Sciencemadness Discussion Board

What does HCN or H2S poisoning feels like?

Gui316 - 5-3-2013 at 07:40

I'm not reallty sure wheter this is the right place to post this, but here it goes:

I had carbon monoxide poisoning when BBQing in a closed space. Shame on me. I felt awful, extremely dizzy, confused, weak and I had to be taken to a hospital. At least the food was good. Anyway, after that, I started wondering if HCN or H2S poisoning would feel the same way. Sooo....What does HCN or H2S poisoning feels like?

hissingnoise - 5-3-2013 at 08:50

I'd imagine that people with first-hand experience of cyanide poisoning are pretty uncommunicative . . .

Bot0nist - 5-3-2013 at 09:45

IIRC, there is a detailed account of hydrogen sulfide posioning on the forum, including a self administered nitrite antidote. UTFSE.

Hockeydemon - 23-5-2013 at 00:06

It should feel exactly the same in all three cases with the only variable being ppm toxicity & exposure concentration variation. They all form a complex with the iron in mitochondrial cytochrome enzymes inhibiting cellular respiration.

But I have no first hand experience to confirm they feel the same.

Pickardjr - 28-5-2013 at 04:55

I have been exposed to prussic acid, shit stinks to me. But its very noticeable feeling, dizziness slight confusion , slight intoxication disorientation . That was after a distillation and was only about 20 ml of hcn, exposure was very brief as I would hold my breath during transfer of the
acid to sodium hydroxide. Ive done this many, many times , one time I thought I was gonna
throw up and pass out so I went outside. I would say if someone were to think about doing this be really careful cause it can kill.

ElectroWin - 28-5-2013 at 08:29

a couple times when i made CaCl2 from roasted egg shells and HCl, there was some H2S gas evolved along with the CO2 during the reaction. while possibly not enough to be toxic, it was very smelly; but my sensitivity to the smell became reduced; and i noticed a qualitative difference on my skin and hair, after exposure: a gritty feeling (elemental sulphur?).

Random - 29-8-2013 at 16:32

Quote: Originally posted by Pickardjr  
I would say if someone were to think about doing this be really careful cause it can kill.


No doubt.. Good conclusion..

[Edited on 30-8-2013 by Random]

drwahab - 16-9-2013 at 23:05

yes - absolutely. very sage advice.

ni3rtap - 21-9-2013 at 23:47

I would assume it wouldn't "feel like" anything. Don't you go numb? I've experienced a strong and accidental wiff of nitrogen dioxide. It's incredibly burny in the olfactory area. Like what I assume spraying a can of pepper spray into your nose would feel like.

JasonHerbalExt - 28-9-2013 at 23:39

H2S is toxic. Excessive exposure will paralyze the breathing muscles which of course can be fatal.

Random - 13-10-2013 at 12:20

Doesn't it actually inhibit the same enzyme required for cellular respiration as HCl?

By the way when I made benzamide 2 years ago I experienced very uncomfortable dizzy feeling like I was gonna pass out and I noticed a weak fruity smell, maybe benzonitrile? I think I did heat benzamide too much and decomposed it somehow.

[Edited on 13-10-2013 by Random]

Fantasma4500 - 14-10-2013 at 02:13

KCN i know a person who was attempted to be removed with, it was dumped in the persons coffee..
the person had symptoms as of having been under a tanning light for too long..
person went to hospital and they just kept the person there for 2 days because they found something quite interesting in that person's body.. cyanide..
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/180/2/251/F1.expansion.html

im not sure if this would also be symptoms with HCN? could be?

now were at poisoning.. a classmate once decided to take a deep whiff of a 25% NH4OH bottle, he hit the floor before he knew what happened.. lols

also, most of us know how nitric acid smells, but dont EVER breath it in through your mouth, keep mouth shut at all times.. it burns very hard in your throat

bismuthate - 14-10-2013 at 05:00

Yesterday I accedentaly found out that nitric acid fumes can really unclog a stuffed nose.... unpleasently.;)
Once I had a jet of ammonia gas sprayed in my face I inhaled a lot it stung but I didn't come even slightly close to passing out, so why would it happen to your classmate?

cyanureeves - 14-10-2013 at 16:09

bismuthate there was a hooked on phonics commercial on t.v. a while back about a lady who didnt know how to read.the dumb but pretty lady opened a bottle of household ammonia at the super market and took a good whipf and guess what happened?she woke up on the floor with liquid spilled all over the floor.the manager asked why she sniffed on the bottle and she did not want to say because she could not read.i need the grammar version of hooked on phonics but it wont keep me away from ammonia.i love ammonia! just Nitrogen and Hydrogen,go figure!

elementcollector1 - 14-10-2013 at 16:14

That would have to be some pretty concentrated ammonia. I have 10%, and it makes you feel as if your nose were on fire. Definitely not passing out, though.

Random - 15-10-2013 at 11:22

Quote: Originally posted by bismuthate  
Yesterday I accedentaly found out that nitric acid fumes can really unclog a stuffed nose.... unpleasently.;)
Once I had a jet of ammonia gas sprayed in my face I inhaled a lot it stung but I didn't come even slightly close to passing out, so why would it happen to your classmate?


Phenol also works great. One time I had a cold and I took a deeper whiff of phenol from a bigger bottle. Phenol was almost pure and I have to say my nose was clear in few hours.

Don't think it was a good idea though.

bismuthate - 15-10-2013 at 11:40

Some people inhale steam to unclog noses chemists inhale corrosive fumes.:P (accidentaly)
H2SO4 will do a great job to get rid of a pesky clogged nose.
Warning may cause pain or permanent loss of smell do not talk to your doctor before using H2So4 tell your doctor if you are using any bases before using H2SO4 for one time cold relief.;)

Semmelweis - 15-10-2013 at 12:29

As to cyanide poisoning, it seems to act pretty fast...
There's a notorious case of an millionaire that killed himself with it, after being convicted of arson, right there on the courtroom. The whole thing was recorded. The video can be found on the internet, if you search for Michael Marin (I won't post links here, I think it would be inadequate).
Surprisingly, from the video we can infer that cyanide gives a very painful, agonizing, death. From spy movies, etc. always seem to be so quick and reliable. Except 007 Skyfall, where it not only kept the guy alive, but also screwed his jaw (this seems to be purely artistic-license-toxicology).
The man really wasn't smart to choose to kill himself with it. I for one would have gone for carbon monoxide. Or chloroform.

cyanureeves - 15-10-2013 at 14:46

i have seen the michael marin video and his was not so quick a death unless it took him a while to swallow the poison. there was an old youtube silent video that showed a man sprinkling cyanide onto meat and feeding it to two dogs. the dogs were tied up and although it did not show how long it took to take affect, they seemed to be having convulsions.the dogs mouths were gaping as if choking but they were not clawing at their mouths as if an obstruction was taking place.the video title had cyanide poison but i always thought strychnine was the convulsive agent that was banned as bane because of the violent tremors.by the way i knew some old guys back in 1974 who are now dead but they actually added a tad of strychnine(old rat poison) to their heroin.said to give a tracer effect.

[Edited on 10-15-2013 by cyanureeves]

[Edited on 10-15-2013 by cyanureeves]

Semmelweis - 16-10-2013 at 09:38

Not so quick a death? In minutes, he was unconscious. Well, it's relative. Even nerve gas needs a few to take effect.

Also, note that he swallowed. Probably solid potassium cyanide for grain silo pest control. Took it's time to reach the gastric acid, enter the blood stream, etc. Real suicide pills have the cyanide in liquid form, and are bitten to release it in the mouth. Also, I guess inhaling or IV'ing cyanide would kill very, very quickly.

Cyanide seems to be one of the fastest-acting "swallowable" poisons anyway. I mean, there are faster toxic agents, but most are gases or require unusable amounts. Arsenic and ricin, in all their infamy, take more than a day to do their job. As to the strychnine you mentioned:
"The usual fatal dose is 60–100 mg strychnine and is fatal after a period of 1–2 hours, though lethal doses vary depending on the individual." - From Wikipedia

I mean, just think about it. You can't get faster than cyanide, with it's great solubility in the stomach juice, and cellular-metabolism-blocking toxicology.

Or can you? Lovely subject, really. :P