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. Keep appliances, furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves in good repair.
Store medicines and products in their original containers.
Use child-resistant packaging, especially if young children are ever around. Replace caps securely. Why?
Of children treated in an ER for medicine poisoning, 38% got into a grandparent's medicine.
More grandparents identified electrical outlets than medicine as a top safety issue, but 36 times more children go to the ER for medicine poisoning. Ouch!
Store household products in a different place from food and medicine.
Use medicines safely.
Turn on the lights, put on glasses, and read the label before taking or giving medicine. Follow instructions exactly.
Don't take someone else's medicine.
Use household products as directed on the label. Mixing products can release dangerous gases.
Have grandchildren? Check out the poison prevention tips for the ages of your grandchildren.
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Antibiotic ointment is applied to skin to prevent or treat minor skin infections. It is made with 1 to 3 antibiotics. Swallowing it may cause mild stomach upset. In the eye it can cause irritation, stinging, and blurry vision. Allergic skin reactions (redness, swelling, itching, rash) are more common with bacitracin and neomycin and are more likely if you use the ointment repeatedly.
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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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Nicotine pouches are placed between the lips and gum. If you leave them in too long, you are more likely to develop side effects including gum irritation and damage to mouth tissue. If an adult accidentally swallows a single pouch, toxicity is unlikely. If a child swallows a nicotine pouch, toxicity is possible. Nicotine toxicity affects digestive, cardiovascular, and neurologic systems.
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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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Statins lower cholesterol and decrease risk of stroke and heart attack. Side effects include stomach upset, fatigue, headaches, and muscle pain. Taking too much can increase risk of severe muscle damage with kidney failure, liver damage, and type 2 diabetes. Interactions with food (such as grapefruit) and drugs can increase statin levels resulting in greater likelihood of side effects.
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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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Tejocote root is a supplement marketed for weight loss. It contains pectin, which could reduce appetite by promoting early satiety, although no research has demonstrated this. It also contains compounds that mimic digoxin, an older medicine used to treat irregular heart rates. Side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmias, and low serum potassium. Many tejocote products are contaminated with yellow oleander, which poisons the heart and is potentially lethal. Toxicity includes vomiting, serious arrhythmias, lethargy, coma, and seizures.
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Magnesium is essential for nerve and muscle function, bone health, heart rhythm, and other body processes. It is in food, laxatives, antacids, and supplements. Overdoses can occur from repeated use of too high a dose or a single large dose. Symptoms of toxicity include nausea, stomachache, vomiting, muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, lethargy, coma, and stopped breathing or heartbeat.
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