Woman addicted to drinking gasoline, oil, pesticides after husband's accident

Gasoline, diesel oil, and pesticides are all very toxic to the body, but this woman was fine when she drank them.

People often hear about alcoholism and cigarette addiction, but have you ever seen anyone addicted to gasoline or pesticides? This strange case happened to a woman living in Heilongjiang, China.

The strange incident began in 1990.

The woman’s name was Cheng Shumei. Her family had been farming for generations. After she got married, her husband drove a tractor, and her life became a little more comfortable.

Trinh Thu Mai started liking the smell of diesel after her husband's accident.

In the summer of 1990, she went to work in the fields as usual. Because it was harvest season, the smell of diesel fuel was everywhere. At that time, her husband suddenly had a car accident. She ran to him in panic and found him sitting on the ground, blood flowing down his right leg.

She was scared but her husband comforted her, saying it was a minor wound. She took her husband to the doctor, who said it was just a superficial wound and would heal in a few days. She breathed a sigh of relief and took her husband home to rest.

Afterwards, she returned to the spot where the tractor had overturned in the field and asked for help to turn it over. Looking at the oil stains on her hands, she felt excited by the scent. When no one was looking, she licked it and found it delicious, like tasting the candy she had always wanted.

Getting addicted to diesel

From then on, she often hid behind the tractor, sniffing the smell of diesel. Every time she went to buy diesel, she would hide some for herself. The more she drank, the more addicted she became, to the point that if she didn't drink for a day, her throat would feel dry and her body would feel empty.

Every time she had an addiction, she would sneak into the warehouse to steal diesel fuel to drink. It took more than ten years for her family to discover her secret.

The whole family was shocked by Cheng Shumei's habit of drinking diesel. She was immediately taken to the hospital for a check-up. The results showed that she had no signs of poisoning, but the doctor still advised her not to drink diesel anymore.

With her family's concern and the advice of her doctor, she promised to change this habit. However, quitting diesel is like quitting smoking. After a few months of suffering, her body was weak, her mind was depressed, and she was irritable. To help her quit, her family locked her in a warehouse. Every time she had an attack, she started banging on the door like crazy, trying to get out.

While rummaging through the cupboard, she found a bottle of dark brown liquid. She couldn't calm down anymore and poured it all into her mouth. She felt that it didn't taste as good as diesel, but it still gave her a little bit of a stimulating feeling. It stirred her long-suppressed appetite.

When the family discovered it, it was a highly toxic pesticide. Normally, if it accidentally comes into contact with the skin, it will cause rashes, dermatitis, or skin erosion. Long-term exposure can lead to nervous breakdown, swallowing disorders, blurred vision, anemia, and other sequelae. However, Cheng Shumei was unharmed.

Experts investigate

Someone once questioned the authenticity of Trinh Thu Mai drinking gasoline, she calmly picked up the bottle of gasoline and poured it into her mouth.

In 2015, CCTV sent a reporter to her home to investigate the situation. Her family was also worried that something might happen to her because she ate so much, so they all went to Harbin Medical University for a detailed examination.

When the doctors heard about Cheng Shumei's symptoms, they were shocked and immediately ordered blood tests, a digestive tract check, and a mental health check. The results were shocking again: a gastroscopy showed nothing unusual, her intelligence was normal, her language and cognition were clear, and her mental state was stable... Except for anemia, she had no other health problems.

The results were hard to believe even for experts. Experts suspected that there was something wrong with the food she ate, so they took gasoline and pesticides for testing.

She has an eating disorder due to psychological problems.

They discovered that the gasoline was real, and the pesticide she drank had long been discontinued and banned from sale. That meant the pesticide had expired and lost its original effect, so even if she drank it, it wouldn’t have any effect.

From a medical perspective, Trinh Thu Mai drank gasoline all year round, her body changed. The doctor speculated that perhaps it was because her metabolism was strong, promptly eliminating toxins from her body.

In addition, the problem she suffered from was a psychological abnormality, characterized by unusual cravings for food. Doctors believe that iron deficiency anemia could be one of the causes of this abnormality.

However, many people also suffer from iron deficiency anemia but not like Trinh Thu Mai. This may be related to each person's personal perception and experience.

The doctor warned Trinh Thu Mai that even if her body currently had no abnormalities, this syndrome was still harmful to the body, so it was best to change her habit of drinking gasoline.

With the help of her family and doctors, she went through another tough detox. She stayed in the hospital for 10 days for treatment and psychological counseling. The day she was discharged, she felt much better.

(According to Vietnamnet, April 23)

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