Treatment of fish poisoning

What to do in case of fish poisoning? It is clear that only a doctor can assess the severity of poisoning and prescribe effective treatment, so if the symptoms are pronounced, it is better to call him to your home. And at this time, you need to try to provide the person with all possible assistance, which consists of:

• Gastric lavage (in case of chronic intoxication there is no point in this, because toxins are concentrated in the blood, not in the stomach). The easiest way to wash the stomach is with clean warm boiled water, to which you can add a little potassium permanganate (it should turn out a pale pink solution), salt or soda (no more than 1 spoon per liter of liquid). The person should drink at least 1 liter of water, after which you need to induce vomiting by irritating the root of the tongue with your finger.

For a complete cleansing of the stomach, usually up to 3 procedures are carried out, i.e. until the vomit is cleared of food impurities.

• Taking sorbents that will help cleanse not only the stomach but also the intestines from harmful substances. Any preparations with the described property that are in the home medicine cabinet (activated or white carbon, Polisor, Polyphepan, Enterosgel, etc.) are suitable for this purpose.
• Combating dehydration. The easiest way to combat dehydration is to drink plenty of clean water. The patient's "diet" can be expanded with rice broth, weakly brewed black or, better yet, green tea, and alkaline mineral water.
• Unfortunately, with severe, persistent vomiting, such treatment will be ineffective, because the liquid will come back out, without even really going down to the stomach due to the gagging. Oral forms of drugs specifically designed to treat dehydration will not help here either. In case of severe vomiting, only drip administration of liquid can help, which is possible in a hospital setting, which means you need to urgently call an ambulance, which will take the patient to the hospital.
• If there is only vomiting and no diarrhea, you can try to induce intestinal cleansing (after all, it is in the intestines that the blood absorbs most of the toxic substances) using laxatives or an enema with salted water or chamomile infusion.

It is unlikely that anything more effective at the first aid stage can be invented. In case of mild poisoning, such treatment may even be sufficient. Treatment of severe poisoning is carried out in a hospital under the supervision of experienced medical personnel.

Read also: Symptomatic intensive care for poisoning

In principle, the same procedures are prescribed to the patient in the hospital, but they are carried out under the supervision of medical personnel and depending on the condition of the victim. To combat dehydration, oral medications such as Regidron, Hydrovit, Oralit, Gastrolit, etc. are prescribed. If a person is in serious condition and cannot take the medicine or has severe vomiting, due to which he cannot eat or drink anything, rehydration medications are administered intravenously through a dropper. There are specially designed medications in vials for this: Trisol, Khlosol, etc.

Patients are also prescribed enterosorbents. But it makes sense to take them if the patient does not have severe vomiting that does not allow taking oral medications. The fact is that sorbents are produced only in the form of tablets and powders that must pass along the digestive tract. Sorption therapy bypassing the stomach makes no sense.

If the victim suffers from severe abdominal pain, the doctor may prescribe painkillers from the antispasmodic category (No-shpa, Spazmil, Spazmalgon, etc.). It is not recommended to give such medications before the victim has been examined by a doctor, because gastritis, pancreatitis, or even appendicitis may be hidden under the guise of poisoning. By the way, if you are not sure that the victim has poisoning, and not appendicitis or another pathology, you should be careful about carrying out procedures such as gastric lavage and bowel cleansing.

Antipyretic drugs for excessively elevated temperatures that pose a danger to humans, and in cases of fish poisoning, should also be prescribed by a doctor.

Antibiotic therapy in case of food poisoning caused by bacteria (staphylococci, salmonella, etc.) is prescribed only in extremely severe cases after the pathogen has been identified. Indications for antibiotics include the following symptoms observed for two days or more: uncontrollable vomiting, bowel movements more than 10 times a day, blood in the stool, persistent fever.

If life-threatening symptoms appear, doctors take measures to restore breathing, normalize blood circulation and cardiac activity, and reduce the severity of neurological disorders. If the cause of poisoning was the strongest toxins of poisonous fish or botulinum toxin, a special serum is administered as an antidote, if, of course, it is available.

When the patient's condition is stabilized and the symptoms of intoxication have subsided, it is time to start restorative therapy. The fact is that severe diarrhea disrupts the intestinal microflora no less than taking antibiotics, so in any case, during the rehabilitation period, you will need to take probiotics (Linex, Acipol, Hilak, Vetom, Bifidumbacterin, etc.), which help restore the beneficial microflora of the body.

Since not only water and electrolytes, but also other substances necessary for the body leave the body along with feces, vomiting and urine, patients are additionally prescribed vitamins and vitamin-mineral complexes, as well as immunostimulants, which will help the body to quickly restore its strength.

Medicines for fish poisoning

So, fish poisoning is usually treated with medication according to the following scheme: rehydration therapy to replenish water and mineral salts in the body, cleansing the gastrointestinal tract with sorbents, relieving pain in severe abdominal pain, restoring intestinal microflora. Antibiotics can be prescribed separately, which is rare in case of fish poisoning, and drugs to relieve symptoms of CNS dysfunction (anticonvulsants, nootropics, etc.).

" Gastrolit " is an oral drug for rehydration therapy, which is indicated for those who do not have severe vomiting, but have painful diarrhea. The drug is produced in the form of a powder, packaged in sachets. In addition to potassium and sodium salts, the drug contains chamomile extract, which has an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect, reducing pain symptoms and helping the gastrointestinal tract to recover faster.

Preparing the medicinal solution is easy. You need to dissolve the powder from the packet in a glass of hot water, after which the solution needs to be cooled to room temperature.

The dosage of the drug is calculated based on the patient's age and weight. During the first 4 hours, an increased dose of the solution is given. For children under 3 years of age, it is calculated as 50 ml per kilogram of the child's weight. Children over 3 years of age and adolescents are recommended to be given 0.5 liters. For adults, the dosage can be increased to 1 liter.

It is important to understand that this is not a single dose. A person should drink the recommended amount of solution within 4 hours. Then the drug is taken after each visit to the toilet if the stool remains liquid. Children under 3 years old are now given a solution in the amount of 10 ml per kg, older children and teenagers - 0.5-1 glass, adults - 1 glass (200 ml).

In what cases is it dangerous to take the drug? With excess potassium in the body (hyperkalemia), renal failure, allergic reaction to the components. Heart patients (hypertension and heart failure) and diabetics should be careful due to the glucose content in the powder.

Side effects of the drug are rare. These may include allergic reactions or the development of hyperkalemia.

"Trisol" is the same rehydrant, but in the form of an intravenous solution that contains water for injection, as well as sodium and potassium salts. The drug can be administered both drip-feeding into the system and jet-feeding as an injection. Injection of the drug is practiced in extremely severe situations, for example, in the development of infectious-toxic shock or metabolic acidosis.

Jet injection of the drug is carried out over 1-3 hours. The solution should approach body temperature (from 36 to 38 degrees).

During the first hour of rehydration therapy, the patient's body must be administered an amount of the drug equal to 8-10% of the patient's body weight.

As soon as the patient's condition has improved slightly, jet injection is replaced by intravenous injection. This treatment is carried out for 1-2 days. The rate of administration of the drug should be between 40 and 120 drops per minute.

During rehydration therapy, it is necessary to monitor the balance of lost and incoming fluid. Measurements are taken at 6-hour intervals.

The drug cannot be prescribed in case of excess potassium and sodium (hyperkalemia and hypernatremia), increased chlorine content in the blood (hyperchloremia), excessive water content in the body and edema syndrome, alkalization of the body (metabolic alkalosis), severe pathologies of the heart and kidneys, as a result of which their work is disrupted. The drug is also not prescribed if there is a risk of cerebral or pulmonary edema.

Rare side effects include excess potassium and high blood pH.

"Polysorb" is a well-known enterosorbent in the form of a powder based on silicon dioxide. Such preparations have the maximum sorption capacity, i.e. the volume of toxins removed from the body is higher than that of drugs based on coal, lignin or clay. In addition, "Polysorb" helps to preserve vitamins in the body, removing them in smaller quantities than other sorbents.

Before use, the powder is diluted in water (a quarter or half a glass). The dose is calculated in accordance with the patient's body weight, remembering that 1 teaspoon will contain about 1 g of powder, and a tablespoon will contain 2.5-3 times more. The spoon should be heaped.

What is good about Polysorb is that it can be given to children from birth. For infants up to 10 kg, the drug is prescribed in a dosage of 0.5-1.5 grams per day, diluting the powder in 1/5-1/4 glass of water. For children weighing up to 20 kg, the minimum dosage (0.5 g) is prescribed in one go.

Children weighing 20 to 30 kg should consume 1 g of powder at a time, previously diluted in ¼-1/3 glass of water.

For patients weighing between 30-40 kg, 2 g of the preparation is diluted in half a glass of water. For those weighing less than 60 kg, 2.5-3 g of powder diluted in ½ a glass of water should be taken per dose. If the victim weighs more than 60 kg, the single dose of powder can be increased to 6 grams (2 tablespoons).

If we are talking about a food allergy, for example, when eating mackerel fish, it is recommended to take the prepared suspension with food or immediately after eating for 1.5-2 weeks.

If the cause of the illness is fish poisoning, then first the stomach is washed with a solution of the drug (2-4 g of powder is taken per liter of water), and then the suspension is taken orally. Treatment usually takes 3-5 days.

If an intestinal infection was diagnosed after eating fish, the prepared suspension should be taken regularly at 1-hour intervals during the first day. On the second day, the frequency of administration will be 4 times a day. Treatment continues for 5 to 7 days.

Taking the calculated dose of the medicine is recommended in most cases 3 times a day, but in case of intestinal infections, you can add 4 times to definitely do without taking antibiotics.

The drug is not prescribed in case of hypersensitivity to its composition, in case of exacerbation of peptic ulcer, in case of wounds on the intestinal mucosa, in case of intestinal obstruction. It is prescribed with caution to infants.

In some cases, taking the sorbent was accompanied by constipation, and even more rarely, allergic reactions.

"Filtrum" is a natural non-toxic sorbent based on lignin (obtained by hydrolysis of wood) with a demonstrative name that speaks for itself. It is produced in the form of tablets, which is not typical for most enterosorbents. One tablet contains 400 mg of the active substance.

Before use, the tablets are crushed into powder and mixed with water or simply washed down with it. The medicine should be taken an hour before meals. After taking sorbents, other medicines can also be taken no earlier than an hour later.

Infants are given half a tablet at a time. For children aged one to three years, the dose can be increased to 1 tablet or left minimal. Children under 7 years old should take 400 mg at a time, and those under 12 years old can be given 400-800 mg. A single dose for older patients ranges from 800-1200 mg (2-3 tablets).

The medicine should be taken 3 or 4 times a day. Acute poisoning is treated for 3-5 days. If we are talking about chronic intoxication or allergic reactions to fish, the therapy can last for 2-3 weeks and may require repeated courses.

Contraindications for use and side effects are identical to those of the drug "Polysorb".

"Spazmil" is one of the popular antispasmodics that can be prescribed for spasmodic pains in the stomach and intestines, which often occur with fish poisoning or stale food. The drug is good because it contains both an antispasmodic and an analgesic.

The drug is prescribed to patients over 15 years old in a daily dosage of 1-2 tablets for no more than 5 days. The drug should be taken after meals, which will reduce irritation of the gastric mucosa. The tablets are washed down with water (half a glass).

The drug helps well with smooth muscle spasms and can even reduce the severity of neurological symptoms, but it is not entirely safe, since it has a decent list of contraindications. Among them we find: hypersensitivity to the drug, bone marrow and blood diseases, severe liver and kidney pathologies that reduce their functionality, decreased tone of the gallbladder or urinary bladder. The drug is not prescribed for tachycardia, glaucoma, prostate diseases with urinary retention, intestinal obstruction, consistently low blood pressure, bronchial asthma, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Taking the drug may be accompanied by skin rash and irritation, allergic and anaphylactic reactions, asthma attacks, dyspepsia and abdominal pain, exacerbation of gastric diseases. Tachycardia and a noticeable increase in blood pressure, fainting, changes in blood composition, impaired vision and accommodation, kidney failure, hypohidrosis are possible.

"Linex" is a drug that will help restore normal intestinal microflora after diarrhea caused by fish poisoning. This is a product based on lacto- and bifidobacteria. It is available in capsules with powder. It is an antidiarrheal microbial drug.

The dosage of the drug depends on the patient's age. Children under 2 years old are given 1 capsule of the drug per dose. A single dose for children under 12 years old can be 1-2 capsules. Patients over 12 years old are recommended to take 2 capsules. The frequency of administration is stable and is 3 times a day.

Small children have difficulty swallowing capsules, so an exception can be made for them by pouring the powder from the capsule into a teaspoon filled with sweet water or tea. This should be done immediately before taking the medicine.

The drug is taken during meals to reduce the negative impact of acidic gastric juice on lactobacilli. Alcohol should be avoided. The drug should not be washed down with hot liquids.

The drug can be prescribed even during diarrhea; if after 2 days of taking the capsules the stool does not return to normal, you should consult your doctor again.

The drug is not prescribed only in case of individual sensitivity to it. And side effects are possible only in the form of mild allergic reactions.

The list and description of drugs that can help with fish poisoning can be continued. But it is important to remember that the doctor prescribes medications based on the cause of the poisoning, the patient's condition, any chronic and acute pathologies, the clinical picture and some other factors, so it is simply impossible to predict the list of prescribed drugs in advance.

Treatment at home before the doctor arrives should not include taking antibiotics, painkillers, antipyretics or other medications. Antiemetics and stool-fixing agents are generally prohibited in case of poisoning. Only enterosorbents and medications that replenish the volume of fluid and electrolytes in the body are allowed. If the poisoning is mild (there is practically no severe pain or vomiting, and diarrhea is moderate) and the doctor was not called, then in this case, sorbents alone should be enough, and dehydration can be combated by adjusting the drinking regimen, i.e. drinking more water.

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Folk remedies

But what the patient will not be limited in is the possibilities of folk treatment. Many folk recipes are universal and are suitable for both bacterial poisoning and toxic damage. But again, their use can show decent results only in the case of mild poisoning. In case of poisoning with strong poisons (botulinum toxin, teradotoxin, etc.), it is not recommended to tempt fate by practicing folk recipes. And in case of severe bacterial poisoning, folk medicine recipes are best used as additional means.

One of the universal remedies for any food poisoning is clay. Of all its types that can be found on sale, white clay has the best sorbent properties due to its silicon content. To prepare the medicine, take 1 tbsp. of clay powder and mix it with a glass of water.

In case of fish poisoning, take this medicine after washing the stomach. In addition to its sorption properties, it has an enveloping effect and prevents the absorption of toxins into the blood.

Eating mackerel fish causes severe allergic reactions. To somehow reduce itching and prevent the spread of the rash, you can make soda baths by adding 400 g of soda to the bathing water. The procedure should be done twice a day.

Ashes formed after burning wood can be used for the same purposes. Ashes are boiled with water, infused and filtered. The body covered with rash is washed with alkaline water several times during the day.

Chicory can be used as an antidote for mild fish poisoning. The root of the plant has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, quickly removes toxins, normalizes metabolism, and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Chicory powder can be purchased at any grocery store.

1 tbsp of healing powder is added to a glass of hot water and poured into a thermos. When the drink is infused, it is drunk in 4 doses. The medicine should be taken 30 minutes before meals.

Unfortunately, this treatment is not suitable for patients with gastritis, varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Cinnamon can also be used as a natural sorbent, which can also relieve painful spasms in the intestines. This spice powder is also available at many retail outlets. Here, take only ½ teaspoon of powder per glass of boiling water. The infusion can be consumed after 15 minutes, warm, little by little. The daily dose is no more than 7 glasses.

In herbal treatment, dill, marshmallow, yarrow, and wormwood occupy a special place. Dill water (a decoction of 1 teaspoon of the seeds of the spicy plant and 1.5 glasses of water) makes vomiting less painful, and when flavored with honey, it also helps remove toxins. You need to drink about a liter of this drink per day.

Marshmallow roots help the body to restore strength to fight the disease (1/2 teaspoon of crushed raw material is infused in ¾ cup of boiling water for half an hour). The medicine is taken 4 times a day. Single dose - 1 tbsp.

You can also make a healthy tea from the leaves and flowers of the plant and drink it three times a day.

Wormwood and yarrow are used in combination to remove toxins. Mix the dry raw materials in equal proportions. Take 2 teaspoons of the herbal mixture per 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave for a quarter of an hour. After straining, drink the medicine throughout the day in small doses.

When preparing the potion, we try to maintain the proportions, not forgetting that wormwood in large doses is a rather poisonous plant.

Homeopathy

In cases of food poisoning, which includes fish poisoning, the list of drugs that the victim can take before consulting a doctor is very limited, and folk remedies are effective as an auxiliary component. However, experts recommend using some homeopathic remedies without fear when the first signs of poisoning appear. Taking them will not affect the diagnostic picture, but will help stop the intoxication and reduce the intensity of its symptoms.

In case of poisoning by fish and seafood, you can use the help of 6 homeopathic preparations, which can be taken individually or in combination:

Arsenicum album is a medicine that is effective in cases of poisoning with any animal food. It is worth paying attention to it first of all when nausea, vomiting, spasmodic pains, frequent urge to defecate (the stool has a foul odor and contains particles of undigested food), which usually occur during a meal, severe weakness, fear of death.

Pulsatilla is a drug that is effective in cases of poisoning by stale fish, which is accompanied by heaviness in the stomach, pain in the epigastrium, dyspepsia, and diarrhea. The same drug will help alleviate the condition of diarrhea caused by eating oily or other fatty fish.

Carbo vegetabilis is one of the best medicines for fish poisoning and overeating fatty foods, when there is severe bloating, rumbling, spasmodic pain in the epigastrium, severe weakness, as a result of which the person is covered in cold sweat. The pulse weakens, cyanosis of the face and blueness of the lips are noted.

Cinchona is a homeopathic remedy used for flatulence, severe diarrhea and vomiting, fever and intense thirst that occur as a result of fish poisoning. The person becomes overly sensitive to touch due to increased excitability of the nervous system, and signs of dehydration appear.

In general, quinine is considered the best medicine for dehydration. Its use is possible both during diarrhea and vomiting, and after the symptoms have ceased.

Lycopodium is a medicine that is needed in case of poisoning or allergy to fish and seafood, for example, in case of poisoning with mackerel meat. In this case, the patient will have both symptoms of an allergic reaction (skin hyperemia, itching, rashes) and signs of a digestive disorder (vomiting, belching, diarrhea, etc.).

Nux vomica is a fairly popular drug, the use of which will alleviate the patient's condition in case of any food poisoning, including fish poisoning, if there are symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, painful intestinal spasms, stomach pain, and fever.

In case of mild poisoning, these medications will help to avoid hospitalization, but in case of severe intoxication, you should not rely on them alone. Treatment of serious intoxications at home using alternative medicine very often ends in tears.

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