next year.

Can you say which uni ?

It's an absolute scourge and venues and the police and ambulance must do more about it

Btw I've tried to raise awareness about this to mp and police etc after a local spate I do feel very very few people care about it.

Spiked or not, I'd have called an ambulance. I did when my husband had his first severe Meniere's attack. I had no idea what it was and I couldn't move him. It was quite scary. I used to worry that he wouldn't get help if it happened in public because people would assume he was drunk. Drink spiking aside, I'd rather call and find out I was wrong than not call and find out I should have. It being 'nothing' is best case scenario.

This is random but I have a shellfish allergy and it only appears when mixed with wine (strange but Google it!).
So did he eat something unusual or come into contact with shellfish in the air (cooking shellfish makes the proteins airborne).
I went from having a few drinks to being violently sick and feeling paralysed. It has happened twice now and both times when shellfish and wine mixed (accidentally the second time!)

Take him to A&E. It could be spiked drinks, but unlikely. More likely a stroke which being a bit tipsy is masking. In fact, dial 999 now.

Oh wow, that is how I feel pretty much every time I have alcohol. I always have less than a bottle of wine and end up lying down with my head spinning and a fever. I’m often sick too. I just thought that’s how everyone felt. And now I rarely drink.

Happened to my child last year. Friends called to collect - they were all normal - bit tipsy - my child had to be carried to the car, passed out in the bathroom, we had to carry them to bed and strip them off - I stayed up to make sure they didn’t choke - I am convinced it was a spiked drink.

Sad.

could he have smoke some weed?
This happened to me after a few red wines. My ex gave me half a joint after I had been drinking red wine and I walked upstairs to go to the toilet and passed out. I didn't lose control of my bowels or bladder but I went grey and sweaty and couldn't move for absolute ages.

This has happened a lot round our way. Most of the reports I've seen were of young women being spiked, but there's lots of friends and family of both sexes who have experienced it. I was always told to cover my drink/not to accept drinks from strangers, but it seemed males were less likely to get this advice, in my family anyway. Fewer men seem to report spiking when it happens, but they should.

So wrong!