Taking skin whitening pills and Eclipta prostrata, many people have acute kidney failure.

Kidney failure due to drinking Eclipta prostrata

Recently, Binh Dan Hospital ( Ho Chi Minh City) received many patients with acute kidney failure, requiring dialysis to save their lives after drinking Eclipta prostrata or using skin whitening pills that are being sold on the internet.

Specifically, Mr. PVH (47 years old, Vinh Long ), who was a patient with stage 3 kidney failure, was examined and treated at Binh Dan Hospital. Doctors instructed him to take medication to preserve kidney function and prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, the patient did not return for a follow-up appointment.

Drinking white pills has many people with acute renal failure type 1 — People need to be careful with drugs floating around the internet (photo source: Health & Life newspaper).

In early October 2023, Mr. H. returned to the hospital for a check-up because of poor appetite, pale skin, unexplained leg pain, and body fatigue.

Here, the doctor ordered him to perform tests to evaluate his kidney function. The results showed that he had fallen into acute kidney failure on the basis of chronic kidney failure, Mr. H.'s glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was only 4 ml/min/1.73m2. Meanwhile, a GFR index < 15 ml/min/1.73m2 is stage 5 kidney failure, the most serious stage and the patient's life is in great danger.

The patient was advised to be hospitalized for dialysis to avoid the risk of coma and death caused by complications of acute kidney failure.

Mr. H. said that because he felt no more pain or fatigue, he thought he was no longer sick, so he stopped taking medicine after a period of treatment. He followed the advice to drink Eclipta prostrata and green-heart black beans to treat his kidney disease, drinking about a handful of Eclipta prostrata and 2-3 spoons of black beans every day. Mr. H. drank it continuously for more than 3 months and fell into severe kidney failure. Mr. H. did not know that the leg pain could be caused by gout in people with kidney failure.

At the time of hospitalization, he still thought his health was not serious and wanted to go home to work to earn money to raise his children.

After the doctors explained it in detail, he understood that his life was in danger and he would have to undergo dialysis for the rest of his life.

After 2 days of treatment, Mr. H's leg pain and other symptoms of kidney failure decreased and his kidney function improved.

"However, if the response to drug treatment is poor and kidney function does not improve, Mr. H. will have to undergo regular dialysis for the rest of his life," said Dr. Le Thi Dan Thuy, Head of the Department of Nephrology and Dialysis at Binh Dan Hospital.

Mr. H. is a typical case among 7 cases that had to be hospitalized in the second quarter and early third quarter of 2023 at Binh Dan Hospital due to severe kidney failure and acute kidney injury on the basis of chronic kidney disease related to drinking Eclipta prostrata.

Dr. Le Thi Dan Thuy added: "People with kidney failure need to comply with treatment and have a reasonable diet and nutrition to control kidney complications well. Patients who comply with treatment can maintain stable kidney function even after many years of kidney failure."

Acute kidney failure requiring emergency care due to taking skin whitening pills of unknown origin

At the nephrology clinic of Binh Dan Hospital, Ms. LTT (45 years old, Dong Nai ) came for a re-examination to re-evaluate her kidney function after having to undergo emergency dialysis due to acute kidney failure, stage 5 kidney damage.

Fortunately, her kidney function test results for the past two months have been stable. Although her kidney function has recovered well and Ms. T. has returned to her normal work, she still has to take medication and monitor her kidney function.

Nearly a year ago, while browsing an online sales channel, Ms. T. saw a seller introducing a skin whitening and beautifying medicine, so she ordered it. Until now, she no longer remembers the name of the medicine she bought, only remembers that it was in pill form, a bottle of 60 pills cost 600,000 VND.

With a dose of 6 pills per day, when taking the 7th bottle, Ms. T. felt severe abdominal pain, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and continuous vomiting, and had to go to the emergency room at a local hospital. The doctor said she had stage 5 acute kidney failure.

Ms. T.'s symptoms of pain and vomiting are because her kidneys have lost their filtering function, causing metabolic waste to accumulate. If blood filtration is not performed promptly, the patient may die.

After emergency dialysis at the local hospital, the patient was transferred to Binh Dan Hospital for further examination and long-term treatment.

Ms. T. said that she is still shocked because she had to undergo emergency dialysis. She does not dare to drink any substance sold illegally without a clear origin.

Dr. Le Thi Thuy Duong, Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Binh Dan Hospital said: "Most patients, when asked about the substance they have taken, do not know its ingredients and origin.

For skin whitening pills, they are often advertised as containing glutathione, an antioxidant that helps brighten the skin by inhibiting melanin production. However, if glutathione is used in high doses without medical supervision, it can cause acute kidney failure, especially in patients with chronic kidney failure.

Therefore, when wanting to use skin whitening pills, you need to choose products with clear origins and should consult a doctor to choose the right product for each person's physical condition.

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