Atropa belladonna Facts
Deliriant;
Description
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna L., Solanaceae) is a perennial plant whose leaves, roots, and berries all contain potent anticholinergic poisons. Its two principal alkaloids — atropine and scopolamine — block acetylcholine signaling throughout the brain and body.[1] This blockade disrupts the autonomic nervous system, producing delirium rather than insight.
Subjective effects include true hallucinations indistinguishable from reality, profound amnesia, confused thinking, and complete loss of insight into the intoxicated state. The experience is not meaningfully controllable — users interact with absent people and shadow figures without recognizing they are intoxicated.
No dependence syndrome has been documented; the consistently terrifying and dysphoric character of the experience limits repeated use. The acute toxicity risk is critical — the safety threshold sits at just 0.016 µg/kg body weight,[2] and the margin between pharmacological effect and life-threatening poisoning is exceptionally narrow.
Dose and duration
No dose or duration recorded for any route.
Body and dependence
- Acute toxicity
- Critical
- Chronic toxicity
- Not assessed
- Physical dependence
- None
- Psychological dependence
- Negligible
- Withdrawal
- None recorded
- Compulsive redosing
- Negligible
Tolerance
- Builds
- Not recorded
- Fully resets after
- Not recorded
- Carries over to
- atropine;
scopolamine; benztropine; trihexyphenidyl; diphenhydramine
Effectslikely at a common dose
- Perception
- Light sensitivity;
Visual acuity suppression; +14 possible, including Spatial disorientation, Double vision, Visual haze / noise - Body
- Abnormal heartbeat;
Dry mouth; Pupil dilation; +15 possible, including Dehydration sensation, Temperature dysregulation, Dizziness - Thinking
- none likely · 16 possible, including Cognitive impairment, Confusion, Memory suppression
- Feeling
- none likely · 5 possible, including Anxiety, Dysphoria, Emotional lability
- Self
- none likely · 7 possible, including Communication suppression, Derealization, Social disconnection
- Time
- none likely · 2 possible, including Temporal disorientation
- Awareness
- none likely · 1 possible
Who shouldn't take it
Combinations60 recorded
Seek help immediately if
Deliriants are genuinely dangerous — treat any strong reaction as a medical emergency.
- True delirium — confused, disoriented, doesn't know what's real or recognize people/danger
- Vivid, frightening hallucinations; agitation or aggression
- Hot, flushed, dry skin and high body temperature
- Dilated pupils; blurred vision
- Fast heartbeat; inability to urinate
- Seizures; unconsciousness
What to do
- Call emergency services — deliriant poisoning (especially datura / belladonna) can be life-threatening
- Keep them physically safe — they may not know what they're doing and can badly injure themselves; remove hazards and stay with them
- Do not leave them alone; do not try to reason them out of it — they are delirious
- If overheating, cool the body
- Recovery position if drowsy, vomiting, or unconscious; be ready for rescue breaths / CPR
Deliriant effects are long (many hours to more than a day) and the person is not safe or in control throughout. The main dangers are self-injury during delirium, overheating, and — for potent anticholinergics like datura — cardiac and central-nervous-system toxicity. Medical monitoring is often needed.
988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineFireside Project: 62-FIRESIDE
References
- [1]^Lakstygal AM, Kolesnikova TO, Khatsko SL, Zabegalov KN, Volgin AD, Demin KA, Shevyrin VA, Wappler-Guzzetta EA, Kalueff AV (2019) DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Atropine, Scopolamine, and Other Anticholinergic Deliriant Hallucinogens — ACS Chemical Neuroscience doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00615
- [2]^EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) (2013) Scientific Opinion on Tropane Alkaloids in Food and Feed — EFSA Journal doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3386