What is a potentially fatal reaction to an alcoholic overdose like?

Depressed breathing: Alcohol poisoning is similar to other depressant overdoses, like barbiturates. It is a progression from sleepiness to sleep to coma, eventually with progressively slower and more shallow breathing, resulting in accumulation of fluid in the lungs, low blood oxygen and ultimately stoppage of the heart. It can also cause accumulation of acetone (ketoacidosis) similar to diabetes, in some cases severe.