Table: Common Specific Antidotes - Merck Manuals Consumer Version

Common Specific Antidotes

Toxin	Antidote
Acetaminophen	N-Acetylcysteine
Anticholinergic drugs	Physostigmine*
Anticoagulants, oral factor Xa inhibitors (apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban)	Coagulation factor Xa [recombinant], inactivated Andexanet alfa
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol type)	Fomepizole Ethanol
Benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and lorazepam)	Flumazenil*
Beta-blockers	Glucagon IV lipid emulsion
Black widow spider bite Spider Bites Almost all spiders are venomous. However, the fangs of most species are too short or too fragile to penetrate human skin. Although at least 60 species in the United States have been implicated... read more	Lactrodectus antivenom
Botulism	Botulinum antitoxin
Calcium channel blockers	Calcium IV insulin in high doses with IV glucose IV lipid emulsion
Cyanide	Hydroxocobalamin Cyanide antidote kit (Nithiodote®, includes amyl nitrate, sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate)
Dabigatran	Idarucizumab
Digitalis, including drugs (digoxin) and plants (oleander, foxglove)	Digoxin-specific antibodies
Heavy metals (such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc)	Drugs that remove heavy metals from the body (chelating drugs), such as dimercaprol, edetate calcium disodium, penicillamine, and succimer
Heparin	Protamine
Insecticides† (many brands, which may contain carbamates and organophosphates)—ingredients should be checked)	Atropine Pralidoxime
Iron	Deferoxamine
Isoniazid	Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
Methanol (wood alcohol)	Fomepizole Ethanol
Methemoglobin‡-forming agents (such as aniline dyes, some local anesthetics, nitrates, nitrites, phenacetin, sulfonamides)	Methylene blue
Opioids Opioids Opioids, a class of drugs derived from the opium poppy (including synthetic variations), are pain relievers with a high potential for misuse. Opioids are used to relieve pain, but they also... read more (such as morphine and heroin)	Naloxone
Scorpion sting Scorpion Stings The stings of North American scorpions are rarely serious and usually result in pain, minimal swelling, tenderness, and warmth at the sting site. However, the bark scorpion (Centruroides... read more (only the Centruroides species)	Centruroides immune fractionated antibodies
Snakebites Snakebites Venomous snakes in the United States include pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths) and coral snakes. Severe envenomation can cause damage to the bitten extremity, bleeding... read more § (rattlesnakes and copperheads in the United States)	Rattlesnake (Crotalinae) antivenom
Sulfonylurea	Octreotide
Thallium	Prussian blue
Tricyclic antidepressants	Sodium bicarbonate
Valproic acid	L-Carnitine¶
Warfarin	Vitamin K Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC)
* Use is controversial.
† The antidotes cited are for carbamate and organophosphate insecticides only.
‡ Methemoglobin is an abnormal form of hemoglobin that is produced by certain poisons. Unlike normal hemoglobin, methemoglobin does not carry oxygen so the body's tissues do not get enough oxygen.
§ Antivenom is specific to the species of snake. There are many antivenoms, but rattlesnakes and copperheads cause most poisonous snakebites in the United States.
¶ There is limited evidence that L-carnitine is a good general antidote for acute valproic acid overdose. However, L-carnitine is likely to be safe, so it is a reasonable treatment in people who have a decreased level of consciousness.