Is there any combination of drugs or chemicals that, when given at the appropriate dose, could induce a coma similar to that one might be in after a serious accident? I don't want to go with the type of induced coma that might be used during neurosurgery, but with something more serious and long-lasting. Would it simply be a matter of increasing the dose of those same drugs?
Inducing a coma is not something that can be switched on and off. Most deliberate attempts would result in a vegetable. Oxygen starvation would be a start. No drugs needed. The "traditional" zombie drug is said to be a mixture of : -One or more species of puffer fish, which often contain a deadly neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin -A marine toad (Bufo marinus), which produces numerous toxic substances -A hyla tree frog (Osteopilus dominicensis), which secretes an irritating (but not deadly) substance This is said to produce a death-like trance state which (hopefully) will eventually wear off.
From what I've gathered, basically you can switch a medically induced coma "on and off," since afaik it's accomplished by continuously administering certain drugs that cause the coma-like state, and when they want the patient to come out of it, they just stop giving the drugs. Then again, again afaik, this isn't done lightly or often. Anyone who knows this stuff, please correct me if I'm wrong.
T.Trian: OP said not including medically induced coma as might be used for surgery and wanted "something more serious and long-lasting".
@Bryan Romer, I know. I was replying to your post and you didn't specify any one type of coma, but wrote as if you were speaking of induced comas in general.
Thanks guys. I'm going to take a further look at the traditional zombie concoction. For purposes of my story, a medically-induced coma will work, but I can't use the type of medically-induced coma you might see for neurosurgery. In other words, it shouldn't be a temporary thing. Ideally, it would induce a permanent coma without re-administration of drugs, or at least have a good likelihood of doing so. I'm not sure whether something exists that will do that. It is speculative fiction, so I can employ a certain amount of dramatic license
