Liver enzymes increased 20 times, had to have gallbladder removed because of weight loss pills

A 35-year-old woman arbitrarily used weight loss pills of unknown origin, resulting in serious liver and biliary damage and increased liver enzymes, requiring emergency treatment.

On June 29, a representative of Lac Viet Friendship Hospital said the patient was admitted to the emergency room with severe pain in the epigastric area, nausea, and body fatigue. The woman said that due to the nature of her job, she often had to receive guests and her diet was erratic, but she still wanted to maintain her figure, so she bought and used weight loss pills for a while. When severe abdominal pain occurs, the patient thinks he has a stomach disease so he buys medicine to treat it at home. However, the symptoms did not improve but became increasingly worse, forcing her to go to the emergency room.

Test results and diagnostic imaging revealed bile effusion, accompanied by an elevated liver enzyme index of about 600 U/L, about 15-20 times the normal limit, showing that the hepatobiliary system is seriously damaged.

Doctors perform endoscopic surgery, treat bile duct damage, and remove the gallbladder to remove the disease, preventing the risk of widespread infection and dangerous complications such as biliary peritonitis, sepsis, or lasting liver damage. After surgery, the patient recovered and his health was stable.

Doctors recommend that you do not arbitrarily use drugs or weight loss products without being examined and consulted by a specialist. When symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, nausea, fever or jaundice appear after using weight loss drugs, you should immediately go to a medical facility for timely diagnosis and treatment.

The use of weight loss products cannot replace a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. People should apply scientific weight loss methods that are proven to be effective, for example, controlling the amount of calories consumed (in) is lower than the amount of calories consumed (out) so that the body burns stored fat.

Make sure to provide enough nutrients, focus on consuming foods rich in fiber, natural foods and minimally processed foods. Regular exercise increases calorie burning and improves overall health.