Elderberry Poisoning, (by sarah)
This weekend me, Jean and my mum and dad went back to Gloucestershire to do some cat sitting whilst Alaric remained in London slaving away. We arrived on the Saturaday and Jean was off having lots of fun in the garden with Barabara, I had just been in the Bakery trying to sort out the more than chaos that lies within when Barbara informed me that Jean had just been eating elderberries.
'Not raw?' I ask the first trickle of panic starting. The answer yes. I was sure that raw elderberries were poisonous but Barbara mantained they where not as she used to eat them and was always fine - this coming from the woman who is immuned to the ecoli that appeared in the spring water, I didnt think that was enough of a safe guard.
To my horror the computer stuff wasn't working in the Bakery and I couldn't find my books in the mess and mum and dad where assuring me that it was fine, but Jean had eaten something I was possitive was poisonous and I had no resorces to tell me how toxic it was - would she just have a jippy tummy? Did I need to get her to causulty asap? I didn't think that the second one was that lickily but I couldnt be sure so I phoned Al and got him to look it up on the internet - yes they were posionous so I got him to look up NHS directs number and phoned them (normally we have all those sorts of numbers by the phone downstairs but obviously that stuffs all been shifted along with my doctors contact details and all the rest of it 🙁
I got through to NHS direct where after I had to be passed on to nurse or someone becuase elderberries weren't on the low toxicity list, the next person found them on another list and every part of the plant is poisonous apart from the flowers - the berries are ok cooked. We didn't knwo how many she had actually eaten as Barbar said she'd picked a handful. Though it is tocix no one has ever been really ill from it I was told but if she started to go faint or complain of chest pain it was go to A&E and if we found out she'd eaten any leaves or stalks then do the same (the leaves contain alot more cyanide!).
I was told to expect some vomitting and mild diarrehea and to obsever her for the next 6 or so hours and then at intervals through the night.
You'll be pleased to know that I am a paranoid mother and Jean was fine apart from being grumpy and informing me, 'toes hurt' whilst pointing to her stomache! She didnt actually have any diarreha until the next day which she slept most of. She still seems a bit under the weather and it may well have nothing to do with the elderberries of which I am informed she probably only eat a few.
Sigh.
ps - elderberries cooked is fine hence I use them in jams and stuff so no one panic if you've got my hegdrow jam!
Tue 4th Sep 2007 12:47 pm 
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By Ian Dale, Wed 16th Sep 2009 @ 1:06 pm
European elderberries (Sambucus Nigra) are fine to eat and are not poisonous. The leaves, root and stem of the plant however are poisonous and should not be eaten. There are various American and Mexican varieties that are mildly poisonous if you eat large quantities. Elderberries can be used as a laxative if too many are eaten.
By sarah, Thu 17th Sep 2009 @ 9:42 am
The elderberries are slightly iffy if not ripe the problem was that I had no idea how much of the plant she had eaten and cooking is considered the safest way to eat the berries - as that breaks down any vestage of the poison. We use them in summer berry stuff, make wine with them and I make jam and stuff with them too - Barbara also eats buttercup seeds so I'm always on guard with what she shows Jean to eat as they are most definatly not edible!
Thanks though - she had an upset tummy but was fine