The Black Sea’s poison; Mad Honey

Abstract

Honey and honey production have been an important source of revenue among the peoples of Anatolia throughout the course of history. Beekeeping is possible everywhere in Turkey thanks to its ecological and geographical features. The best known of these is the type popularly known as 'mad honey', the name of which appears in ancient texts, because of its effects on human beings. Its toxic effects are caused by the substance known as grayanotoxin in the flowers of "Rhododendron ponticum", known among the local inhabitants as the forest rose, which grows in high-altitude forested areas in the Black sea region of Turkey. Like other cholinergic toxidromes, treatment with intravenous atropine and normal saline infusion, can be life-saving in this poisoning.Citation: Tatli O. The Black sea's poison; Mad honey.

Mad honey: uses, intoxicating/poisoning effects, diagnosis, and treatment

“…36, 55,75 The afferent cardiac branches in the vagus nerves are stimulated, leading to tonic inhibition of the vasomotor centers, followed by reduction of sympathetic output, which ultimately causes bradycardia, hypotension, and peripheral vasodilation. 86,91,136 The patient might present chest heaviness or tightness and ST changes such as an increase in ST on ECG, imitating acute coronary syndromes. This is attributed to bradycardia and hypotension, resulting in a reduced supply of blood to the coronary artery bed, which in turn leads to reduced supply of oxygen to the myocardium.…”