Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology

Two Cases of Mad-Honey Poisoning with Cardiovascular Symptom: Young-Gil Ko, Kyung-Hwan Kim, Ah-Jin Kim, Dong-Wun Shin, Jun-Soek Park, Jun-Young Roh, Ji-Young Ahn; J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol. 2006;4(1):78-81. Published online June 30, 2006

Abstract PDF: Mad-honey poisoning is mainly brought about by the honey imported from Napal, Turkey, Brazil and other parts of Europe. This mad honey is extracted from Ericaceae plants of Rhododendron species and contains grayanotoxins that causes poisoning. These toxic compounds exert a specific stimulatory action on membrane permeability to Na+ions in various excitable tissues and cause depolarization of cell membranes. The toxic effects of grayanotoxins contained honey are mainly cardiovascular disturbances with bradycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, hypotension. There are Other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, salivation, dizziness, weakness and loss of consciousness. The precise amount for a toxic dose is not known. In general the severity of the honey poisoning depends on the amount ingested. Two cases of mad-honey poisoning are described here. Both patients showed bradycardia and arterial hypotension after ingestion of honey which was brought from Nepal. They were recovered fully within 24 hours after administration of fluids and atropine sulphate.

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