What Are the Dangers of Belladonna?

Identification

• Belladonna is a 2- to 3-foot-tall shrub with dark green foliage and bell-shaped, purple to brown flowers that bloom from June to August. The leaves are opposite or alternate and appear in pairs of unequal sizes. The leaves are also thin and hairy with smooth edges, and give off an unpleasant smell when bruised. The fruits of the belladonna plant are purplish-black berries and about 1/2 inch in diameter. The sap of the belladonna plant is red.

Poisonous Parts

• Belladonna plants contain tropane alkaloids, such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which are chemical compounds that can be extremely toxic to people and animals. Tropane alkaloids can affect your nervous system, blocking functions, such as sweating, salivation, urination and digestion. The alkaloid content of the belladonna plant varies depending on the developmental stage of the plant. It is low when the plant is flowering and high when bearing green fruit. The highest concentration of alkaloids is in the roots, but all parts are toxic. In yards, the berries pose the greatest danger because their sweet taste and purplish-black color attract children and pets.

Medical Complications

• Ingesting any part of the belladonna plant can cause complications for people with existing medical conditions. For example, it may cause rapid heartbeat, which can make congestive heart failure worse. Belladonna can also increase the temperature in those already suffering with fever to dangerous levels. Belladonna can intensify constipation and stomach ulcers, and it may slow the emptying of the intestines, which causes your body to retain bacteria and viruses that can cause gastrointestinal tract infections. This can also worsen obstructive gastrointestinal tract diseases such as paralytic ileus and stenosis.

Drug Interactions

• The toxic chemicals in the belladonna plant affect the brain and the heart, and they can have a drying effect, which may cause problems with other medications. For example, ingesting belladonna while taking drying medications called anticholinergic drugs, which include drugs that contain atropine, scopolamine, antihistamines and antidepressants, can lead to dry skin, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure or overdose.

Absorption Through the Skin

• While ingesting any part of the belladonna plant can be deadly, it is also dangerous to handle the plant with your bare hands. This exposes you to the toxins within the plant, because the sap may be absorbed through the skin, typically through cuts on your hands. This leads to severe dermatitis and if enough is absorbed, you may experience more serious symptoms that are similar to those caused by ingestion of the plant.

Poisoning

• Side effects of ingesting belladonna can lead to symptoms of poisoning caused by the toxic chemicals it contains. These symptoms include enlarged pupils, blurred vision, skin dryness and redness, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, fever, difficulty swallowing, burning in the throat, vomiting, and the inability to urinate or sweat. In cases of severe poisoning or overdose, you may also experience hallucinations, delirium, convulsions, spasms, coma and death due to respiratory failure. If you suspect that you or someone else has ingested belladonna, contact your local emergency number or National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.