Dad poisoned by potentially lethal dose of cherry stones
Matthew Creme, from St Annes, had been enjoying the fruit and decided to munch on the stones.
The 29-year-old opened one and found a nut inside, which he tried and found to have a cherry almond flavour.
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Hide AdHe ate two more, completely unaware they contained enough of the poison to kill a man.
As he became increasingly unwell, his temperature soared and his worried partner Georgina Mason, 23, called NHS medical line 111.
Doctors told her he had eaten enough for a lethal dose and should get to hospital as soon as possible.
Matthew said: “I crushed one of the stones open out of curiosity and it was so delicious.
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Hide Ad“I referred to the packaging to see if it said anything to indicate that you shouldn’t eat the stones.
“There was nothing so I ate two more of them because they tasted really nice. Within 10 minutes I started feeling drowsy and hot.
“I had a headache and felt really lethargic.”
On arrival at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Matthew was given an antidote and made a full recovery but is now asking why there was not a warning on the packet.
The call centre coach said: “You’re told not to eat them but nobody says why. I can guarantee you those people don’t know there’s cyanide inside those stones.”
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Hide AdNow he hopes by telling his story he can help other people avoid making the same mistake.
He added: “I’m speaking out to raise awareness. Eating just one or two cherry seeds causes cyanide poisoning and that is a high enough dose to kill a 160lb male.
“If my daughter had eaten them, she’d have gone to bed and not woken up.”
Matthew added that hospital staff have asked him to sign a document to let them use his case as a reference for future incidents.
He said: “Staff told me it is so rare that they get someone in for what I had. I am just happy to help.”