Table 2 Organ toxicities and toxidromes, and common dietary supplements or herbal medicines that can cause them
From: Dietary supplements and herbal medicine toxicities—when to anticipate them and how to manage them
Clinical features | Xenobiotics |
|---|---|
Cardiac | Sodium channel effects—Aconitum species (widen QRS, shock) |
Digoxin-like effects—Digitalis species, bufo toads | |
Central nervous system | Seizures—strychnine, thujone, essential oils (camphor, eucalyptus) |
Sedation—Valeriana species, kava kava | |
Dermatological | Blistering—cantharidin (Chinese blister beetle) |
Hematological | Coagulopathies—G-herbs (ginger, garlic, gingko) |
Agranulocytosis—anti-mitotic agents (colchicine, podophyllotoxin) | |
Hepatotoxic | Hepatitis—multiple agents, germander commonly reported |
Veno-occlusive disease—pyrrolizidine alkaloids (comfrey, Senecio species, Heliotropium species) | |
Nephrotoxic | Renal failure—Aristolochia speices |
Hypertension, hyperkalemia—licorice | |
Anticholinergic | Datura metel commonly used in TCM |
Hexing herbs (Atropa sepcies, Hyoscyamus species, Mandrago officinarum) common in Western herbal practice | |
Sympathomimetic | Ephedra species, Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) |
Salicylate poisoning | Willow bark, checkerberry |