Poisoning

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • you think you, a child, or someone else may have swallowed, touched or breathed in something harmful
  • someone has lost consciousness
  • someone has stopped breathing
  • you or someone else has severe difficulty breathing - you're unable to get words out, or you're choking or gasping
  • you or someone else has a seizure (fit)
Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Call NHS 111 if:

  • you're not sure if something you or someone else have swallowed, touched or breathed in is harmful

If you think you or someone else may have been poisoned, there are some things you can do while you're waiting for medical help.

Do

  • start CPR if someone is unresponsive and not breathing

  • put the person in the recovery position if they're unconscious and still breathing

  • keep checking the person is breathing - if they're awake, keep talking to them to make sure they have not lost consciousness

  • try to find what may have caused the poisoning - look around for packaging, containers, or medicines

  • take some of the substance or its packaging to show doctors at the hospital, if possible

  • if the person vomits, try putting some vomit in a container to give to healthcare professionals to help them find out what caused the poisoning

Don't

  • do not try to make someone sick if you think they've swallowed something harmful - they could choke and stop breathing

  • do not give the person anything to eat or drink

Poisoning can happen after swallowing, touching, or breathing in a harmful substance.

Symptoms may take a few hours or days to start, so it's important to get medical advice quickly if there's a chance you or someone else could have poisoning.

Symptoms of poisoning can depend on what's caused it, and may include:

  • feeling sick or being sick
  • diarrhoea
  • feeling sleepy
  • blurred vision
  • high temperature
  • confusion
  • difficulty breathing
  • seizures (fits)
  • loss of consciousness

Some common substances that can cause poisoning include:

  • medicines such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antidepressants
  • household cleaning products such as bleach or laundry detergents
  • alcohol and drugs
  • certain plants and mushrooms
  • pesticides
  • chemicals found in some workplaces
  • carbon monoxide

Food poisoning advice

Food poisoning due to eating food that has not been prepared or stored properly can be treated at home. It’s rarely serious, and usually gets better on its own within a week.

Find out the symptoms of food poisoning and how to treat it yourself.

You'll need to be treated in hospital for poisoning because it can cause you to be seriously unwell, and can be life threatening.

Treatment depends on what's caused the poisoning, and may include:

  • medicines (antidotes)
  • a charcoal drink that can help stop some types of poisoning
  • treatments to help with your symptoms, such as fluids given into a vein to treat dehydration
  • removing what's caused the poisoning from your body – for example, some substances can be removed from your blood

If you do not have symptoms, you may not need any treatment, but may still need to be monitored for several hours in case you become unwell.

To prevent poisoning at home:

  • store medicines and chemicals out of reach of children, ideally in a locked cupboard
  • read the instructions that come with your medicines carefully to make sure you take the correct dose
  • put safety catches on low cupboards that contain harmful substances such as cleaning products to stop children getting hold of them
  • keep liquid cleaning products and chemicals in their original containers to avoid them being mistaken for drinks
  • get a carbon monoxide alarm for each room of your home that contains appliances that burn gas, oil, coal or wood
  • wear equipment such as gloves, goggles or a mask to protect yourself when handling or using harmful chemicals