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There are three commonly household spices that can be abuse/misused or cause toxicity after exposure.
Pure vanilla extract contains at least 35% ethanol by volume per US Food and Drug Administration standards
- Results in alcohol intoxication
- Ingestion of 1.3 mL/kg in child will result in blood ethanol concentration of 100 mg/dL
Nutmeg contains myristicin – serotonergic agonist that possess psychomimetic properties.
- Typical recreational dose: 5-30 gm. (tablespoon of ground nutmeg: 7 gm).
Clinical effects:
- GI symptoms: nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain
- Cardiovascular: hypertension and tachycardia
- CNS: hallucination, paranoia, seizure
- Others: flushing, mydriasis
Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde and eugenol – local irritants.
- Can cause contact dermatitis and ulceration from topical application
- Inhalation of cinnamon can result in chronic and significant pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis
References
Johnson-Arbor K et al. Stoned on spices: a mini-review of three commonly abuse housenold spices. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2020.1840579