Water Hemlock
Feb 17, 2025
Water Hemlock
Water hemlock (scientific names Cicuta and Oenanthe) is one of the most poisonous plants in North America and the United Kingdom.
The principal toxins include cicutoxin and oenanthotoxin, which act as noncompetitive gamma-aminobutyric acid antagonists in the central nervous system, resulting in seizure from neuronal depolarization.
Any amount of this supplement may result in severe toxicity. Other clinical signs of water hemlock use include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tachycardia, mydriasis, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, coma, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Water hemlock is not often intentionally used as a supplement, but is commonly mistaken for other edible supplements, such as watercress, wild carrot, wild ginseng, and pignut.
Without adequate identification of ingestion and treatment, individuals who ingest water hemlock are at risk of death.
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