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What natural antidote would be good to neutralize a toxic plant if accidently ingested?~

 
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  ~It may be that each toxic plant would require a different remedy, but are there any general 'remedies' for offsetting the toxins of a mis-identified plant???~I was thinking of activated charcoal, Vitamin C, or Colloidal Silver?~Does anyone know what might be effective in a situation like that?~
 
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At our house, we would use ipecac. Ipecac is a small shrub, the root is used to make medicine. It is usually available in a syrup at most drug stores or pharmacies.

It would make the person throw up the toxic plants.
 
Kathy Woods
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~Wow, thank you, Anne!!!~Ill get some before i try any new plants!!!~☆~
 
Kathy Woods
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  ~I guess a more typical situation would be becoming sick once the plant has already digested, and is no longer in the stomach?!?~At that point, does anyone know of a good remedy???~
 
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Ipecac is a GREAT solution!

EXCEPT when vomiting and bringing the poison back up would actually cause more damage.

In that case, absorption is the next basic plan, so yes something like activated charcoal can help...
 
Kathy Woods
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 ~Thank you!!!~There is so much discussion about avoiding toxic look-alikes, yet ive never seen any suggestions anywhere, about what to do if that happens?~
 
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Charcoal, bentonite clay it depends on the toxin. Bentonite is not only ingested but is used topicaly for Poison Ivy
 
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It depends on the toxin.  Different things can react differently to some chemicals.  If one doesn't know the plant, it's difficult to know the toxin.  Some treatments given for the wrong stuff can be deadly.

We have a free poison control helpline we can phone.

Probably better to find a mentor to help learn different plants.  

Also some plants are toxic at some times of year, but not at others, so a plant guru would help with that.
 
Kathy Woods
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 ~Oh, yes, id forgotten about Bentonite clay, thanks!!!~Itd be idea to have a plant guru, but im mostly depending on YouTube videos & its hard to know how much they know, themselves, plus it seems different areas have slight variations?~The only expert in my area almost killed himself & 5 other people hed invited for a mushroom dinner!~I saw those mushrooms, and tho they were larger than most 'death caps', id never have eaten them!~So far this summer ive been watching what i think is Purslane, and its evil twin, Spurge, and i still cant be sure, cuz every video i watch seems to add a new doubt, and every day i notice a new characteristic on the 2 plants?!?~
 
Kathy Woods
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~Correction:   ideal~
 
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Kathy Woods wrote:Itd be ideal to have a plant guru, but im mostly depending on YouTube videos & its hard to know how much they know, themselves, plus it seems different areas have slight variations?


Seeking out a trustworthy mentor is well worth it considering the potential consequences of misidentification. If that's not possible, a good field guide with a key system or a book about foraging specific to your bioregion is a very worthwhile investment to ensure you can correctly identify plants. My personal strategy with plants is to observe them frequently for a full year before eating them or using them for medicine. This gives me time to get a positive identification, which is often only possible when the plant flowers. It also ensures I get to know what they look like in every stage of their growth and am far less likely to confuse them for something else. And if there are variations, I learn about them. If I don't know for certain what it is, I don't eat it. It just isn't worth it. Please be careful and make sure you're finding out for certain who plants are before you eat them rather than relying on antidotes! There are plants that can be deadly poisonous just to taste. It's very important to know who the poisonous plants are in your area and be able to identify them. The Apiaceae is a pretty potentially hazard fraught and tricky family, for example. Might be best to just avoid eating anything from such families of plants until you have found a mentor or gotten to know the plants around you very well.

As for antidotes, I don't know for certain. Activated charcoal would be my thought, but I wouldn't count on it to save me if I'd ingested something that I thought could be hemlock, for example. I'd go straight to the ER. If you accidentally eat something and don't have reason to believe it's life threatening, then calling the poison control line is what I would recommend since different poisons may require different treatments. You'll need to know who the plant was for them to help you. I have called them when I ate a plant of whose identity I was certain, but after eating, I feared had been sprayed and they were very helpful and it was free.
 
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i’m reasonably sure that this community can come to a conclusion in the purslane vs. spurge debate. post pics? and first, rip open a leaf. spurge tends to have milky/latex sap, and purslane never does.
 
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There is a FB group I highly recommend that specifically deals with identifying potential toxic ingestion.
Poison Help; Emergency Identification For Mushrooms and Plants:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/144798092849300

They do not allow outsiders to comment, only approved persons from a multitude of regions around the world.  They do not deal with queries as to identification UNLESS there is a human or animal that has actually ingested the item and is displaying concerning symptoms.  Strictly for emergencies, not preventative identification.

This is the "go to" site for vets and ER docs.

As to dealing with an intoxication, depending on the substance, vomiting CAN be the worst possible thing you can do; but if advised to induce vomiting, drinking 10-200mls (depends on victims size) of strongly salted water will induce vomiting in both pets and humans.  

Use of activated charcoal will "bind" the toxins, hopefully allowing them to pass safely.  This is not charcoal in the normal sense, and I do not know how it is "activated" but do purchase the proper stuff; it comes in a thick paste (great to mix with dog food for a pet) or powder (loose or capsules) for human ingestion.  
 
Kathy Woods
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  ~Yes, getting a good, complete guide book on edible plants is a great idea~And watching them for at least a year is also great advice!~Right now what seems like Purslane is blooming tiny purple flowers, and what was supposed to be Spurge is blooming yellow flowers?!?~I live in a jungle that is 2nd only to the Amazon in new bugs that evolve, so now im thinking it may be similar with new plant varieties as well~For now im just gonna stick with eating the Amaranth & Mustard~Thank yall so much for your advice & suggestions!~
 
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