Suicidal ingestion of barium-sulfide-containing shaving powder

Physicians, familiar with the common usage of barium medicinally as the contrast agent barium sulfate, may consider it an innocuous or at most a minimally harmful compound. The barium cation is extremely toxic and produces characteristic gastrointestinal symptoms, periorbital and extremity paresthesia, hypertension, and progressive flaccid muscular paralysis. Profound hypokalemia also may be induced. Overdose may be rapidly fatal unless the ingestion is recognized and appropriate treatment is instituted expediently.