Kambo poisoning

Introduction

Kambo is a purging ritual using topically applied poison scraped from the back of the Amazonian giant tree frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor, kambô or sapo) that induces severe vomiting and exponents use it to “rid the body of toxins, and can resolve emotions to understand them, cure depression, drug dependency, heart problems, high blood pressure and gastrointestinal issues”
Kambo devotees make small dot-like burns on their skin before applying the poison
at first, the person feels a few moments of serenity, but within seconds, that feeling turns to suffering and can force the person to vomit
the effect shortly fades away
outside of South America, it first became known as an alternative therapy in the late 2010s
occasionally this practice may be fatal:
- within minutes in the case of a woman in Mullumbimby in March 2019
- within 12 hours or so in the case of a 46yr old man who died from a perforated oesophagus in Oct 2021 at the six-day Dreaming Arts Festival held in Collins Creek, north of Kyogle ¹⁾
in 2021 the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia (TGA) banned the use of Kambo in Australia and classified it as a schedule 10 poison.

psychosis which may be severe
syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH), hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia and hypophosphataemia - this is a particular risk of large amounts of water is drunk
acute kidney injury (AKI) / acute renal failure (ARF)
pancreatitis
hepatitis
dermatomyositis
oesophageal rupture
seizures
syncope
anaphylaxis
cardiac arrest within minutes

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