Brain damage after using weight loss supplements
Recently, the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital admitted a female patient (27 years old, from Thanh Hoa) who was hospitalized with rash, swelling, decreased vision, kidney failure, and changes in cognition and mental state.
Critically ill patient after taking weight loss supplement containing Sibutramine.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital, said: "The diagnosis process, and examinations, tests, and imaging showed that the patient had severe brain damage on both sides, eye damage, bilateral eye artery occlusion leading to loss of vision, kidney damage, kidney failure, requiring regular dialysis treatment, and many other problems in the body."
The Poison Control Center also took information from the family, knowing that the patient had recently used a functional food to lose weight. The functional food sample was sent for testing at the National Institute for Food Safety Control, the result was that it contained sibutramine. This is a substance that is harmful to health, aggravates or at least causes partial damage in the body or aggravates the patient's underlying medical condition.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Tien, Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital, said that after 23 days of treatment at the hospital, the patient's current state of consciousness is disturbed, Glasgow score is 3 points, clinical examination results show neurological damage and kidney failure.
Compared to the first day of hospitalization, the patient's condition has not improved. Currently, the patient is receiving mainly supportive treatment and symptomatic treatment, and it is expected that the condition may continue to worsen.
Danger of weight loss supplements containing banned substances
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, the Poison Control Center has previously received many patients poisoned by functional foods containing sibutramine with clear diagnoses. However, the case of the 27-year-old female patient is very complicated.
The patient was assessed for brain and multiple organ damage.
"There are patients who are hospitalized with brain damage and acute illness, but the symptoms are very clear after using functional foods. However, this is a case combined with the patient's underlying disease being quite complicated," said Dr. Nguyen.
A few weeks ago, also here, doctors received and treated a female patient who also suffered brain damage after using a weight loss "drug" containing Sibutramine.
Sibutramine is a substance that not only causes direct brain damage to patients, it also causes severe damage such as retinal artery occlusion, kidney failure, and complications in other organs...
"Sibutramine is a substance that was used many years ago to lose weight and treat obesity because it causes loss of appetite. However, for more than 10 years now, there have been many studies and reports on the harmful effects of sibutramine showing that this substance is very dangerous to health, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, angina, stroke... In Europe and America, the use of this substance has been stopped and it is banned from being added to food and medicine. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health has also clearly announced the ban on the use of this substance in functional foods and medicine," Dr. Nguyen informed.
According to Dr. Nguyen, functional foods advertised for weight loss often contain a lot of substances and are often divided into groups.
First, stimulants such as banned substances sibutramine, caffeine, even animal thyroid powder... The mechanism of action forces the body's internal organs, especially the cardiovascular system, to burn fat and consume energy without having to increase physical activity. This is unscientific and very dangerous, causing incidents with the cardiovascular system, brain...
Second, appetite suppressants, such as phenylpropanolamine (many of these are also highly toxic and risky).
Third, fillers that expand in the digestive tract when ingested create a feeling of fullness. Most of these products do not declare or clearly state the ingredients of these substances on the label, and are often advertised with excessive, uncontrolled language.
Therefore, Dr. Nguyen warned people to raise awareness in using functional foods, should not use products floating on the market. If there is a need to use any product, they should consult a medical expert for timely advice.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/them-1-co-gai-bi-ton-thuong-nao-vi-dung-san-pham-giam-can-chua-chat-cam-192250312164331104.htm
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