In A Rare, 51-year-old Housewife with Lead Toxicity Due to Ayurvedic Supplement Successfully Treated at Global Hospitals, Parel Mumbai

~Lead toxicity or lead poisoning is commonly seen in people working in the chemical industry. Taking any kind of supplements can cause liver, kidney, and intestinal problems, bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. However, people are advised not to take any supplements without the doctor’s knowledge~

Mumbai: A team headed by Dr. Meghraj Ingle Director Clinical Gastroenterology, Global Hospitals, Parel, Mumbai, successfully treated a 51-year-old housewife with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, sudden weight loss of about 6kgs, and anaemia.

Patient Mrs Clarissa Dmello, a resident of Bhandup, experienced sudden onset abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation since mid-June. Despite trying home remedies such as hot compression and increasing water intake, she did not find any relief. She sought help from different doctors but they were unable to identify the root cause of her symptoms. Suddenly her health declined, resulting in a pale complexion and difficulties in performing daily activities. Then she decided to go Global Hospitals, Parel, where after initial blood tests it was identified that she had a severe drop in her hemoglobin, CT Abdomen and Gastroscopy done also was not indicative of any abnormality.

Dr. Meghraj Ingle Director Clinical Gastroenterology, Global Hospitals, Parel, said, “Clarissa presented to us with severe gastrointestinal symptoms for a period of 15 to 20 days along with weight loss over the past 4 months. Although blood tests and a CT scan yielded normal results, the patient was found to be anemic, with her hemoglobin level decreasing from 14 gm to 7 gm within a 6-month timeframe. On further probing into the history, we understood that the patient was taking supplements to manage her sugar levels and we suspected heavy metal toxicity which was confirmed with high lead levels in her blood. The normal upper acceptable level is less than 10 µg/dl but her levels were 85 µg/dl which is very high.

Dr Meghraj added, “She was immediately started with oral chelation therapy by administering Penicillamine, a medication called heavy metal antagonists along with conservative measures for pain. She was then discharged in a stable and pain free condition almost a week post admission.

“Before I met Dr Meghraj I was in immense pain, but now my pain came down & gave me a new lease of life. I owe my life to the doctors who detected my problem in time and relieved me of the pain. I implore everyone to exercise caution regarding their health and refrain from taking any supplements without consulting a medical professional. While these products may promise a variety of health benefits, it is important to approach them with scepticism and conduct thorough research before making a purchase. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is a wiser choice to manage any health concerns, as excessive reliance on supplements poses a grave risk to life and diminishes overall well-being,” said the patient Mrs Clarissa Dmello.

“While supplements focus on holistic healing, it is crucial for people to approach doctors before consuming it. Medications should always be taken under supervision of doctors. Timely and correct diagnosis is crucial to treating the disease and with multidisciplinary clinical teams the patients are always well taken care of. I congratulate the team of doctors for their expertise, timely diagnosis, and management of her problem. It was crucial considering her critical condition,” concluded Dr Vivek Talaulikar, COO, IHH Healthcare India.