Is carbon monoxide poisoning painful?

[Groundhog_Day]

Chatgpt says 'because carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from reaching your tissues and brain, the feeling of suffocation, panic, or confusion can be terrifying.'

I thought you would lose consciousness first, but now I'm worried about still being aware of suffocating and feeling panic.

Is the key to let the CO level get very high before entering the tent? Therefore, losing consciousness very quickly. Do most of the people who accidentally die of CO probably become aware of suffocating but can't move to get out? I previously thought accidental CO poisoning was a peaceful way to die.

 

[pretentioussuika]

Honestly really frustrating how often people here go to AIs and take them seriously. You have a whole community here to chat with, you don't need to seek advice from a hallucination engine.

Your body has no way to tell if you're being poisoned with carbon monoxide, people accidentally pass out from it without ever knowing they were in danger.

 

[silverbones]

Honestly really frustrating how often people here go to AIs and take them seriously. You have a whole community here to chat with, you don't need to seek advice from a hallucination engine.

Your body has no way to tell if you're being poisoned with carbon monoxide, people accidentally pass out from it without ever knowing they were in danger.

This is really interesting, do you know if the people who passed out accidentally were in tightly enclosed places or not?

 

[pretentioussuika]

This is really interesting, do you know if the people who passed out accidentally were in tightly enclosed places or not?

I'm referencing news stories like this, which you can find plenty of by a Google search (not by asking chatgpt): https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/lewisville-apartment-evacuated-people-unconscious/3785915/

The general rule is that the lower the concentration, the longer it takes and the more symptoms you'll notice. At high enough concentrations, you'll pass out before your body has time to feel nauseous or anything else. I don't think feelings of suffocation are ever a symptom.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Is the key to let the CO level get very high before entering the tent? Therefore, losing consciousness very quickly.

Yes. 10000 ppm or more. Should render unconsciousness within brief time. Obviously, the lower the concentration, the longer time to reach unconsciousness, and the more likelihood of consciously experiencing discomfort and pain.

 

[JesiBel]

Many people here die accidentally from carbon monoxide poisoning every winter.

In my country, natural gas is used to heat homes during the cold months. Faulty and poorly maintained heaters are dangerous (especially older ones), and even more so if homes lack proper ventilation.

They die without knowing it while they sleep, since carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless.

....

Full article by the government website.

(Translation)

Carbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas for humans and animals.
It enters the body through the lungs and from there passes into the blood, replacing oxygen. It reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity and prevents cells from utilizing the oxygen they receive. Lack of oxygen primarily affects the brain and heart. It can cause severe poisoning, even death.

Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of any material containing carbon—gas, oil, coal, kerosene, gasoline, wood, plastics, etc.—in an environment with a low or insufficient oxygen concentration.

Any appliance that uses combustible materials (gas, oil, coal, kerosene, gasoline, wood, plastics) can produce carbon monoxide when burned incompletely:

- Water heaters, boilers
- Stoves, braziers, salamanders
- Heaters, wood or charcoal grills, gas or wood ovens
- Combustion engines (vehicles, chainsaws, electric generators, etc.)

Carbon monoxide poisoning should be suspected when one or more people in a closed environment experience:

Headache
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Weakness
Fatigue
Nausea/vomiting
Loss of consciousness and/or seizures
Palpitations
Chest pain
Cardiorespiratory arrest

Some signs that may lead us to suspect the presence of carbon monoxide in the environment:

Yellow or orange coloration of the flame on burners, heaters or stoves

Appearance of sooty stains, smudging, or discoloration on appliances, their exhaust vents, or around them.

 

[NegevChina]

CO poisoning like all methods needs careful planing and executing. The effects may vary from instant loss of consciousness and peaceful death within few minutes, to failure, staying alive with prolonged agony and suffering and irreversible injury to organs and limbs. Its the main reason I ruled out this method. The key factor is the concentration of CO and the duration it can be maintained.
This table provides information on different concentrations and exposure duration:


https://www.spec-sensors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Carbon-Monoxide-Risks-at-Low-Levels.pdf

You can see that below 6400 PPM there are unpleasant effects, but they can become much more unpleasant in lower concentrations and long duration leading to staying alive and suffering organ damage.