A woman hospitalized due to consuming an illicit weight loss product has been diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening illness, as reported by her family.
Kellen Oliveira Bretas Antunes, aged 42, was admitted to the hospital on December 17th last year after ingesting a banned Paraguayan weight-loss pen and experiencing abdominal discomfort. Hailing from Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, she was discharged a week later on Christmas Day with suspected drug intoxication symptoms.
However, she was readmitted shortly after with various neurological issues that were later identified as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a condition where the immune system attacks peripheral nerves, initially leading to tingling sensations in the extremities and potentially progressing to muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling over a few weeks. GBS can also manifest as peripheral pain, breathing difficulties, muscle weakness, and eye problems such as double vision.
Ms. Antunes was readmitted when she developed muscle weakness, dark urine, neurological complications, and respiratory failure.
Although there was initial improvement in her condition, her stepdaughter mentioned that she is now in a stable state and is undergoing hemoglobin treatment to slow down GBS progression and aid her nervous system in recovering from the damage.
Ms. Bretas stated, “She is stable. There has been a significant improvement, but the process will be lengthy. Since her Guillain-Barré Syndrome diagnosis, she will require at least 12 months of treatment, including physiotherapy, speech therapy, and other specialized care.”
Earlier, the stepdaughter revealed that medical professionals couldn’t analyze the contents of the weight loss pen as it was sourced from Paraguay. She explained, “Initially, she was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, and drug poisoning was confirmed. My father took the vial to João XXIII Hospital for analysis, but they couldn’t test it due to its Paraguayan origin.”
The hospitalization of Ms. Antunes prompted a public alert from Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), cautioning that not all slimming pens are authorized for sale in the country. Anvisa emphasized the risks of purchasing from unauthorized vendors, highlighting the dangers of unregulated drugs with unknown origins and ingredients. Endocrinologist Márcio Lauria warned that unauthorized medications could contain unpredictable substances, stressing the importance of ensuring the safety and efficacy of medications.
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