Get Help Online or By Phone
Get help from Poison Control Online
Use webPOISONCONTROL, the do-it-yourself, fully automated poison control tool for unintentional poisonings. Whether it’s a toddler who got into your medicine or a cleaner, a double dose of a medication, a sting, a berry that looked good enough to eat, or something splashed in the eye or on the skin, you can get free help online. Computer algorithms written by poison control experts (toxicologists) give you a recommendation for your specific case. That recommendation is based on the substance, age, route (swallowed, eye, skin, inhaled, injected, bite/sting), symptoms, and time since the exposure.
webPOISONCONTROL will tell you to either:
- Stay home (70%),
- Call Poison Control (28%), or
- Go immediately to the ER (<2%)
Most of the time, webPOISONCONTROL tells people it's safe to stay home. If the tool tells you it's safe to stay home, you will receive extensive instructions, like:
- What to do next (home treatment)
- Common, expected symptoms that are of little concern (and when to expect them)
- Symptoms that should trigger a call to Poison Control
- Symptoms that require an ER visit right away
- When and how to do automated follow-up
Our experts take no risks. If your case can't be handled online or if it might be serious, webPOISONCONTROL will tell you to call Poison Control. The tool may also advise you to go to the ER, but we only want to send you there if it's medically necessary.
The information you give webPOISONCONTROL is confidential, and the tool does not share it with anyone else.
By phone:
Call 1-800-222-1222 , the U.S. poison control number, if you prefer to talk to someone about your case. The telephone network will send your call to the Poison Center serving your local area. There are 55 Poison Centers across the U.S. A nurse or pharmacist Poison Specialist will answer and help you figure out what to do.
It's always OK to call, even if you think the poisoning or question is trivial. No call is too small.
Help from Poison Control, whether online or by phone, is free and confidential.
Poisoned? Get Expert Help.
Don't guess what you should do. Get accurate Poison Control answers online or by phone. Both are free and confidential.
or CALL 1-800-222-1222
Get the App!
Download the freewebPOISONCONTROL® app.
Don't Use Ipecac!
Ipecac syrup is no longer recommended for poisonings. Find out why.
Text POISON
to 202-677-7600
Save the poison control number and the link to online help NOW! Text-to-save or download directly to save our vcard to your computer and smartphone contacts