BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuMethyl salicylate overdoseDeep heating rubs overdose; Oil of wintergreen overdoseMethyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) is a chemical that smells like wintergreen. It is used in many over-the-counter products, including muscle ache creams. It is related to aspirin. Methyl salicylate overdose occurs when someone swallows a dangerous amount of a product containing this substance. This can be by accident or on purpose.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with has an overdose, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.OverdoseAn overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Poisonous Ingredient Methyl salicylate can be poisonous in large amounts. Where Found These products contain methyl salicylate:Deep-heating creams used to relieve sore muscles and joints (Ben Gay, Icy Hot) Deep-heating creamsSports creams are creams or ointments used to treat aches and pains. Sports cream overdose can occur if someone uses this product on open skin (such...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Oil of wintergreen Solutions for vaporizers MouthwashOther products may also contain methyl salicylate. Symptoms Below are symptoms of a methyl salicylate overdose in different parts of the body.BLADDER AND KIDNEYSKidney failure -- decreased or no urine output Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...Read Article Now Book Mark Article EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATEye irritation -- burning, redness, tearing, pain, light sensitivity Loss of vision (from ulcers of the cornea) Ringing in the ears Ringing in the earsTinnitus is the medical term for "hearing" noises in your ears. It occurs when there is no outside source of the sounds. Tinnitus is often called "r...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Throat swelling HEART AND BLOODCollapse CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Low blood pressure LUNGS AND AIRWAYSDifficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article No breathing No breathingBreathing that stops from any cause is called apnea. Slowed breathing is called bradypnea. Labored or difficult breathing is known as dyspnea....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rapid breathingRapid breathingHyperventilation is rapid and deep breathing. It is also called overbreathing, and it may leave you feeling breathless.Read Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMAgitation, confusion, hallucinations AgitationAgitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HallucinationsHallucinations involve sensing things such as visions, sounds, or smells that seem real but are not. These things are created by the mind.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Deafness Dizziness DizzinessDizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Drowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Headache HeadacheA headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article SeizuresSeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article STOMACH AND INTESTINESNausea NauseaNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting, possibly bloody VomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG)ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine to reverse stomach inflammation and bleeding, breathing problems, and other symptoms Activated charcoal Laxative Tube through the mouth into the stomach if vomiting contains blood Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator) VentilatorA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney dialysis in serious cases Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much salicylate is in the blood and how quickly treatment is received. The faster the medical help is given, the better the chance is for recovery.Most people can recover if the effect of the salicylate can be stopped.Internal bleeding is possible, and blood transfusion may be needed. Endoscopy, or passing a tube with a camera through the mouth into the stomach, may be needed to stop internal bleeding.EndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Methyl salicylate is the most poisonous form of the salicylate type of chemicals.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Salicylates, topical. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:293.Hatten BW. Aspirin and nonsteroidal agents. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 139.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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Methyl salicylate overdoseDeep heating rubs overdose; Oil of wintergreen overdoseMethyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) is a chemical that smells like wintergreen. It is used in many over-the-counter products, including muscle ache creams. It is related to aspirin. Methyl salicylate overdose occurs when someone swallows a dangerous amount of a product containing this substance. This can be by accident or on purpose.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with has an overdose, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.OverdoseAn overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Poisonous Ingredient Methyl salicylate can be poisonous in large amounts. Where Found These products contain methyl salicylate:Deep-heating creams used to relieve sore muscles and joints (Ben Gay, Icy Hot) Deep-heating creamsSports creams are creams or ointments used to treat aches and pains. Sports cream overdose can occur if someone uses this product on open skin (such...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Oil of wintergreen Solutions for vaporizers MouthwashOther products may also contain methyl salicylate. Symptoms Below are symptoms of a methyl salicylate overdose in different parts of the body.BLADDER AND KIDNEYSKidney failure -- decreased or no urine output Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...Read Article Now Book Mark Article EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATEye irritation -- burning, redness, tearing, pain, light sensitivity Loss of vision (from ulcers of the cornea) Ringing in the ears Ringing in the earsTinnitus is the medical term for "hearing" noises in your ears. It occurs when there is no outside source of the sounds. Tinnitus is often called "r...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Throat swelling HEART AND BLOODCollapse CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Low blood pressure LUNGS AND AIRWAYSDifficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article No breathing No breathingBreathing that stops from any cause is called apnea. Slowed breathing is called bradypnea. Labored or difficult breathing is known as dyspnea....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rapid breathingRapid breathingHyperventilation is rapid and deep breathing. It is also called overbreathing, and it may leave you feeling breathless.Read Article Now Book Mark Article NERVOUS SYSTEMAgitation, confusion, hallucinations AgitationAgitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HallucinationsHallucinations involve sensing things such as visions, sounds, or smells that seem real but are not. These things are created by the mind.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Deafness Dizziness DizzinessDizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Drowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Headache HeadacheA headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article SeizuresSeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article STOMACH AND INTESTINESNausea NauseaNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting, possibly bloody VomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.Vital signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG)ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment may include:Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicine to reverse stomach inflammation and bleeding, breathing problems, and other symptoms Activated charcoal Laxative Tube through the mouth into the stomach if vomiting contains blood Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator) VentilatorA ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney dialysis in serious cases Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much salicylate is in the blood and how quickly treatment is received. The faster the medical help is given, the better the chance is for recovery.Most people can recover if the effect of the salicylate can be stopped.Internal bleeding is possible, and blood transfusion may be needed. Endoscopy, or passing a tube with a camera through the mouth into the stomach, may be needed to stop internal bleeding.EndoscopyEndoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Methyl salicylate is the most poisonous form of the salicylate type of chemicals.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Salicylates, topical. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:293.Hatten BW. Aspirin and nonsteroidal agents. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 139.