Be prepared.
Save your poison center's number: 1-800-222-1222 (US only).
Save the webPOISONCONTROL online tool as a browser favorite.
Install a carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home.
Store medicines and products in their original containers.
Use child-resistant packaging. Replace caps securely.
Store household products in a different place from food and medicine.
Use medicines safely.
Read the label before taking or giving medicine – every time. Follow instructions exactly.
Ask your child's pediatrician before giving any herbal medicine or supplement.
Monitor children closely when you allow them to take their own medicines.
Discuss inhalant abuse when you discuss drug and alcohol abuse.
Aerosol cans, air fresheners, gasoline, glue, hairspray, nitrous oxide, paint thinners, and spray paint can kill or cause permanent damage if abused.
Baby-sitting? Check out the poison prevention tips for the ages of the children you are watching.
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Slime is a stretchy, colorful material often made of water, glue, and borax. However, recipes vary. Slime can be store-bought or homemade. If swallowed, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal blockage can occur. Skin reactions that can occur include redness, itching, and dermatitis as well as blisters and burns due to borax.
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Antifungal creams treat skin and mucosal infections caused by fungi. Nonprescription creams include butenafine, clotrimazole, miconazole, terbinafine, and tolnaftate. Nystatin and ketoconazole creams require a prescription. If antifungal creams don’t work within 2 weeks, an oral antifungal drug may be prescribed. Antifungal creams are relatively safe if they are accidentally swallowed or get in the eyes.
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Blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) is an aquatic plant that contains psychoactive chemicals (apomorphine and nuciferine). As a tea, it is used for relaxation, sleep, and to provide a mood boost. Smoking or vaping it can cause euphoria. Small amounts of pure plant material are probably safe, but it may be contaminated with toxic substances. Drug interactions are possible. It is legal in the US but not approved for human consumption.
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Diuretics, also known as water pills, help your body get rid of extra water. They are used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and kidney disease. A single overdose is usually not serious, but toxicity can occur with chronic use or misuse. Problems include dehydration and imbalances in blood salts (electrolytes), which can cause abnormal heart rhythms, muscle spasms, or muscle breakdown.
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Ondansetron (sometimes referred to as Zofran) treats nausea and vomiting. Side effects include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tiredness, anxiety, and constipation or diarrhea. More serious side effects are prolonged QT interval on EKG with abnormal heart rhythms, serotonin syndrome, and allergic reactions. Ondansetron has many drug interactions, so check if it is safe to take it with your other drugs.
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Bemotrizinol is a new chemical sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. It is not absorbed into the body, rarely causes skin irritation, is photostable and does not degrade in sunlight, and is transparent so it does not leave a white color on the skin. Allergic reactions are possible. The brand name is Parsol Shield. It is approved for adults and children 6 months of age and older.
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THC vapes are devices such as cartridges and dab pens that heat THC into a vapor that is inhaled. Side effects include lung irritation, shortness of breath, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, and worsening of underlying depression, as well as burns related to device malfunction. E-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is severe lung damage from vaping that can be fatal.
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Paraquat is an herbicide used for weed control. Paraquat solution is corrosive even at low concentrations, so getting it on the skin, getting it in the eyes, or swallowing it causes burns. When swallowed, it is taken up by the lungs, resulting in cell death and scarring of the lungs. It can cause kidney failure, liver injury, and heart failure. The toxic and lethal doses are low, and there is no antidote. There is evidence that paraquat increases Parkinson’s disease risk.
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Creatine is used to improve athletic performance and increase muscle mass. It is safe for healthy people but is not recommended if you have liver or kidney disease or uncontrolled hypertension. It is also not recommended in teens until there are further studies. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and mild weight gain.
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Eating raw flour is not advisable since it can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Homemade play dough is not safe for children since it contains raw flour. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, fever, and headache. Treatment may include oral or intravenous fluids, depending on severity.
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