{
  "id": 12598157,
  "title": "Woman 'saw dead people' and fired a gun at them after taking too many aspirin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/woman-saw-dead-people-and-fired-a-gun-at-them-after-taking-too-many",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-07T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/diagnostic-dilemma-woman-saw-dead-people-and-fired-a-gun-at-them-after-taking-too-many-aspirin"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 65-year-old woman from Michigan sought psychiatric help at an emergency room due to her complaint of seeing dead people and firing a gun at them. She told clinicians, \"I'm seeing dead people,\" adding that she had even discharged a firearm at her hallucinations in one instance. Despite this bizarre reaction to her hallucinations, she remained calm and alert during her physical examination, with normal vital signs, except for elevated blood pressure. Her medical history included high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, chronic back pain, but no prior psychiatric issues.\n\nUpon further examination, doctors found mild metabolic acidosis and high levels of salicylates, the compounds found in aspirin, in her blood. The toxicology screen confirmed she had been consuming more than 15 aspirin pills daily for several weeks. Each pill contained 500 milligrams of aspirin. She also experienced tinnitus, a common symptom of salicylate toxicity.\n\nThe woman's condition was unique because, despite her hallucinations and gun-firing response to them, she was otherwise calm and alert. Doctors consulted with experts at Michigan's poison control center, who advised administering intravenous (IV) treatment with sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, to alkalinize her blood and urine. After 11 hours of treatment, her blood salicylate levels dropped, and her hallucinations ceased. The tinnitus improved within 48 hours of her arrival at the hospital. She was discharged without seeing a psychiatrist.\n\nAspirin is generally safe when used as directed, but excessive use can lead to gastrointestinal irritation and disruption of nervous system activity. At high doses, salicylates can stimulate the medulla, a part of the brain that regulates breathing, leading to hyperventilation and respiratory alkalinosis. However, salicylates can also disrupt metabolism, causing metabolic acidosis from lactic acid buildup, as in this case. This combination of metabolic effects may explain her tinnitus, as it increases arachidonic acid, stimulating receptors in the inner ear.\n\nThe woman's daily aspirin intake was about half the typical dose associated with acute salicylate poisoning, but still a significant amount taken daily for weeks. Her age also increased her risk of severe outcomes from acute salicylate toxicity. Other patients with chronic salicylate toxicity have reported visual hallucinations, but this symptom is less understood than common symptoms like tinnitus.\n\nThe case highlights the need for doctors to consider poisoning, including salicylate toxicity, for patients with psychotic symptoms without a clear cause. Chronic aspirin exposure may increase the odds of the drug crossing the blood-brain barrier, potentially leading to more neurological symptoms.",
  "summary": "Before visiting the emergency room, a woman fired a gun at hallucinations triggered by over-the-counter pills.",
  "key_points": [
    "65-year-old woman saw dead people and fired gun at hallucinations",
    "Metabolic acidosis and high salicylate levels found in blood",
    "Aspirin toxicity treated with sodium bicarbonate, hallucinations ceased"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}