If the person is having trouble breathing, get emergency medical help. If the person has stopped breathing, start CPR and get emergency medical help.
At the hospital, symptoms will be treated as appropriate.
If toxicity is due to a recent one-time exposure, treatment may involve:
- Activated charcoal
- Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)
Digitoxin blood levels may be lowered with repeated doses of charcoal, given after gastric lavage.
Methods to cause vomiting are usually not done because vomiting can worsen slow heart rhythms.
In severe cases, medications called digoxin-specific antibodies may be prescribed. Dialysis may be needed to reduce the levels of digitalis in the body.