Jane, I am very sorry that you had that problem and you were alone, it is really scary to faint since you don't know for sure what is next.

I had something similar occurred to me long time ago when I lived in NY and had a mulberry tree, but in my case I think I ate too many.

After that I am very careful of not to eat even a healthy food too much, since we can develop allergies or the body rejects too much of anything.

I did not found out what caused the dizziness that time and I never had the same problem again. I opted like you to take the tree down.

Just in case that you are taking any medication, read if they caused a problem because some of them do.

Silvia

Is it possible you touched or got the sap/ juice of another plant on your hands while Gardening ?

Jane, do you soak your berries first? Mulberries tend to be full of tiny insects and I wonder if it was they, rather than the actual berries, that made you ill. Pick them into water and you'll see everyone escaping.

Some people are allergic to mulberry fruit. READ HERE and HERE (side effects of mulberry fruit). The fruit is known to lower blood pressure, so if you are taking blood pressure medicine, it may have heightened its effect.

I always wash anything I pick in the garden, because you never know what has drifted onto your fruit/veggies from neighbors' yards, or from spraying elsewhere. writersblock is right about the tiny bugs, too. Also, pollen from some other plant may have blown onto the fruit, and it may be a reaction to that.

Your electrolytes may have gotten too low. Especially if you were sweating a lot. Personally, I must have a Gatorade-type drink to rehydrate & replenish with when working in the yard or suffer similar consequences.

People can develop allergies to anything, and allergies do change over time.

So true! And you can develop allergies because of overexposure to something over a long period of time. I wasn't allergic to cats when I was young, but I am now.

It doesn't necessarily take long exposure, either. I have a surgical adhesive allergy, for instance. I can use any surgical tape/adhesive one time, no problem. By the second or third time, it leaves blisters or becomes welded to my skin.

The symptoms you described are also symptoms of heat exhaustion. The mulberries might be coincidental. If you had only coffee and then went to work in your yard, you may have overexerted yourself, possibly getting dehydrated.

Allergic reaction appears to include hives (urticaria), according to the first link DG posted, so I am guessing that it may not be an allergic reaction.

Have you been to a doctor or urgent care center yet?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-heat-exhaustion/basics/art-20056651

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086

Yeah I wouldn't be certain it was the fruit. Although 20 does not seem like a small number, blueberries for instance are only supposed to be eaten 1/4 cup at a time - due to the sugar content. Which brings up the question might it be possible you had a problem with your blood sugar? But maybe it doesn't happen that fast). Apart from things that have already been discussed, and might perfectly well be the answer. Including the heat.

I missed the part about only a cup of coffee. I always try to at least eat a yogurt or bowl of cereal before going outside to work. I can't eat a big breakfast really early due to a sensitive stomach, and since I have to get out early to work in the garden, I've gotten nauseous if I didn't eat anything. Something dairy seems to do the trick, because milk is a food, not a beverage, so it keeps me happy for an hour or two.

Thanks for all the responses.

I am fine now.

I know it was the berries. They all came up like they went down.

Yikes, never thought about bugs. Couldn't see any and I did look at them before I ate them.

It was a beautiful morning. I had to run to the store, when I came back I had a second cup of coffee and went out front to plant some daylilies. The front of my house faces West so I always try to work there before the sun creeps over the roof.

I think it was around 10am when I started working. Breezy morning, felt great. I noticed the tree laden with berries and started picking a few while I worked. The whole time lasted no more than 45 minutes. Got the lilies planted, took some pics of beautiful Amaryllis blooms and I was suddenly hit with severe dizziness.

Truly felt like I was given some sort of drug.

I know it was the berries, nothing else. I was not overheated. I was nervous about being alone and it seemed none of my neighbors were home either. I kept the phone in my hand.

Luckily, it finally passed. Was sick the entire day and night but felt fine in the morning.

I have Googled the berries and see they have a toxic sap and can cause digestive upset if eater unripe. I did eat a few that were bitter, and guess they were not ripe.

Who knows, but another thought I have is why they have not been eaten by the birds. I have tons of birds on my property. They feast on my Loquats yet have't touched the Mulberries. Maybe they know something!

Anyway, I am fine and want to thank everyone for their thoughts. Very helpful and I will never go near a Mulberry again. If you haven't eaten them, be cautious until you are sure they won't bother you. I probably should have just tried a few and not eaten so many on basically an empty stomach.

They weren't even tasty. Very bland, plain taste.

Jane

I'm glad you're better, and yes, unripe mulberries can make you sick. I got very sick once when I was a child from eating green pears. I just couldn't wait for ours to get ripe. Truly ripe mulberries are pretty sweet.

I love them when they're really dark and a little soft... I guess to some they would be considered overripe but I find that's when they're sweetest.