The illegal slimming drug Iomax has made another victim in the Netherlands. A woman in her 40s suffered a cerebral hemorrhage after taking the dangerous pills.
It has been known for years that Iomax can have serious health consequences. Ten years ago, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) already warned not to take the pills, and side effects center Lareb repeated this two years ago after another case of a cerebral haemorrhage.
Now there is someone again who is struggling with serious consequences of taking Iomax, Lareb director Agnes Kant confirms after reporting on the Radio 1 program The Crime Bureau from WNL. A woman was hospitalized in October with a brain haemorrhage.
Iomax is available online in the Netherlands, but often there is no composition of the medicine on the packaging. Research by Lareb showed two years ago that pills contain amphetamine-like substances and caffeine. These can increase blood pressure, which can cause bleeding in the space between the brain and skull.
Palpitations and pain
The idea behind the pills is that users get more energy and burn fat faster. But in addition to cerebral hemorrhages, side effects are also known as palpitations, chest pain, nausea, headache and agitated behavior. The National Poison Information Center recently received several complaints from people with such problems.
Kant is glad that these people ‘have the guts’ came forward, because experience shows that people are reluctant. “People may be a bit ashamed because they bought the drug illegally.”
If users report to Lareb, the NVWA is also involved. They can go after the sellers. For example, recently warnings were also given for similar substances, such as the diuretic medication Sulami. A herbal preparation that drives fluid out of a person’s body, with the idea that it helps to lose weight. But it can also cause hallucinations or insomnia.
Active trading
There is still an active trade in Iomax, Sulami, or similar substances. In the past six months, three people were arrested for selling the stuff, or something similar. In December, for example, a 33-year-old woman was arrested for making slimming capsules with ingredients similar to Iomax. The pills were offered for sale on Facebook.
The Lareb has no figures on numbers, but Kant warns buyers of online products: “If you buy something unknown that you want it to do something, it can also do something you don’t want.”
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