A female patient with kidney failure was treated at Binh Dan Hospital (HCMC) for taking weight loss pills of unknown origin - Photo: BVCC
Recently, the Ministry of Health has recalled many types of weight loss drugs containing banned substances. One company was even fined a total of 11 billion VND for many violations, including violations regarding weight loss drugs containing banned substances.
What's in a weight loss coffee package?
Recently, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) saved the life of a patient with acute poisoning and multiple organ failure due to taking weight loss pills. According to the patient, this person bought weight loss coffee from an acquaintance's recommendation with the hope of losing weight.
On the fourth day after taking the drug, she began to lose consciousness and had convulsions all over her body, and was taken to the emergency room. A CT scan showed that her brain had begun to be damaged. Fortunately, she received timely respiratory support, so her condition gradually improved.
Notably, the patient's remaining weight loss coffee package was sent to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for testing, and the results showed that it contained sibutramine - a substance banned by the Ministry of Health from use in pharmaceuticals and functional foods.
Binh Dan Hospital (HCMC) has recently received and treated many patients with kidney failure due to using weight loss pills of unknown origin. Many cases have irreversible kidney damage and require monitoring and dialysis.
The 108 Military Central Hospital also regularly receives cases of hospitalization due to the use of weight loss and obesity reduction services. Doctor Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh - Department of Endocrinology, 108 Military Central Hospital - said that most patients come to the hospital when they have complications.
"It is worth mentioning that there are patients who lose weight very quickly, losing 10-20kg within 1-2 weeks. However, patients have to pay a high price. Because weight loss drugs of unknown origin can cause acute dehydration, acute kidney failure, very severe metabolic disorders, heart failure, acute liver poisoning, and even death," said Dr. Linh.
The dangers of weight loss drugs, need to lose weight healthily
According to Tuoi Tre , there are currently many types of weight loss drugs on the market that are advertised as helping people lose weight quickly without having to spend a lot of effort exercising. The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) has issued a warning that many weight loss products on the market contain banned substances to "promote their effectiveness".
Accordingly, two banned substances sibutramine and phenolphthalein are often used in many weight loss drugs to reduce appetite. This substance has been banned by the Drug Administration, Ministry of Health since 2011 because of its dangerous effects on users' health.
According to experts, some commonly used weight loss drugs often have the function of metabolizing fat in the body; drugs that create a feeling of fullness, causing loss of appetite; drugs that cause dehydration... Some weight loss drugs make users feel full, not wanting to eat or drink, reducing fat absorption to quickly lose weight.
Doctor Le Thi Dan Thuy, head of the dialysis and nephrology department at Binh Dan Hospital, said that many weight loss products are widely advertised on social networks and are used by many people because of advertisements such as fast weight loss, stable weight maintenance and safety with herbal extracts.
The common feature of these products is that they are diuretics, causing dehydration and rapid weight loss to appeal to the psychology of many people who want to lose weight quickly. Some products increase the risk of stroke, high blood pressure and are especially dangerous because they are toxic and irreversibly destroy the glomeruli.
Drugs containing banned substance Sibutramine: Risk of cardiovascular events
Many types of coffee of unknown origin are advertised to help lose weight - Photo: BSCC
Doctor Nguyen Trung Nguyen - director of the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital - said that popular weight loss drugs contain sibutramine, a banned poison with many toxicities and side effects.
"Risk of cardiovascular events, especially stroke and myocardial infarction. At the center, there have been many cases of hospitalization due to taking weight loss pills, despite warnings, this situation still occurs," said Dr. Nguyen.
Doctors advise consumers to be cautious in choosing and using weight loss products. Weight loss should be combined with a suitable diet, increased exercise, and time for the body to lose weight instead of just believing in quick weight loss products.
Liver damage, kidney failure due to weight loss drugsSource
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