Symptoms of Potato Plant Poisoning

This occurs when someone ingests the green tubers and sprouts of a potato plant. Potato plants are nearly vine-like sprawling plants, that get three feet tall with compound leaves. Tubers for these plants are modified stems and not roots. They have star-like blooms in clusters. Fruits are small green tomatoes with several seeds. The stems, leaves, and fruits are all poisonous. There are nearly 600 different varieties of the potato.

Poison

Potato plant poisoning comes from the ingesting of a compound found in the plant called solanine, which is very toxic. It is found throughout the plant but especially in tubers, sprouts, stems, leaves, and fruits. Potatoes without sprouts and without green are safe to eat.

Symptoms

The signs of a poisoning from green potato plants include vomiting, delirium, vision changes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dilated pupils, fever, headache, hallucinations, slowed breathing, slowed pulse, shock, paralysis, low body temperature, and loss of sensation.

Treatment

Call poison control and emergency healthcare immediately after realizing that you or someone has eaten poisonous parts of a potato plant. If you can, tell them when it was ingested, how much was eaten, and what parts. Emergency workers will monitor the symptoms and the vital signs of the one that ingested the plants. They may give IV fluids, breathing support, activated charcoal, or a gastric lavage to clear out the stomach.

Prognosis is good with only a rare death being reported. The faster that treatment is given after ingesting, the better the patient will be. This type of poisoning can also be called Solanum tuberosum poisoning.

Source: A.D.A.M., Floridata