Apricot Seed Kernals and effects

stevierae · Jul 2, 2005

Had a woman present recently with tachycardia, n and v and feeling "revolting". Asked when symptoms commenced and she stated 1hr after eating. Asked what she ate and she said she had been fasting and had then eaten 30 apricot seed kernals that she had blended (for weight loss), at which point alarm bells began to ring. Patient went to resus, tachycardia settled blood gases where ok and she was d/c home after 8 hrs.
Has anyone else experienced this type of poisoning???

I think that apricot pits (as well as apple seeds) have either cyanide or orificenic in them; can't recall which. Of course, most people don't make it a habit to ingest large amounts of apple seeds, and never apricot pits, so it rarely presents a problem. Poison control, here, would be called for the antidote for either type of poisoning.

I seem to recall that when Laetrile (sp?) was a counterculture cancer treatment years ago----you had to go to Mexico to get it----there were some instances of toxicity, as Laetrile was made from apricot pits.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2005

I think that apricot pits (as well as apple seeds) have either cyanide or orificenic in them; can't recall which. Of course, most people don't make it a habit to ingest large amounts of apple seeds, and never apricot pits, so it rarely presents a problem. Poison control, here, would be called for the antidote for either type of poisoning.
I seem to recall that when Laetrile (sp?) was a counterculture cancer treatment years ago----you had to go to Mexico to get it----there were some instances of toxicity, as Laetrile was made from apricot pits.

I believe that it is cyanide.

I still see some cases of laetrile poisoning from people that went to Mexico for treatment. As well as people that get cardiac damage from overdoses of certain types of chemo.

As an aside, orificenic Trioxide is now being used to treat leukemia. But it requires very careful monitoring.

schoona · Jul 7, 2005

Thanks

We did ring poisons information which I did forget to say. There first comment was did we have an cyanide antidote kit!! Always an encouraging sign when they ask if you have antidote kits.

I think that apricot pits (as well as apple seeds) have either cyanide or orificenic in them; can't recall which. Of course, most people don't make it a habit to ingest large amounts of apple seeds, and never apricot pits, so it rarely presents a problem. Poison control, here, would be called for the antidote for either type of poisoning.
I seem to recall that when Laetrile (sp?) was a counterculture cancer treatment years ago----you had to go to Mexico to get it----there were some instances of toxicity, as Laetrile was made from apricot pits.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2005

I think that apricot pits (as well as apple seeds) have either cyanide or orificenic in them; can't recall which. Of course, most people don't make it a habit to ingest large amounts of apple seeds, and never apricot pits, so it rarely presents a problem. Poison control, here, would be called for the antidote for either type of poisoning.
I seem to recall that when Laetrile (sp?) was a counterculture cancer treatment years ago----you had to go to Mexico to get it----there were some instances of toxicity, as Laetrile was made from apricot pits.

Trying to swallow and or chew an apricot pit, I cant see why.

sounds to me that would be the PITs

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

BornRN · Jul 23, 2005

Yes, These seeds, along with apple seeds and cherry pits can be used to make cyanide. Interestingly enough. Many health food stores cell them. They are touted as a cancer preventative. In fact, one site claims that if you eat/ingest 7 apricot seeds per day, you will never get cancer. I believe that the pits/seeds are ground or pulverized to injest them. So you patient was grinding them -- same thing. I did not ever hear of using them for weight loss.

There are so many other herbs that care DANGEROUS, yet used by our patients.

So does your ER have a cyanide antidote kit?

BornRN.

Thanks
We did ring poisons information which I did forget to say. There first comment was did we have an cyanide antidote kit!! Always an encouraging sign when they ask if you have antidote kits.

HuggyPuglet · Jul 23, 2005

Had a woman present recently with tachycardia, n and v and feeling "revolting". Asked when symptoms commenced and she stated 1hr after eating. Asked what she ate and she said she had been fasting and had then eaten 30 apricot seed kernals that she had blended (for weight loss), at which point alarm bells began to ring. Patient went to resus, tachycardia settled blood gases where ok and she was d/c home after 8 hrs.
Has anyone else experienced this type of poisoning???

After reading your post my curiosity got the best of me and I did some browsing on the web searching for apricot seeds or kernels. I was amazed to see all the sites that offer them and tout their effectiveness against cancer and there are absolutely no warnings on any of them regarding any sort of toxic qualities. In my brief search I didn't see where any site claimed apricot kernels as a weight loss aid, but I did see where at least 2 of the sites claimed that the ingestion of apricot seeds was a source of B17 and was also a cancer preventative. I'm not convinced, especially after your story.

schoona · Jul 24, 2005

No, but one was available just 15mins away at a major teaching hospital, or as we like to refer to it "the mother ship".

Yes, These seeds, along with apple seeds and cherry pits can be used to make cyanide. Interestingly enough. Many health food stores cell them. They are touted as a cancer preventative. In fact, one site claims that if you eat/ingest 7 apricot seeds per day, you will never get cancer. I believe that the pits/seeds are ground or pulverized to injest them. So you patient was grinding them -- same thing. I did not ever hear of using them for weight loss.
There are so many other herbs that care DANGEROUS, yet used by our patients.
So does your ER have a cyanide antidote kit?
BornRN.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2005

After reading your post my curiosity got the best of me and I did some browsing on the web searching for apricot seeds or kernels. I was amazed to see all the sites that offer them and tout their effectiveness against cancer and there are absolutely no warnings on any of them regarding any sort of toxic qualities. In my brief search I didn't see where any site claimed apricot kernels as a weight loss aid, but I did see where at least 2 of the sites claimed that the ingestion of apricot seeds was a source of B17 and was also a cancer preventative. I'm not convinced, especially after your story.

There is a great deal of misinformation on the web about cancer and "herbal" therapies/"natural" therapies. And , no, many of the risks are not discussed.

Ever so often, someone comes on this site and tries to tout the herbal/natural/ "surefire"/complication free cancer cure. They generally don't last long.