Brain damage after taking weight loss pills containing banned substances

Recently, a 21-year-old girl in Hanoi had to be hospitalized after taking weight loss pills of unknown origin, leading to serious brain damage.

Medical news on March 4: Brain damage after taking weight loss pills containing banned substances

Recently, a 21-year-old girl in Hanoi had to be hospitalized after taking weight loss pills of unknown origin, leading to serious brain damage.

Brain damage after taking weight loss pills containing banned substances

This girl passed out after using weight loss pills bought online, and doctors determined the cause was poisoning by Sibutramine, a banned substance in the treatment of obesity, causing serious brain damage.

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The girl was in good health and had no underlying medical conditions. However, in the past month, she had purchased and used a weight loss drug of unknown origin, with a foreign label, advertised on social media. When her family discovered her unconscious, they quickly took her to Bach Mai Hospital for emergency treatment.

The hospital scans showed severe damage to the thalamus on both sides of the brain. After conducting tests, the Poison Control Center sent samples of the patient's medication to the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Control for analysis.

The results showed that the drug contained Sibutramine, a banned substance that has been recalled and banned in many countries, including Vietnam, due to the risk of poisoning, stroke and serious cardiovascular problems.

According to information from the hospital, after waking up, the patient said that she bought this weight loss drug on the TikTok platform and used it continuously for more than a month, one pill a day. During the time of using the drug combined with fasting, she lost 4-5 kg. The weight loss drug bottle she used had foreign words, no Vietnamese sub-label, and was advertised in English with the content "7 days to lose 7 kg".

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, said that Sibutramine was once used to treat obesity but has been banned in many countries, including Vietnam, since 2010.

This is a substance with a molecular structure similar to the drug amphetamine, and large studies have shown that the use of Sibutramine increases the risk of stroke and serious cardiovascular complications. The Vietnam Drug Administration has long suspended the import license of Sibutramine and recalled all products containing this substance.

According to Dr. Nguyen, the Poison Control Center has received many cases of poisoning related to the use of functional foods and weight loss coffee containing Sibutramine, including patients with coma, convulsions and brain damage.

In addition to Sibutramine, weight loss products of unknown origin may also contain other toxic substances such as phenolphthalein, high doses of caffeine, synephrine... which pose serious dangers to health.

Experts recommend that people should avoid using weight loss products of unknown origin, especially those advertised on social networks without transparent information about ingredients and origin.

To lose weight safely, people should consult a doctor or nutritionist for advice on a method suitable for each person's health condition. The safest and most effective weight loss measures are still adjusting the diet and increasing physical activity.

Protect your bones and joints in winter

Winter brings cold winds, especially affecting the health of the elderly and people with bone and joint diseases.

Pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving are common conditions that cause patients many inconveniences in their daily activities. Not only is it uncomfortable, if not properly cared for, this condition can also lead to unwanted complications, worsening bone and joint diseases.

Joint pain is most common in the knees, ankles, hands, lumbar spine and hips, especially when the weather turns cold.

Doctor Vu Van Dai, Department of Traditional Medicine, 108 Central Military Hospital, explained that when the temperature drops, our body often tries to store energy to maintain body temperature, leading to poorer blood circulation than normal.

Cold air penetrates the skin and affects the acupuncture points, causing the blood vessels in that area to constrict, restricting the circulation of blood and synovial fluid to the joints. As a result, the joints are deprived of blood supply, the synovial membrane and cartilage are damaged, causing pain.

In addition, changes in internal factors such as poor circulation, increased blood viscosity and synovial fluid, salt precipitation, as well as changes in the concentration of chemical mediators in the body are the causes of increased episodes of osteoarthritis in winter. Cold weather with high humidity causes tendons to contract, synovial fluid to thicken, making the joints stiff, painful and difficult to move. These changes make patients feel more uncomfortable and painful in winter.

To protect the skeletal system in winter, Dr. Vu Van Dai gives some practical advice. First of all, keeping the body warm is very important, especially joints that are susceptible to degeneration such as the knees, wrists, ankles and hands. When the weather is cold, special attention should be paid to keeping these parts warm to avoid injury.

Also, avoid exercising outdoors when the temperature is too low, there is strong wind or drizzle, as this can increase the risk of pain in the joints. If you need to exercise, choose exercises in a warm environment to protect the joints.

When feeling pain, patients should reduce activities and pressure on the joints, such as using a cane, wearing a belt or joint support patch. This helps reduce the intensity of impact on the joints, while minimizing pain. Reasonable rest also plays an important role in the process of restoring bone and joint health.

A proper diet is an indispensable factor to maintain healthy bones and joints. Patients need to pay attention to supplementing adequate nutrients such as protein, vitamins, especially vitamins C, D and trace elements. Foods rich in calcium such as milk, bean products, vegetables, fruits, seeds should be regularly added to the diet. In particular, it is necessary to avoid foods that can be harmful to bone and joint diseases such as stimulants, fast food, frozen foods, animal organs and hot, sour or too salty dishes.

Although many people feel scared and reluctant to exercise when suffering from joint pain, in fact, gentle exercise is necessary to help blood circulation, promote the absorption of nutrients in cartilage tissue and increase joint fluid secretion, lubricate joints, and help reduce pain more effectively. However, patients need to be careful when performing exercises and avoid excessive exercise.

When there are signs of prolonged bone and joint pain, instead of arbitrarily using painkillers or applying treatments of unknown origin, patients should see a doctor for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Note, absolutely do not rub hot oil or apply compresses on joints that are acutely inflamed (swelling, hot, red, painful) because this can make the inflammation worse.

Doctor Vu Van Dai emphasized that preventing and protecting bones and joints in winter is extremely important, especially for people with a history of bone and joint diseases or the elderly. A reasonable health care regimen, combined with maintaining the habit of light exercise, keeping the body warm and a scientific diet will help reduce the risk of disease recurrence and ensure a healthy bone and joint system.

Risk of cancer from dog bites

A 75-year-old man was left in a very serious condition after being bitten by a dog. Despite prompt treatment and vaccinations immediately after the incident, the wound not only failed to heal but also developed into a large growth, with the risk of turning into cancer.

According to information from the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the patient was vaccinated and initially treated at the medical facility immediately after being bitten by the dog. However, despite undergoing multiple surgeries to suture and debride the wound, the wound not only did not heal but also developed into a large wart, forcing doctors to carry out more complicated treatment measures.

The patient had complex underlying medical conditions, including diabetes and a history of prolonged antibiotic use for previous infections. These factors impair wound healing and facilitate prolonged inflammation, leading to a high risk of cancer.

According to Dr. Duong Manh Chien, who directly treated the patient, the two main factors leading to this condition are the high amount of toxic bacteria from the dog bite wound and chronic infection. He warned that if not treated promptly, these factors can increase the risk of cancer in the damaged area. "Treatment with conventional debridement methods cannot help the wound heal but only causes the lesion to recur," Dr. Chien emphasized.

To treat this complex wound, the doctors decided to surgically remove all the inflammation and damage in the heel area. However, the biggest challenge was to reconstruct the missing skin area, because the heel has very little excess skin to cover it. Failure to recover in time could expose the Achilles tendon, leading to the risk of necrosis, tendon rupture, and possibly causing the patient to lose the ability to walk.

To solve this problem, the medical team used a sural flap (also known as a lateral saphenous flap), a piece of vascularized skin taken from the calf, to regenerate the damaged area.

This is a special shaping technique that helps the grafted skin area have enough blood supply, ensuring survival and rapid recovery. This method requires keeping the skin flap's blood vessel system intact throughout the grafting process, providing optimal regeneration results.

After 14 days of surgery, the wound had healed and the patient's health was stable. Doctors considered this a great success in treating long-term complex injuries, especially when the patient had a history of underlying medical conditions and had undergone many previous ineffective interventions.

Dr. Duong Manh Chien also recommends that seemingly small wounds, if they do not heal after a long time or show signs of chronic inflammation, should be examined and treated promptly. Sensitive areas such as the heel should not be ignored, because the risk of complications can be very serious, even threatening mobility and overall health.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-43-ton-thuong-nao-sau-khi-uong-thuoc-giam-can-chua-chat-cam-d250686.html