Aconitine is probably the best-known of the sodium channel openers and is found in monkshood or wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus). Other sodium channel openers include veratridine from false or green hellebore (Veratrum genus), grayanotoxins from azalea and rhododendron (Rhododendron species), death camas (Zigadenus), and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia),

Aconitine has been found in a number of Chinese herbal remedies, most notably chuanwu and caowu. Most cases of acute poisoning result from the ingestion of herbs containing aconitine. Grayanotoxins have largely been reported to cause intoxication in regions where honey is produced from Rhododendron species. Veratridine has historically been used in both insecticides and medicinals.

Symptoms of sodium channel opener poisoning include numbness, tingling of the lips and tongue, bradycardia or irregular pulse, gastroenteritis, respiratory failure, and vagus nerve stimulation. The paramount concern in managing acute poisoning is the management of lethal arrhythmias.