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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Apricot seeds (or “pits”) contain amygdalin, a compound the body converts into cyanide. Cyanide starves oxygen cells and can be fatal. Symptoms may take time to appear because amygdalin must be broken down first. Swallowing one or two whole, unchewed seeds is likely safe, but swallowing the kernels inside the pit is dangerous, as the kernel is where amygdalin is concentrated.
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Pear, prune, and plum seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that the body metabolizes into cyanide. Cyanide deprives cells of oxygen and is a lethal poison. Symptoms following exposure may be delayed. Swallowing the seeds from 1 pear core, or 1 or 2 whole plum or prune seeds, is unlikely to cause harm. Chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk of cyanide poisoning.
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Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that the body converts into cyanide. Cyanide starves oxygen cells. Symptoms may take time to appear because amygdalin must be broken down first. Apple seeds contain very little amygdalin, so swallowing the seeds in an apple core is safe. You would need to chew and swallow a large number of seeds to risk cyanide poisoning.
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Peanut allergy is an immune response to peanut proteins. It usually lasts a lifetime. Symptoms range from skin rashes and wheezing to tingling of the mouth and throat, throat tightness, and lip swelling. Life-threatening effects include anaphylaxis and respiratory distress. Avoid peanuts and carry an epinephrine autoinjector. Giving peanuts at an early age decreases the risk of peanut allergy.
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Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergic reaction to a sugar found in mammals. It is transmitted by the lone star tick bite. Onset is 6 hours after ingesting red meat and other alpha-gal substances. Symptoms include hives, vomiting, wheezing, and anaphylaxis. Treatment is avoiding meat and other alpha-gal substances. Reactions are treated with antihistamines and epinephrine auto-injectors.
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Carbamazepine is used for seizures, trigeminal neuralgia, and bipolar disorder. Side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, headache, fatigue, ataxia, blurry vision, nausea, vomiting, and dry mouth. More serious side effects include severe rashes, blood problems, liver, and kidney toxicity. Carbamazepine interacts with many other medications, as well as with grapefruit and grapefruit juice.
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Oxcarbazepine is used for partial onset seizures. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, headache, incoordination, and difficulty with memory. Gastrointestinal symptoms, double vision, dystonia, and low sodium levels can occur. Serious skin and allergic reactions are possible. Drug interactions occur when taken with central nervous system depressants, hormonal contraceptives, and diuretics.
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Topiramate is prescribed for treatment of seizures and prevention of migraines. Side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, mood changes, other CNS effects, and decreased appetite. More serious effects include kidney stones, acidosis, vision changes, and suicidal thoughts. Topiramate has many drug interactions. It should not be taken when pregnant and can cause birth defects.
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Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with endocrine systems by antagonizing or mimicking hormones in the body. There are over 1,000 EDCs. EDCs are found in food, drinking water, air, the environment, cosmetics, and personal care products. Most are manmade, but some are naturally occurring. Research has found links between EDCs and harmful health effects.
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Valproic acid is used for seizures, mania of bipolar disorder, and migraine prevention. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, headache, tremors, weight gain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and hair loss. Serious toxicity may affect blood, bone marrow, liver, pancreas, and brain. Allergic reactions and drug interactions are also possible.
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