Nicotine Poisoning: Overdose, Symptoms, And Treatment - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeEverything You Need to Know About Nicotine Poisoning

Medically reviewed by Philip Ngo, PharmD — Written by Kristeen Cherney — Updated on October 31, 2023

Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
Outlook
FAQ
Takeaway

Nicotine poisoning refers to toxicity related to nicotine products, such as cigarettes and vapes. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and headaches. In some cases, nicotine poisoning can be life threatening.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance naturally found in tobacco.

Nicotine poisoning is a relatively rare occurrence. However, it’s become more prevalent in recent years due to new nicotine products, such as electronic cigarettes (vapes) and pure liquid nicotine.

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), vapes and pure liquid nicotine contain higher amounts of nicotine. This can increase your risk of nicotine poisoning.

The increase in nicotine poisoning in the past decade is also associated with the time vapes became available to the general public in 2007, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC).

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for nicotine poisoning.

Symptoms

Nicotine primarily affects the heart and central nervous system, regardless of the amount you use. Too much nicotine can lead to toxicity.

According to the ALA, symptoms of toxicity may occur in two phases after ingesting nicotine.

Minutes after consuming nicotine	Symptoms
15 to 60 minutes	• nausea• vomiting• increased blood pressure• abnormal heart rate (arrhythmia)• dizziness• hypersalivation• confusion• headache
30 minutes to 4 hours	• diarrhea• shallow breathing• slower heartbeat• lower blood pressure• loss of appetite• extreme fatigue• weakness

When to seek emergency medical care

Get immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms after consuming nicotine:

seizures
respiratory failure
cardiac arrest
breathing difficulties
coma

It’s also important to get emergency medical care for a child who has been exposed to nicotine. The most common symptoms of nicotine poisoning for children are nausea and vomiting.

In some cases, nicotine exposure is fatal. This may be due to:

paralysis of the muscles that control breathing
fluid build-up in your airways
heart failure

Causes

Nicotine is found in varying quantities in the following products:

cigarettes
snuff
electronic cigarettes (vapes)
nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, such as gums, lozenges, and inhalers
cigars
chewing tobacco
some insecticides

The lethal amount of nicotine in adults is 30–60 milligrams (mg) of nicotine, according to a 2013 review. Since there’s up to 14.5 mg of nicotine in a cigarette, you might think that smoking 4 cigarettes could kill you.

However, nicotine poisoning fatalities caused by smoking cigarettes are rare in adults. This is because the human body only absorbs 1–1.5 mg of nicotine from a cigarette.

The majority of nicotine poisoning cases are caused by electronic cigarettes or liquid nicotine.

The authors of a 2019 study found that doses between 1.6–100 mg caused nicotine poisoning.

In children, being exposed to 1 mg of nicotine for 1 kg of body weight may be fatal. It’s crucial to prevent children from being exposed to nicotine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are four methods of exposure:

inhalation
ingestion
skin contact
bodily fluid exposure

Treatment

Treatment for nicotine poisoning depends on the type and severity of your symptoms. It usually requires treatment at the hospital.

Some of the following treatments may be prescribed:

activated charcoal
intravenous fluid (IV) medication
ventilator
benzodiazepines
atropine

Other treatments may be necessary depending on the damage done to your body.

Prevention

The best way to prevent nicotine poisoning is to quit vaping, smoking, or using any products that contain nicotine.

The following measures can also help you minimize your risk:

Protect your skin, especially when using liquid nicotine.
Dispose of all nicotine products properly.
Store nicotine products properly when not in use.
Always keep nicotine products away from children.
Make sure you don’t leave out any containers with tobacco or nicotine residue on them.

Speak with a healthcare professional if you need more advice on how best to dispose of your nicotine products.

Outlook

It’s important to get medical attention as soon as possible if you experience nicotine poisoning. According to the CDC, most people who receive prompt treatment fully recover without any complications.

However, in rare cases, death may occur.

Poison control center

Nicotine poisoning should be treated like any other type of poisoning.

If you or someone you’re with is experiencing nicotine toxicity, call the poison control center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. The center is open 24/7 to answer questions and offer advice for possible toxicity to a variety of substances.

Frequently asked questions

Is it rare to get nicotine poisoning?

Nicotine poisoning is rare. However, the number of cases is rising each year due to more people using electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine. The AAPCC has recorded nearly 6,000 cases in 2023 as of September.

How long does nicotine poisoning last?

According to the CDC, symptoms of nicotine poisoning may last 1–2 hours after mild exposure. In cases of severe exposure, symptoms may last 18–24 hours or fatality may occur within 1 hour of exposure.

Is nicotine a powerful poison?

Nicotine can be extremely harmful, especially for children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 teaspoon of liquid nicotine can be fatal for a 1-year-old child.

Takeaway

Nicotine poisoning is rare. However, cases are slowly rising due to more people smoking electronic cigarettes or using liquid nicotine.

The best way to prevent nicotine poisoning is to cease smoking or using tobacco products.

If you experience nicotine poisoning, get immediate medical attention. With early intervention, the condition is most often cured and you can live without any complications.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Ahmed AR. (2022). A review of electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine poisoning exposure cases in the United States.https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jpps/index.php/JPPS/article/view/33141/21698
Chang JT, et al. (2019). National estimates of poisoning events related to liquid nicotine in young children treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2013–2017.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6582692/
E-cigarettes and liquid nicotine. (2023). https://poisoncenters.org/track/ecigarettes-liquid-nicotine
Korioth T. (2015). Liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes can kill children. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/article/36/2/28/7234/Liquid-nicotine-used-in-e-cigarettes-can-kill?autologincheck=redirected
Mayer B. (2013). How much nicotine kills a human? Tracing back the generally accepted lethal dose to dubious self-experiments in the nineteenth century.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880486/
Nicotine: Systemic agent. (2011). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/EmergencyResponseCard_29750028.html
What it means to be “nic-sick.” (2023).https://www.lung.org/blog/nic-sick

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Medically reviewed by Philip Ngo, PharmD — Written by Kristeen Cherney — Updated on October 31, 2023

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