Mother takes weight-loss supplement bought on Facebook, hospitalized

A 30-year-old mother from Abu Ghosh was hospitalized after taking a weight-loss supplement called '7 Slim Extra' purchased on Facebook. The supplement contained sibutramine, a banned drug that causes a dangerous increase in blood pressure. She lost 10 kg in a week and arrived at the clinic with blood pressure 160/100. The Ministry of Health warned about the product as early as 2014.

A severe case discovered last week at a Clalit clinic in Abu Ghosh demonstrates the danger of purchasing weight-loss products from unregulated online sources. A patient, about 30 years old, a nursing mother, arrived at the clinic with abnormally high and dangerous blood pressure after taking a pill marketed on Facebook as a 'natural dietary supplement.' Despite repeated warnings from the Ministry of Health regarding the product, it continues to be sold illegally. The patient, a mother of children including an infant under one year old, came to the Abu Ghosh clinic for an urgent consultation due to severe headaches. During the examination, it was revealed that the young woman, who is overweight, had shed about ten kilograms in just one week. Clinic nurse Yelena Barnson and clinic director Dr. Yishai Lev discovered that the patient had an abnormal blood pressure of 160/100—a dangerous reading for a woman her age. Medical testing revealed that the product actually contained sibutramine, a powerful drug banned for marketing. Side effects of the substance include a sharp increase in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, headaches, and insomnia. The doctor explained to the patient that the dangerous substances could pass to her infant through breast milk, information that was concealed from her by the marketers. The patient explained that she chose to purchase the supplement online for financial reasons, as she could not afford supervised weight-loss injections. Upon discovering the source of her medical condition, use of the product was immediately discontinued, and she was referred for continued weight loss under medical supervision and dietary guidance. The Ministry of Health warned about the product as early as 2014. The use of '7 Slim' and similar products is not a new phenomenon. Laboratory tests revealed that the products contained sibutramine, which has been linked to several deaths and hospitalizations in the United States. In Israel, taking these substances has previously been linked to several hospitalizations at Meir, Hadassah Har HaTzofim, Bnei Zion, and Rambam hospitals. According to Dr. Lev, 'The drug raises norepinephrine in the brain and body, and that is the danger. It raises blood pressure and heart rate and can cause heart attacks even in young people.' He added, 'If this woman had decided to go to the gym or had become very upset, she could have had a heart attack.'