Doctors are sounding the alarm: “Tapeworm tablets” are increasingly being offered for sale on the dark web as a quick way to lose weight.
USA – Doctors are sounding the alarm: “Tapeworm tablets” are increasingly being offered for sale on the Darknet as a quick way to lose weight.
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A dubious weight loss preparation made from tapeworm eggs is being offered on the Darknet. (Symbol image) © Montage: 123rf/olegblag, 123rf/whpics
The risks are unpredictable and the dangers are enormous.
Doctors in the USA are currently warning urgently about the dangers posed by so-called “tapeworm tablets”, reports “New York Post“. The non-approvable drug is mixed with eggs of the dangerous parasite, is supposed to help you lose weight and is sold on the Darknet.
The Medical doctor and YouTuber Dr. Bernard Hsu reports from his practice. A 21-year-old patient, known only by her pseudonym “TE,” was dissatisfied with her weight and came across an ad for the dangerous weight-loss method online. Before and after photos would have convinced her.
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TE ordered the death medicine from a dubious online retailer, paid with cryptocurrency and soon received a package. Without hesitation, Dr. Hsu, the young woman swallowed two tapeworm tablets and quickly lost weight. But then the side effects started – stomach cramps, bloating, strange bowel movements.
But the young woman ignored the symptoms and hoped for further weight loss – with dire consequences.
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Tapeworms are dangerous parasites that infect the human intestine. If left untreated, they lay eggs in the body and can cause irreparable damage to the brain. (Symbolic image) © 123rf/juangaertner
After a few weeks, the patient noticed strange bumps under her chin, says Dr. Hsu out.
“When she hit a bump, the next thing she knew she was lying face down on the floor.” After the incident, TE suffered from severe headaches. The “bumps” would later turn out to be worm egg clusters.
After the incident, TE suffered from severe headaches. But it wasn’t until days later that she went to the hospital, where she initially kept quiet about the tapeworm diet. Doctors tested for bacterial and viral infections, with no result. The young woman was prescribed painkillers and sent home.
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But the headache remained. “There were phases in which she suddenly woke up in the middle of the day and couldn’t remember anything from the last few hours,” says Dr. Hsu.
Patient is very lucky
Dr. Bernard Hsu reports from his practice. © YouTube/Chubbyemu
Only after a year did TE go to the hospital again, reveal the whole truth, and report about the worm tablets.
By then the tapeworms had long since infected the young woman’s brain, nested in her liver and damaged her tongue.
But the 21-year-old was very lucky: tapeworms are treatable. TE was prescribed appropriate medication, is worm-free after a three-week hospital stay and is unlikely to have any lasting damage.
If the worm infestation had progressed further, there would have been a risk of cognitive dysfunction and even severe personality changes. The internal organs may also have been irreparably damaged, says Dr. Hsu.
YouTube: 21-year-old wants to lose weight with tapeworm tablets
Dr. Hsu recommends: “For a physically healthy person, it is possible to lose weight through diet and exercise. And this poses far fewer risks than intentionally allowing additional organisms to live inside oneself.”
