Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Nov;56(6):582-4.
doi: 10.4103/0019-5049.104585.

A near fatal case of high dose peppermint oil ingestion- Lessons learnt

Affiliations

A near fatal case of high dose peppermint oil ingestion- Lessons learnt

Soumya S Nath et al. Indian J Anaesth. 2012 Nov.

Abstract

Peppermint oil is easily available as a constituent of medicines. A near fatal case due to ingestion of toxic dose of oral peppermint oil is being reported. The patient came in a comatosed state and was in shock. She was managed with mechanical ventilation and ionotropes. Her vital parameters reached normal within 8 hours and became conscious by 24 hours. The side effects of peppermint oil are considered to be mild but this case report warns that ingestion of oral toxic doses of peppermint oil could be dangerous.

Keywords: Menthol; peppermint; pulegone; toxicity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

References

    1. Herro E, Jacob SE. Mentha piperita (peppermint) Dermatitis. 2010;21:327–9. - PubMed
    1. Nair B. Final report on the safety assessment of Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf, and Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Water. Int J Toxicol. 2003;20(Suppl3):61–73. - PubMed
    1. Kligler B, Chaudhary S. Peppermint oil. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75:1027–30. - PubMed
    1. Behrends M, Beiderlinden M, Peters J. Acute lung injury after peppermint oil ingestion. Anesth Analg. 2005;101:1160–2. - PubMed
    1. Akdogan M, Ozguner M, Aydin G, Gokalp O. Investigation of biochemical and histopathological effects of Peppermint piperita Labiatae and Peppermint spicata labiatae on liver tissue in rats. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2004;23:21–8. - PubMed