Email to a friend    Printer Friendly Page
Care & Services
Clinical Services
Find a Doctor
Maine Medical Partners
Patients, Families, and Visitors
Maine Digestive Health Center at Maine Medical Center
Maine Medical Center Scarborough Surgery Center
Neuroscience Institute at Maine Medical Center
Surgical Services at Maine Medical Center
Palliative Care - Maine Medical Center
Portland Identification and Early Referral
Maine Medical Center - Cancer Institute
Breast Care Center - Maine Medical Center - Portland
Maine Medical Center - Gynecologic Oncologists
Maine Medical Center - Information for Healthcare Professionals
Maine Medical Center - General Pre-Operative Instructions For Any Surgery
Maine Medical Center - Discharge Instructions: Abdominal Hysterectomy
Maine Medical Center - Discharge Instructions: Abdominal Hysterectomy
Maine Medical Center - Post Operative Instructions
Maine Medical Center - Guide for Patients Discharged with a Drain in Place
Maine Medical Center - Cancer Care For Women
Maine Medical Center - Discharge Instructions: Radical Vulvectomy
Maine Medical Center -Discharge Instructions: Vaginal Hysterectomy
Maine Medical Center - Cancer Care for Women - Hysterectomy
Maine Medical Center - Survivor Connections
MMP Women's Health and Gynecologic Oncology
Maine Medical Center - Cancer Care At MMC
Maine Medical Center - Maine Transplant
Maine Medical Center - Clinically Oriented Sites
Maine Medical Center - Complementary Therapies
Center for Reproductive Health
Maine Medical Center - Geriatric Care
Maine Medical Center - Department of Emergency Medicine
Maine Medical Center - For Medical Professionals
Greater Portland Medical Group
Maine Medical Center - High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
Maine Medical Center - Integrative Medicine Services
Maine Medical Center - Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) Introduction
Radiation Oncology
Maine Medical Center - Intravascular Brachytherapy
Maine Medical Center - Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation Highlights:
Maine Medical Center - Resources
Maine Medical Center - Patient Resources
Maine Medical Center - Professional Resources
Maine Medical Center - Transplant Program Staff
Maine Medical Center - Literature Searching
Maine Medical Center - Maine Center for Cancer Medicine and Blood Disorders
Maine Medical Center - Manual Medicine
Maine Medical Center - Information Request Form
Maine Medical Center - Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
Maine Medical Center - Contact Us
Maine Medical Center - Mental Healthcare
Maine Medical Center - Mind-Body Medicine
Northern New England Poison Center - 1-800-222-1222
Maine Medical Center - Poison Prevention tips
Northern New England Poison Center - Contact
Northern New England Poison Center - Spiders
Maine Medical Center - Northern New England Poison Center
Maine Medical Center - First Aid for Poisoning
Maine Medical Center - Are There Harmful Plants In or Around Your Home?
Maine Medical Center - Helpful Links
Maine Medical Center - Home Checklist
Maine Medical Center - Resource List
Maine Medical Center - National Alcohol and Drug Use Statistics
Maine Medical Center - News
Maine Medical Center - Emergency Preparedness
Maine Medical Center - Poison Prevention Tips
Maine Medical Center - Resources
Maine Medical Center - Frequently Asked Questions About Poisoning
Maine Medical Center - Substance Abuse Statistics for the State of Maine
Maine Medical Center - What Do I Do When Someone Is Poisoned?
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Maine Medical Center - Nutrition Services
Ob/Gyn Clinic
Maine Medical Center - OB/GYN
Maine Medical Center - Fellowships Overview
Maine Medical Center - Meet the Residents
Oncology
Maine Medical Center - Our Staff - Radiation Therapy
Maine Medical Center - Patient Support and Education
Maine Medical Center - Pulmonary Hypertension
Maine Medical Center - Clinical Services
Maine Medical Center - Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Maine Medical Center - Internet Links
Maine Medical Center - Patient Support Group
Maine Medical Center - Recognizing the early signs of psychosis
Maine Medical Center - Ways to hasten recovery and prevent a recurrence
Maine Medical Center - The Prodromal Phase of Psychosis
Maine Medical Center - Resources
Maine Medical Center - Useful Links
Maine Medical Center - What causes psychosis?
Maine Medical Center - What is PIER
Maine Medical Center - What you should know about psychosis
Patient Preadmission
Maine Medical Center - Primary Care
Maine Medical Center - Wintertime May Be Time for the Blues
Maine Medical Center - Child Safety
Maine Medical Center - Brrrr….It’s Cold and Flu Season Again!
Maine Medical Center - Family Medicine
Maine Medical Center - Domestic Violence
Maine Medical Center - Drugs used in Sexual Assault
Maine Medical Center - It’s the new Millennium: Time to Find that Get-up-and-go Again
Maine Medical Center - How to Beat the Heat
Maine Medical Center - Get the Lead Out ……
Maine Medical Center - What To Do If Your Child Has Lice
Maine Medical Center - LYME Disease
Maine Medical Center - It's Resolution Time!
Maine Medical Center - My Child is Sick…
Maine Medical Center - How to be Smart about Your Skin and the Sun
Maine Medical Center - von Willebrand Disease
Maine Medical Center - Department of Psychiatry
Maine Medical Center - Radiation Seed Implants for Prostate Cancer
Maine Medical Center - MMC Radiation Therapy
Maine Medical Center - The Radiation Therapy Department
Maine Medical Center - What Is Radiology?
Maine Medical Center - Your Radiology Team
Maine Medical Center - Uterine Fibroid Embolization
Maine Medical Center - Neuro-Endovascular Therapy
Maine Medical Center - The Medical Team
Maine Medical Center - Physician referrals and information
Maine Medical Center - Neuro-Endovascular Therapy
Neuro-Endovascular Therapy
Maine Medical Center - Vertebroplasty
Maine Medical Center - Radiology Patient Resources
Maine Medical Center - We want to hear from you!
Maine Medical Center - Computerized Tomography (CT Scan)
Maine Medical Center - Diagnostic Radiology
Maine Medical Center - Vascular/Interventional Radiology
Maine Medical Center - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Maine Medical Center - Mammography
Maine Medical Center - Neuroradiology
Maine Medical Center - Nuclear Medicine
Maine Medical Center - Pediatric Radiology
Maine Medical Center - Radiation Oncology
Maine Medical Center - Ultrasound
Northern New England Poison Center, Red Tide information
Maine Medical Center - Rehabilitation Medicine
Maine Medical Center - New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland
Maine Medical Center - Related Patient Services
Maine Medical Center - Clinical Trials
Maine Medical Center - Research, Education, and Training
Maine Medical Center - Radiation Therapy Web Site Links
Center for Reproductive Health
Maine Medical Center - Sites with Extensive Links
Maine Medical Center - Respiratory Care
Maine Medical Center - Sleep Disorders Welcome!
Maine Medical Center - Maine Children's Cancer Program
Maine Medical Center - Sports Medicine
Maine Medical Center - Surgery - Oncology
Maine Medical Center - Physicians
Patient and Family Services
Maine Medical Center - Vocational Services - Who We Are
Maine Medical Center - Women's Care

Northern New England Poison Center

 

Syrup of Ipecac is no longer recommended for home use.

Throw Out Your Syrup of Ipecac

The Northern New England Poison Center no longer recommends ipecac for home treatment of poisonings.  It is not clear whether using ipecac is helpful when treating poisonings.  Ipecac can cause harm if not used properly.  Consider storing a special type of activated charcoal at home if the closest emergency department or ambulance service is more than one hour away.

What is Ipecac?

Ipecac syrup is medicine made from a plant that grows in Brazil .  It causes patients to vomit.  Ipecac has been available without a prescription since 1965.

Why did poison centers recommend ipecac for poisoning?

Experts thought that vomiting removed poison from the stomach before it was absorbed into the bloodstream.  Studies show that vomiting brings up less than half of the substance swallowed.  Using ipecac 30 minutes or more after exposure removes little poison.

Why not recommend ipecac now?

  • Ipecac may not help.
  • Ipecac may delay other more effective treatments for poisoning.
  • Ipecac can worsen poisoning in some cases (acids, gasoline, lamp oil, others).
  • Ipecac is unsafe if given often (for weight loss, misuse by parents).

How to prepare for a poisoning at home:

Keep the Poison Center hotline number (1-800-222-1222) by the phone.  Also call this number for poison prevention information.  If you live more than one hour from emergency services, contact the Poison Center to ask if you should store activated charcoal at home.  Be aware that weather conditions may add to travel time.  Never use activated charcoal before calling the Poison Center or your physician.

What is activated charcoal?

Activated charcoal is a nonprescription medicine used to treat poisonings.  It is available at some pharmacies.  Activated charcoal binds to poison in the stomach and intestines.  The poison is no longer active once it binds to activated charcoal.  The patient then passes the charcoal (with poison attached) in the stool.  It is important to buy the right kind of activated charcoal.  The kind used to treat poisoning is a gritty powder or powder mixed with fluid.  Charcoal tablets and capsules do not bind poisons well enough for use as an antidote.

 

Poison Center Homepage

 

 

 

 

Health Information
Contact Us  |  Your Privacy  |  Careers  |  MaineHealth  |  For Vendors

22 Bramhall Street | Portland, Maine 04102-3175 | (207) 662-0111