Table 2.

Organ toxicities and toxidromes, and common dietary supplements or herbal medicines that can cause 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