DOSE:	1 cig.	smoked	Cannabis	(plant material)
	500 mg	oral	Chloral Hydrate	(liquid)

BODY WEIGHT:

220 lb

I was preparing for a three hour long MRI. I visited my doctor to discuss the possibility of a sedative for the procedure. Unfortunately, due to my medical history of Substance Abuse, my doctor was skeptical about prescribing any sort of benzodiazepine. She was even nervous about giving me a barbiturate. In lieu of this dilemma, the prescription was made out for 1 Chloral Hydrate 500mg tablet to be taken 30 minutes prior to the MRI. Upon trying to fill the prescription, my pharmacy informed me of their lack of Chloral Hydrate, since it was replaced with barbiturates in the early 20th century, which were then later replaced with modern day benzos. I tried another pharmacy.

Instead of a tablet, the pharmacy had a liquid which contained 500mg Chloral Hydrate per 5ml. This ultimately became my sedative. Bringing home the bottle of sleep was intriguing. I have been clean off hard substances for over a month, but my desire to drink it right then and there was so strong. I knew I couldn't waste this; my procedure was scheduled for 8am the next morning, and I would not survive three hours in an MRI machine without sedation. So I smoked a joint to get my mind off of it. I gently drifted to sleep, preparing for the day ahead of me.

6am rolls around quick, I'm out the door and at the hospital before I know it, Chloral Hydrate in hand. Sparing the long, boring details of the waiting process, 7:45am came around. With a splash of water added to the bottle for dilution and a quick shake, I swallowed the vile solution and waited for the effects. No more than ten minutes after ingestion, while I was filling out the last of my medical release forms, I began to notice my balance was off. I was nodding out in a seated position, my limbs all falling to the side, and my jaw drooping. My grandmother, who was accompanying me for the procedure, was laughing at my delirium. Apparently, in fear of bringing metal into the MRI, I kept repeating the phrase 'There's metal in my shoes, don't let me wear the shoes.' Comical as it may be, I was legitimately falling asleep off of this almost ancient pharmaceutical.

After being wheel-chaired into the procedure room, I drifted off into a deep sleep for the majority of the process. The only down side to this experience was the grogginess experienced after everything was done. For some reason though, I was extremely famished after awaking from the sedation. I ate non-stop for the remainder of the day. All in all, Chloral Hydrate is not a drug I would use recreationally, as the delirious, confusing, and dissociative properties the drug provides during the onset of ingestion are completely outweighed by its sedative properties. I would take this dose again if I were lying in bed for hours and needed to get some rest.

Exp Year: 2010	ExpID: 83312
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 17
Published: Mar 8, 2018	Views: 7,435
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Chloral Hydrate (602) : Hospital (36), Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Medical Use (47), First Times (2), General (1)