Mum left with brain damage after taking popular £5 supplement
A British mum-of-two had her eyes turn yellow and collapsed on the sofa after taking a supplement popular which she spotted on social media.
Lois Kinder was 'fit and healthy' but was intrigued by the huge interest online in gummies including ashwagandha, an Asian herb which is commonly promoted for stress and anxiety reduction.
She wanted to improve her 'overall wellbeing' and took two of the gummies each day, as she also hoped to ease the symptoms of perimenopause but it didn't take long for the gummies to seemingly cause her some huge health issues.
In July, Lois noticed that her eyes and her skin had turned yellow and just three days later she was rushed to hospital after she collapsed at home, with doctors later diagnosing her with acute liver failure.
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Lois is currently too ill to speak but her husband Ollie is speaking out to raise awareness for people taking viral supplements.
He said: "The thought of losing my wife, and of our children, Imogen and Jacob, losing their mum at just 44 years old, was unbearable.”
"Watching the person you love fight for their life is something no family can ever prepare for.
"When the doctors ran tests, one of the first things they asked us was if she was taking pills containing ashwagandha, which they later said they believed had caused the liver problems.
"They said there have only been 70 cases of livers failing following prolonged use of the pills.
"I want to spread awareness and warn people that even if you think the supplement you are taking is safe, there can still be serious health consequences."
Fortunately, a donor organ was found fairly swiftly and Lois was able to undergo a successful transplant surgery, however complications during the operation have sadly left her with brain damage.
Doctors told Ollie, 44, that the liver failure was likely caused by the herbal supplement, which has previously been linked with liver issues.
The gummies can be bought online and over the counter for as little as £5, with researchers still not entirely sure what is causing the liver problems which it has been linked to.
She had first visited a GP in July after starting to take the supplements daily in June but after a blood test the doctor told her that they weren't too worried about her symptoms.
But days later her daughter Imogen found her unresponsive, and although paramedics were eventually able to wake her, she was confused and couldn't recognise either of her two children.
In the hospital, she was placed on an urgent transplant list and once a donor liver finally became available, the family had hoped that things would improve, but it ended up kickstarting an 'unimaginable battle' for them, as Lois suffered three cardiac arrests during the operation due to a blood clot blocking the main artery to her lungs.
She was deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period while the incredible surgical and critical care teams fought tirelessly to save her life.
The dad said: “The number of times we have been told we are going to lose her and then she just defies the odds.
"Doctors thought she was brain dead and put a do-not-resuscitate order on her.
“The days that followed were filled with fear, uncertainty and heartbreak.
"But by some miracle she woke up.
"Doctors brought in a retired neurological specialist to figure out why she is awake as scans showed otherwise - but they can't give any answers."
The family don't know what the future holds for them or Lois at this point but there's no doubt that their lives have been tragically altered forever by this rare issue.
He said: “The medical team caring for Lois have told us that her case is so rare and medically complex that they intend to publish it as a case study in medical journals to help healthcare professionals around the world learn from the extraordinary challenges they faced while saving her life.
"At this stage, nobody knows what her recovery will look like.
“We don’t know if she will walk again, regain full use of her body, or what level of care she will need in the future.
“What we do know is that Lois has already shown incredible strength, and we will continue to fight alongside her every step of the way."
A fundraiser to support the family and buy a house which can be adapted for Lois has raised over £10k, and you can donate to it here.
Topics: Health
James Moorhouse