Medical student dies after taking slimming drugs

Sarah Houston inquestMedical student died after taking banned weight loss drug

 
A medical student with bulimia and depression died after taking a banned weight loss drug bought on the internet.
Troubled Sarah Houston, 23, who was found dead in her bedroom by a flatmate, had been seeing a psychiatrist for three years.
She was prescribed anti-depressant Fluoxetine, but had been secretly taking fat-burning DNP in secret alongside her medication.
The drug, popular with bodybuilders, is a chemical pesticide and highly toxic.
It was first used to treat obesity around 80 years ago before being banned because of its dangerous side effects.
Following Sarah’s death, 62 capsules of DNP were found in her bedroom and 38 capsules from the packet were missing.
Despite being encouraged to call an ambulance by flatmate Sarah Carpenter, also a medical student at the University of Leeds, she insisted it was not unusual for her to feel that way and said that her symptoms would pass.
Matthew Wade, a toxicologist, told the inquest in Wakefield: “Because it is a banned substance, we don’t really know what would be a safe level to have in the body.
 “The drug affects different people in different ways. We have heard of several deaths caused by DNP and we know that whatever the dose, it can be life-threatening.
"It is not intended for human consumption and it is a poisonous substance. It therefore seems likely DNP consumption caused Sarah’s death.”
Coroner David Hinchliff, who said Sarah would have made an “excellent doctor”, added: “The only way to combat the use of DNP is to bring to the attention of the public how dangerous a substance it is.
“This is not a one-off case. As the law stands, DNP is not classed as an illegal drug but it is a banned food substance.
"The Food Standards Agency have previously issued a report warning people not to take it.”
Dr John Morgan, a psychiatrist who specialises in eating disorders, who had seen Sarah regularly since 2010, told the inquest how she suffered from body image distortion.
He said: “Her drive to lose weight was always there and she was fearful of weight gain.
"She was most likely taking DNP to satisfy her own need to control her weight.
"I held the private view that I might not need to see Sarah for much longer.”
DNP, full name Dinitrophenol, was linked to 62 deaths in a study published last year in the Journal of Medical Toxicity.
The manufactured drug is yellow and odourless and was previously used as a herbicide and fungicide.
Mr Hinchliff said he would be contacting the relevant Government authorities after recording a verdict of death by misadventure.
Following the hearing, Sarah’s brother James, 29, who is a doctor, read out a statement on behalf of the family.
He said: “In addition to being a sister, a daughter and a friend, to lose someone so young in this way only adds to our devastation.
“We as a family are distraught and are keen to make sure no other family suffer in this way.
"While the FSA has banned this drug from human consumption, its risks are not widely known and it does not seem to affect the ease at which it can be bought from the internet.
“DNP can have fatal consequences. It seems incomprehensible to us that such a toxic substance can be available in tablet form to be sold in the UK for human consumption across the internet.”
Sarah’s father Dr Geoff Houston, from Chesham Bois, Bucks, said: “We have lost a beautiful daughter.
"The tragic circumstances are making it so hard to come to terms with.”
He called on anyone who was dealing in the danger drug to think about the tragic consequences it could have for other vulnerable youngsters who were simply worried about their weight.
In a heartfelt plea, Dr Houston added: “For those who are selling it, I would appeal to you that if you have a single ounce of decency you must stop now.
“The world has lost a bright, bubbly person who would have gone on to make other lives better.”