Be cautious with medicinal plants from the forest.

Patients are treated with traditional medicine at the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Medicine.

On November 21, 2025, the Department of Intensive Care and Poison Control, Provincial General Hospital received a 60-year-old patient in a state of fatigue, mild difficulty breathing, yellow mucous membranes, epigastric pain and dark red urine. A few days before, due to constipation, the patient went to the market to buy herbal medicine and drank a cup of leaf water as instructed by the seller. Immediately after, abnormal signs appeared and quickly worsened. Examination results showed that the patient had hemolysis due to herbal medicine poisoning, acute liver failure with hematuria and required blood transfusion and fluid infusion for treatment. Through investigation, the patient used the leaves of the Loc Mai tree - a wild plant used by people to treat constipation but is toxic if taken in large doses. This is also the second case hospitalized in the department due to Loc Mai leaf poisoning.

The above patient case is a clear warning about the risks of using medicinal plants and leaves to treat diseases. In fact, in recent years, medical facilities in the area have received many cases of poisoning due to eating or using wild plants to treat diseases, from digestive disorders, liver and kidney damage to serious complications requiring emergency care.

Specialist Doctor Nguyen Thanh Do, Deputy Head of the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poison, Provincial General Hospital, said: From 2024 to now, the department has received nearly 20 cases of poisoning related to the arbitrary use of forest plants, traditional medicine leaves or herbs of unknown toxicity. Among these, many patients were hospitalized in serious condition, including cases of acute liver failure, acute kidney failure, arrhythmia, impaired consciousness, and even life-threatening. Of these, about 5 cases required intensive care, including blood filtration and multi-organ support.

“Through treating poisoning cases, we have found that people often make some common mistakes. Firstly, they believe in word of mouth experiences without verifying them, using leaves, roots, and tubers according to advice without knowing clearly about toxicity or safe dosage. Secondly, they confuse healthy plants with poisonous plants because many types have similar shapes, especially when people pick them in the forest or buy them from unlicensed places. Thirdly, they overdose or combine many types of herbs, drinking concentrated decoctions leading to interactions and increased toxicity. Finally, many people treat themselves at home when symptoms appear, only going to the hospital when they become serious,” added Dr. Nguyen Thanh Do.

For a long time, in many remote villages of the province, many people still have the habit of using forest leaves to treat diseases and care for wounds. Many people believe that traditional medicine is of natural origin, so it is "benign", and if it does not cure the disease, it does not cause harm. However, in reality, besides the plants that have medicinal properties, there are also many types that contain strong toxins, which can damage the liver, kidneys, and even threaten life if used incorrectly.

With more than 30 years of experience in picking and preparing medicinal herbs, Ms. Hua Thi Phon, Son Hong block, Ky Lua ward, shared: There are many wild plants, the names are different in each region, and some look similar but have very different uses. There are plants that can be used as medicine for a little while, but if used too much, they become poisonous. People who do not know, just hear word of mouth and randomly pick them, it is easy to make mistakes. I have been in the forest for many years and have to carefully examine the leaves, stems, resin, and smell before daring to pick them. It is very dangerous for people who are not experts to use wild herbs on their own, sometimes treating themselves can even make them sicker.

To prevent the risk of poisoning from herbs, the health sector recommends that people be especially careful when using medicinal plants: absolutely do not use plants, leaves, roots of unknown name, origin or have not been verified for toxicity; do not arbitrarily pick wild plants to drink or apply without professional knowledge; do not believe in word of mouth information or personal experience, if there is a need to use, consult a traditional medicine doctor or pharmacist for safety instructions.

For people with chronic diseases, doctors advise not to arbitrarily stop taking medication to switch to traditional medicine, because changing or combining drugs must be under professional guidance. If after using medicinal plants, herbs, there are unusual signs such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc., people need to go to the nearest medical facility for examination, emergency care and timely treatment, to avoid serious complications that may occur.

The arbitrary use of wild plants or herbal medicines is more risky than people think, especially when the toxicity of many plants has not been fully identified. Therefore, everyone needs to be vigilant, follow professional instructions and not use herbs without the guidance of a doctor. This is the most practical way to protect the health of yourself, your family and the community from the risk of poisoning from wild plants.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/than-trong-voi-cay-thuoc-rung-5067075.html