Arsenic and cyanide poisoning are very similar, however, cyanide poisoning affects your brain more than arsenic does. In a case of cyanide poisoning you’re likely to show bizarre behaviors, vertigo, dizziness, and may go into a coma, which is not seen in arsenic poisoning. On the other hand, arsenic poisoning will cause more issues externally, such as sudden lesions and wart growth on the skin. It may also cause hair loss, excessive salivating, and a metallic taste in ones mouth. The main difference between the two is how they are contracted. Arsenic poisoning is most often acquired through water supply, mostly in industrial towns in China, india, and the US. Cyanide poisoning is mostly acquired through contact with the chemical, through work, like at a salon.

The main difference between the mechanisms is that arsenic does damage by creating reactive oxygen species (such as superoxides and hydrogen peroxide), which then bind to NO. This forms peroxynitrite, which is a strong oxidant that up-regulates inflammatory mediators. comparatively, cyanide does damage by using oxygen to bind NADH to impair vital organ functions and increase the rate of glycolysis. However, the pyruvate can’t be used by the now impaired Kreb’s cycle so it’s reduced to lactate, which causes metabolic acidosis and increases brain ATP and lactate levels.