What will happen if you drink dettol accidentally ? Have you guys heard on social media that some people are consuming dettol in order to prevent themselves from corona virus. I recently got an update about it and I feel that I should write about this topic so that people will get updated with proper information. It is so concerning and dangerous so guys please do not drink dettol or any other antiseptics.

What is dettol ?

Dettol is a brand of cleaning supplies, disinfectant and antiseptic which are available in many forms like Soaps, Hand washes, Shaving Creams, dish and slab gel, disinfectant liquid, Antiseptic liquid, etc. But in this article I will talk about Dettol Antiseptic Liquid.

Dettol antiseptic liquid is concentrated yellow liquid acts as a disinfectant which protects your body from germs and bacteria, you can apply it on your wounds, cuts, injuries, scratches, and insect bites in order to provide yourself from any type of infection or illness.

Composition of Dettol antiseptic liquid :

Dettol antiseptic liquid consists of inactive and active ingredients. Inactive components are non-medicinal components which are generally used to give color to dettol, for transport purpose and to stabilize the dettol which includes caramel, iso-propyl alcohol, white pine oil, water.These ingredients don't have any pharmacological effects on the body only if you do not have any type of allergy of this ingredients. Active components are active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is the portion of a drug that has therapeutic effects on the body. It includes chloroxylenol (4.8 %) which makes dettol biologically active. This ingredient is highly toxic for some animals like fish, Cats, etc. It can be prove dangerous for humans too.

Effects of swallowed dettol :

1. Act as central nervous system depressant :

CNS depressants are responsible for slow brain activity by increasing activity of GABA, a chemical that slows brain activity.to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. You may also notice some Symptoms like seizures; shakiness; anxiety; agitation; insomnia; overactive reflexes; increased heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature; hallucinations; and severe cravings.The active components present in dettol are act as a CNS depressants and can cause drowsiness and even coma.

CNS depression: Symptoms, risks, and treatment

2.Effects on Gastrointestinal Mucosa :

The GI tract is the pathway food takes from your mouth, through the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine. In the GI tract, nutrients and water from foods are absorbed to help keep your body healthy. Dettol has a corrosive action on the gastrointestinal tract. Due to this minor gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurred in up to 6% of patients. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are common following ingestion. Diarrhea and minor gastrointestinal hemorrhage are less common.

3. Irritation in neck :

If we drink dettol then there will be chances of irritation in neck as it affect of mucosa around glottis and due to this you can face problems while swallowing food and water, you may vomit. You may also face difficulties in breathing as it can block your air passage.

4. Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome :

Swallowing dettol mostly affects on lungs so the most common risk of drinking dettol is adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia and sudden cardio respiratory arrest where you may face complications in respiration. Micro aspiration has been hypothesized to be the reason for delayed upper airway obstruction that may occur in totally asymptomatic patients up to 48 hrs after admission. ARDS causes fluid build up in the lungs making it hard form them to expand.

5. Responsible for Nephrotoxicity :

Nephrotoxicity is one of the most common kidney problems and occurs when your body is exposed to a drug or toxin that causes damage to your kidneys. When kidney damage occurs, you are unable to rid your body of excess urine, and wastes. It is also called as renal toxicity which has been reported when large amount of dettol is swallowed.

6. Responsible for Hepatotoxicity :

Hepatotoxicity implies chemical-driven liver damage. Drug-induced liver injury is a cause of acute and chronic liver disease. Liver toxicity manifestations are generally accompanied by nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, jaundice, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.

Important points about risk of dettol :

You can eat food that might have had a spray of Dettol Disinfectant Spray while being cooked only if you are not bacterium. The very worst that could happen (and it won't) would be that you might disturb the bacterial flora in your intestinal tract. This could lead to very mild diarrhea. Drink more water than you normally would, but don't worry.
If anyone or you drink dettol accidentally then first try to vomit and then consult to doctor without wasting time even if you vomit it out.
You can mix some drops of dettol in water during bathing as Antiseptic liquids not only kills bacteria on the skin but also kills bacteria that are in the water.
Never use antiseptics (such as Dettol or Savlon) in the bath water and/or to wash the genital area.
How much dettol we can drink ? and the answer is none. Its every drop will be prove dangerous for you.
Last but not least is please do not try to attempt suicide by drinking it. Your life is precious.

Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.