Causes

• The most common causes of foxglove poisoning come from ingesting the leaves, flowers, stems and seeds of the plant, according to Dr. Jacob M. Heller of the United States National Library of Medicine. Foxgloves contain the poisonous ingredients deslanoside and digitalis glycoside. Digitalis glycoside is also used in heart medication. Taking the wrong dosage of this medication can cause the same symptoms as foxglove poisoning.
  
  

Symptoms

• Foxglove poisoning symptoms include blurred vision, loss of appetite, headache, nausea and vomiting. More severe symptoms include confusion, depression and hallucinations. People may experience visual halos, seeing a green, white or yellow ring around objects. Symptoms are often accompanied by a rash or the development of hives and weakness.
  
  

What to Do

• Should any of these symptoms develop, record the name, age and weight of the victim, as well as the amount of flower or medication ingested and when it was swallowed. Call the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 and give the poison center's dispatcher all of the relevant information. Follow the dispatcher's advice.
  
  

Treatment

• When the symptoms are severe or the poisoned person does not respond to initial at-home treatments, the National Capital Poison Center may urge the poisoned person to seek emergency care. ER doctors will treat a patient with activated charcoal, which helps treat the vomiting and stomach upset. They might insert a tube through the patient's mouth into her stomach to pump out the poison. Doctors will monitor a patient's vital signs and may use a temporary pacemaker to regulate the heartbeat and give fluid intravenously.