If a chemical or toxin has been ingested, seek a physician immediately! If you are reading this because someone has ingested a substance and you want to consider vomiting you should call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 first. Some substances can cause additional damage to your throat,esophagus and lungs if vomiting is induced. Be sure to read this article in its entirety.


Steps

1. Take the bottle with you so they can see what ingredients were ingested! Determine what was ingested and how much. If it is a medication or household poison, you should keep the bottle with you in case you need to reference ingredients, chemicals, or the concentration of the drugs.
2. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 in case of an overdose or poisoning! Contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 24 hours a day to speak to a poison specialist or contact a physician or emergency room before attempting to induce vomiting. You can also call your corresponding emergency number (911, 999,112,000...).
3. Attempt to induce vomiting only after you have been instructed to do so. Inducing vomiting can cause severe damage if done when not needed.
4. Verify that the patient is conscious enough to control their vomiting. You should never attempt to induce vomiting in someone who cannot sit upright or in someone who is in an altered level of consciousness. They could choke on the vomit.
5. Follow the instructions given by Poison Control. You may be asked to give Syrup of Ipecac as a remedy for poisoning. Give the appropriate amount for the size of the victim.
   • Ipecac is often found in larger household first aid kits or can be purchased in drug stores. It is not meant to be used regularly and can cause long term damage to the heart if deliberately abused .
   • You may be asked to follow the Ipecac with 1-2 glasses of water.
   • If vomiting does not occur, you can follow with a glass of room temperature soda or other carbonated beverage.
   • If syrup of Ipecac isn't available Poison Control may instruct you to mix a combination of luke warm water and hydrogen peroxide.
   • When vomiting begins, have the victim vomit into a plastic bag or basin. Avoid vomiting into a toilet; medical staff may wish to examine your vomit to see if pills or pill particles are mixed in, if there is blood or other characteristics.
   • Note that activated charcoal may interfere with the effectiveness of Ipecac.
6. Collect the vomit in a bag and take it to the emergency room, if you are going. The staff may need to examine the vomit to determine if all of the matter was expelled.
7. Never induce vomiting if someone has ingested a chemical or poison, unless instructed by a physician. Caustic chemicals may create chemical burns going down and will do the same coming back up.
8. Never induce vomiting if a foreign object has been swallowed without first consulting a physician. The item may be aspirated and cause more serious medical problems. If the item has jagged edges it may cause further irritation on emesis.
9. Children's vitamins are now flavored to taste like candy. An overdose on a candy flavored vitamin can still be deadly. Keep all medications away from children. Call your country's emergency number (911,999,112,000...) if you have any doubts.
10. Keep all medications and chemicals out of the reach of children. Candy flavorings entice children but children also mistake the flavoring for candy. Iron and vitamin overdoses are the most common causes of overdose deaths in small children.
11. Follow the instructions from a physician or poison control exactly. Seek medical attention immediately. You may be forced to administer treatment and allow the patient to vomit in a plastic bag on the way to the hospital.

Tips

• Monitor the condition of the victim after the vomiting, as vomiting may not remove all of the harmful substances from the body.
• Ipecac may not work if the material ingested has been absorbed by the system.
• Visit Poison.org to find details of the poison control centers in your area.
• Post the number for Poison Control near every phone in your home: 1-800-222-1222.
• Err on the side of caution and call 911 if you have any doubts.

Warnings

• Do not force yourself to throw up regularly, in an attempt to lose weight. This is extremely dangerous and harmful to your health. If you are that concerned about your weight, contact a professional and read:
  • How to Cope if you Want to Become Anorexic
  • How to Cope With Bulimia if you need advice on eating disorders.
• Use vomiting as a last resort in a life-or-death situation.
• Vomiting repeatedly can cause:
  • dehydration.
  • permanent damage to tooth enamel.
  • tearing or permanent damage to the esophagus.
• Serious allergic reactions can occur in some people who consume the ingredients in Ipecac.