Tonganoxie Mayor Mike Vestal and his family said Tuesday that it was a reaction to new medication — not a suicide attempt — that sent him to the hospital on Sunday.

During a telephone interview from Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the mayor said he’s had problems getting to sleep and his previous sleep medication was not working. So he tried a new one.

“I guess it was some bad stuff,” Vestal said. “It was new. I was only taking it one day. I had a very bad reaction. I don’t remember Sunday.”

Vestal, who works as a Tonganoxie police department dispatcher, was in critical condition on Monday, but his condition has improved and he hopes to be home later this week.

Tonganoxie police had been investigating the incident as a pain medication overdose — and had considered it a possible suicide attempt.

But Katie Underwood, Vestal’s daughter, said her father had not tried to kill himself.

Chief Kenny Carpenter did say it’s possible some people might have jumped to conclusions about an overdose — “us being part of that, maybe before we should have.”